Can Deaf people read lips?
Not all Deaf people can read lips. Most Deaf people will let you know in which way they are most comfortable communicating with you. You may write back and forth with paper and pencil or use a sign language interpreter. If they can read your lips, try not to yell, slow down, or exaggerate your mouth movements. This makes things more difficult. Instead, just speak normally as if you were speaking to a person who could hear.
Deaf people can read lips very well, but if someone is talking to them without sign language, they probably only catch 35% of the conversation…which means sign language is essential. In sign language, like any other language, words (signs) may have multiple meanings. For example, the word “Normal” can also mean “Natural”. The sign for hearing (as in a hearing person) can also mean talking. So reading lips is essential as well as signs. Most profoundly deaf people (who have used sign language their entire life) may not move their lips as often as people who are just learning sign language. This is because profoundly deaf people have more experience with it and can pretty much catch every sign without the need to read lips.
