Lip-reading is a valuable communication skill that involves the individual watching your lip shapes, gestures and facial movements.

We all lip-read without realising it, especially in noisy situations. When you speak to someone, their facial expressions give you information to help you understand what they are saying.

However, being a good lipreader requires skill and concentration, as many words look similar on the lips. For example, it’s easy to mistake ‘biscuits’ for ‘big kiss’.

There are some things you can do to ensure better communication when using lip-reading as a form of communication:

• Don’t make a big issue about it but do make sure that the individual is able to tell you if they are not able to follow the conversation and agree the best way forward.
• Make sure light is on your face and not behind you (putting your face in shadow)
• Face the person you are speaking to
• Speak slowly and clearly
• Check that you can be understood and move if you need to
• Be aware in group situations of the need to speak one at a time and ensure that the person knows who is going to talk and can face them
• Gently tap someone’s arm or shoulder to get their attention before speaking if necessary.
• For longer meetings remember the level of concentration required and maybe discuss providing support for communication such as an interpreter or palantypist.

Click here for more information from Action on Hearing Loss