One of the central concerns of neurolinguistic theory-formation is to develop models of word comprehension with equal validity for normal processing and processing impaired by brain damage. In the domain of written language numerous suggestions have been advanced as to how surface dyslexia, deep dyslexia and other selective reading impairments following brain damage can be explained at the word level in the framework of neurolinguistic models of reading. Here, the various models are described, compared and discussed in terms of their explanatory force.