lipreading
Intermediate (B1)
IPA: /ˈlɪpˌriːdɪŋ/
KK: /ˈlɪpˌrɪdɪŋ/
noun
Definition
The skill of understanding what someone is saying by watching their lip movements and facial expressions instead of hearing their voice.
Example
She learned lipreading to communicate better with her deaf friends.
Conversation
Have you ever tried lipreading when someone is talking quietly?
Not really, but it sounds like a useful skill to have.
Yeah, I think it could help in noisy places too.
Definitely! It must be interesting to see how people communicate without sound.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
deafreading
speechreading
visualization
Antonyms
audition
hearing
listening
verb
Definition
The act of understanding speech by observing the movements of a person's lips, without hearing the sound.
Example
She is lipreading to understand what he is saying in the noisy room.
Tense Forms
Past: lipread
Past Participle: lipread
Conversation
I saw a video about lipreading the other day.
Really? I’ve heard it can be quite useful.
Yeah, it helps people understand conversations without sound.
Root Explanation
Lipreading → It is formed from "lip" (from Old English "lippa", meaning the edge of the mouth) and "reading" (from Old English "ræding", meaning the act of interpreting written or spoken language). The word "lipreading" refers to the act of interpreting speech by observing the movements of the lips.
Memory Tip
Think of watching someone's 'lips' ('lip') to 'interpret' ('reading') what they are saying — that's how lipreading works.
Visually Confused Words
spreading
reading
leading