lipread

[ lip-reed ]

verb (used with object)

, lip·read [lip, -red], lip·read·ing [lip, -ree-ding].

1. to understand spoken words by interpreting the movements of a speaker's lips without hearing the sounds made.

verb (used without object)

, lip·read [lip, -red], lip·read·ing [lip, -ree-ding].

1. to use lipreading.

Other Words From

• lipreader noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of lipread¹

First recorded in 1890–95; lip + read ¹

Example Sentences

I don’t lipread, but I find myself looking to the speaker’s mouth for clues, and that seems to help.

From Salon

Last month at the Golden Globes, the singer and friend Selena Gomez were caught on camera talking and fans all over the internet were lipreading their conversation.

From Salon

"But for a deaf person in such a stressful situation it was very difficult to lipread, despite their efforts," she said.

From BBC

The umpire can lipread through masks, it appears, or read eyes.

From The Guardian

All attendees are allowed to remove their mask when speaking to Paralympians or others who rely on lipreading—with the suggestion that they stay two meters from the athletes.

From Scientific American