“Why Can’t They Just Read My Lips?”
Written by Amy Truman Have you ever tried lip-reading? Personally, the only successful lip-reading I can understand is an angry coach on TV. It’s a common misconception that all deaf people have this superpower to help them interact with the hearing world around them. So why is lip-reading such a rare skill? Studies estimate that only 30% of spoken English can be understood using lip-reading, which leaves 70% of the conversation to be guessed. The majority of what happens to formulate sounds and words are not visible on the lips, such as placement of the tongue or what happens in your throat. Try it with a friend and see if you can see the difference between “face” and “vase” or “salad” and “talent”. This has been compared to feeling like one’s entire day is an exhausting, continuous game of Wheel of Fortune, catching what letters you can and trying to fill in the blanks, all while someone is still talking to you. Photo Credit Sciencemag.org It should be ...