Lip reading

[Superduper02]

I do not suffer with hearing problems, although at one point I was convinced that I wasn't hearing clearly so had a formal hearing test which showed my hearing to be in fine range. No build up of wax either.

It has occurred to me at 30+ years old that I lip read quite heavily. Since realising it I'm really embarrassed by people thinking I'm staring at their mouth or that they will think I fancy them. I seem to do it automatically including when watching TV or at the cinema/theatre. If I forget my glasses, even though I am only a little short sighted, I feel I can't understand anything and now I realise it's because I lip read.

Does anyone else who does not have hearing problems or deafness do this?

Sorry if my terminology offends, I am not sure how best to phrase things.

Thanks in advance to anyone reading this.

I've no idea what hearing people do.

But I have significant hearing loss and manage with hearing aids and lip reading.

Most people have no idea I have hearing loss. People don't notice I'm lip reading and I've never worried about anyone thinking I fancy them.

Honestly OP people won't be noticing. .

I had hearing loss as a child and don't as an adult but because I got used to lip reading I still do it. Maybe something similar happened to you at some point and you've just carried it on?

I have a squint too so people do look at me strangely sometimes because they probably think I'm looking at the wrong place but I think it's my squint not my lip reading!

I have some hearing loss.
DH commented that I do make a lot of eye contact and pay very close attention when talking to someone - whilst not directly flirting, he did say it felt quite flattering. I wouldn't worry about it to be honest.
My Gran used to say I can't hear you without my glasses on! I think it's not that unusual for us to need to see to hear properly. Communication is only partly verbal.

I'm the same as you. Hearing tests always come back fine, but I really struggle to understand what's being said if I can't see someone's mouth, much worse if there's background noise. This is why as much as I hate being on video for calls in work, it's been transformative for me - I'm understanding far more of the conversation than when it was just teleconferences.

I don't claim to be able to lip read in the way that people with hearing loss do, but it's definitely part of how my brain translates what people are saying into words I understand.

I could never have a call centre job because I'd spend at least 80% of the call asking people to repeat or spell things out. I'm also useless at car conversations and my mother knows that trying to talk to me when I'm pushing her wheelchair is largely pointless.

I do not process information verbally very well. I struggle with strong accents and found Covid mask times hard - found I lip read quite a lot too!

So, yeah, same as you. No solutions yet though I’m afraid.

I'm exactly the same, absolutely nothing wrong with my hearing but realised during covid mask wearing how much I rely on lip reading. I discovered way after school finished that I'm a very visual learning and don't tend to take things in unless I read them for myself so not sure if it's related in anyway.

Everyone lip reads to some extent. If you test people at the same auditory volume but able to see or not see the speaker, they will hear much more at a lower volume (and take in more at any volume) where they can see the speaker's face.

People also prefer the person they are speaking to you look at their face, because it shows they are focused and listening, so don't worry at all.

This is fascinating! I do this. Out of interest why would someone be offended?

i loathe using the phone as I have no visual cues at all.
Watching TV where the action is not focussed on the people I always put up subtitles and actually one of my children needs it also. She is autistic (I am not I don’t think) but I feel like my processing is not right. It takes long and it’s like the sounds get garbled in my head for a moment before I parse them correctly. Reading lips helps this significantly. Videoconferencing and facetime with family has helped me significantly. Life changing in fact.

I am a teeny bit deaf and have regular ear infections, I struggle to hear people talking if I can't see their face and I have subtitles on the TV more often than not.
I only realised how much I lip read during Covid and having to use masks.
@Beamur I know exactly what your gran meant!
I don't think I focus particularly on peoples faces but I do tend to sit myself in the place where I can best hear - eg in thr middle of a group or table, away from doors etc

Did you have heating problems as a child ?

Drives me mad when lips and voices are not syncs on tv and it's all from when I was small

I have adhd and always lip read because my brain struggles to process voices sometimes which is why o use subtitles too. For years I thought I was deaf but now know its my processing that struggles.

Interesting fact- if you lipread (as I do), you won't like people wearing sunglasses as it interferes with facial expression

Wow! Thank you for all the responses. I feel so reassured but it does throw up other questions and memories. I will post replies

Coffesnob11
That's really interesting. My DD suspects that her Dad has ADHD. (My DH) This is one of the things she notices about him. He is very slow at processing speech - I've always thought he was a bit Harold Wilson and just giving himself time to answer, but maybe not.

I lip read and thought I had some hearing loss too as I struggle with speech. My hearing results came back fine. Recently I saw a thing about poor auditory processing and I realised it's actually that I have.