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Lip Reading Tips

Whether you're hard of hearing, deaf or maybe even just nosy, lip reading is a skill that can help you better understand what people are saying. However, deciphering speech simply by watching lip movements is not easy. Only 30 percent of words are spoken with some kind of shape of the lips. Yet by watching other conversational clues and practicing, you should be able to see what people are trying to communicate.

  1. Know the Conversation

    • While reading lips can be difficult, lip readers can help themselves by immediately establishing what each conversation is about. Knowing the gist of what someone is discussing will help you better piece together what the person's lips are saying. Your common sense should kick in, filling in the parts of the conversation that might otherwise be hard to distinguish by watching the mouth alone. For example, if you know someone is talking about her new cat, you'll be able to watch for and better recognize words having do to with that subject, such as "cute," "pet" or "adopted."

    Watch the Lips

    • Watching a person's lips move is the basis of lip reading, as you try to understand what words someone is making with his mouth. Some sounds will be distinctly showcased on the lips. For example, the /th/ sound from "the" is made by people slightly sticking out their tongue. You should be able to recognize when someone makes this sound by watching for that movement. Other sounds may not be as easy to distinguish. Pursing lips, for example, can make the /m/ or /b/ sounds in "mah" or "bah." These movements can still be narrowed down if you know the context and subjects of the conversation. Also, watch the speaker's mouth and jaw closely for any subtle differences. If you can't understand what she's saying, ask her to rephrase. Maybe then the speaker will use words that are easier to read.

    Follow Body Language and Facial Expressions

    • Most people don't carry on a conversation with their lips alone. Facial expressions and body language are other ways of communicating -- and are also clues as to what message a person is trying to get across. These clues can help you tell if the speaker is happy, sad, excited or bored. For example, a person who is talking about how she feels sick may furrow her eyebrows or hold her stomach. Watch for these signals to better understand what a person's lips are saying.

    Lip Reading Lessons

    • Those learning to read lips can benefit from taking lessons designed specifically to teach the skill. Check if there are in-person classes on lip reading offered in your area. You can also use lip reading video tutorials and flash cards. For example, online retailer Lipread offers an array of products to learn lip reading, including an interactive CD-ROM course that comes with exercises and video clips, as well as a packet of flash cards that showcase various speech sounds through pictures of mouths speaking certain letters.

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