Speechreading is a broader term than lipreading, encompassing the use of all available visual cues—including facial expressions, body language, and situational context—in addition to lip movements, to understand spoken language. While only about 30-40% of English speech is visible on the lips, speechreading’s accuracy is enhanced by using contextual clues, making it a more holistic and useful communication strategy, especially for individuals with hearing loss.
Lipreading refers specifically to interpreting speech based solely on the visible actions of the mouth.
Speechreading encompasses lipreading but is a broader skill that includes interpreting body language and facial expressions, making it more accurate than lipreading alone, which focuses solely on lip movements.
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