Definition

Verb: * To understand what someone is saying by watching the movements of their lips, mouth, and face, without hearing the sound. This is a skill often used by people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Usage

The verb "speech-read" describes the active process of interpreting spoken language visually. It is typically used with people as the subject. * After losing his hearing, he learned to speech-read remarkably well. * In the noisy room, she had to speech-read to follow the conversation. * The teacher made sure to face the student who needed to speech-read.

Advanced Usage

• Technical/Clinical Context: "Speech-read" is a specific term used in audiology and education for the deaf, emphasizing the interpretive skill beyond just "lipreading," as it incorporates facial expressions and context.
  • The study compared the efficacy of different methods for teaching individuals to speech-read.

Variants and Related Words

• Lip-read (verb): A more common synonym for "speech-read," though some consider it a narrower term focusing solely on lip movements.
• Speechreading (noun): The activity or skill of speech-reading.
  • Speechreading requires concentration and practice.

Synonyms

• Lip-read

Notes on Meaning

• "Speech-read" specifically refers to the interpretation intended for the deaf or hard-of-hearing community. It is not typically used for situations where a hearing person might silently watch someone's lips (e.g., in a very loud club).

Verb

1. interpret by lipreading; of deaf people