To determine if people analyze words in online reading, an experiment was conducted with 12 congenitally deaf, second generation sign language users with a reading level of 6.64 on a standardized reading achievement test. The hearing controls included seventh and eighth grade students who were matched for reading level. Both groups were split in half to form high and low reading groups. The experiment was conducted using an Apple II microcomputer and a certified interpreter was always present. The measure used was the speed of reaction time to certain stimuli. Subjects were told that -ment was the target and that they were to push a button when they found the letters -ment in a sentence. Reaction times were measured at all points. Results showed that the deaf subjects stored word boundary items as base word plus ending (for example, payment as pay ment) but that they did not do the same with morpheme boundary items. It was further found that deaf subjects were sensitive to spelling changes. The findings suggest that deaf readers engage in visual word analysis while reading, doing so predominantly for the productive word boundary endings that do not cause spelling or sound changes. (Appended is a morphological analysis of skilled deaf readers.) (HOD)