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When deaf and hard-of-hearing people try to communicate with a hearing person who does not know sign language, one technique that they may use is speech-reading. Speechreading means that an observer tries to recognize spoken words through movements of the lips, mouth, face, and other gestures.
Speechreading in isolation can be difficult and frustrating. This is often helped by some degree of residual hearing and an understanding of the context in which the person is speaking. In fact, some estimates suggest that only 30-40% of sounds can be visually identified.
Many factors can make speech-reading more difficult, such as beards, mustaches, the words being used, or the way that words or sentences are being said.
For information on more resources designed to improve speechreading skills, visit this information page provided by Gallaudet University.
References:
"Speechreading for Better Communication," The Alexander Graham Bell Foundation, 1998.
Ross, Mark. "Speechreading," Posted on September 26, 1999.
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