This chapter focuses on rapid automatic naming (RAN) as a key cognitive process involved in reading and a frequent area of weakness in individuals with dyslexia. RAN tasks require individuals to quickly name a series of familiar items (e.g. colours, numbers, letters, objects), engaging multiple cognitive systems including visual recognition, phonological retrieval, and processing speed. The authors explain that slow naming speed is not just a surface-level problem but reflects deeper inefficiencies in how the brain accesses and retrieves stored verbal information. Deficits in RAN are shown to correlate strongly with reading fluency and word retrieval challenges. The chapter discusses how RAN measures, particularly when used alongside phonological-processing assessments, can improve the accuracy of dyslexia diagnoses – supporting the ’double-deficit hypothesis’ that suggests that both phonological and naming-speed deficits can contribute to reading impairment. Unlike phonological awareness, RAN is less amenable to direct intervention but remains diagnostically valuable. The authors argue for its inclusion in comprehensive assessments and emphasise its role in revealing broader processing inefficiencies that extend beyond reading. Overall, RAN is presented as a sensitive cognitive marker of dyslexia that contributes meaningfully to understanding variability in reading development and fluency.