Subvocalization: What It Is & How Science Views It
Pay attention to your head right now. You may be hearing a quiet voice saying these words. Speed-reading courses promise to "eliminate" it. The research says that isn’t realistic, and it wouldn’t help you if it were. Here is what the evidence shows.
Subvocalization is the internal pronunciation of words during silent reading. It can't be removed, and you wouldn't want to: it supports working memory (Baddeley, 1974), and silent reading is already faster than speech at about 238 WPM (Brysbaert, 2019). Moving your lips is worth changing. The inner voice itself is normal.
If you have ever picked up a speed-reading manual, you’ve encountered the gospel of anti-subvocalization.
The claim is simple: you learned to read aloud as a child, and you kept talking inside your head. Because people speak at about 150 to 200 words per minute, the voice supposedly holds you back. Shut it off, the pitch goes, and you can read thousands of words per minute.
It’s a seductive pitch. The numbers don’t support it: silent readers already average about 238 WPM, faster than speech (Brysbaert, 2019).
What Is Subvocalization in Reading? (Meaning & Mechanism)
Subvocalization is the internal vocalization of speech sounds while reading silently. Even when your mouth is closed and not a whisper escapes, your brain’s motor speech center (Broca’s area) fires micro-electrical impulses to your larynx, tongue, and throat muscles, physically rehearsing the words.
In 1970, psychologist F.J. McGuigan published seminal research in Psychological Bulletin studying covert oral behavior. He reviewed studies that used electrodes to measure tiny muscle activity in the lips, tongue and throat while people read silently.
Some of that activity was real, though it doesn’t mean you need your muscles to read. As Keith Rayner and colleagues (2016), describe, the sounds of words are part of normal silent reading and help you hold sentences in working memory.
Does Subvocalization Slow Down Your Reading Speed?
Moving your lips can slow you down on easy text, but the inner voice is not a fixed speed limit.
It helps to separate two things that often get mixed up:
Tongue & Larynx Tensing
Your lips or tongue move, or you whisper. This is worth changing, because it ties you to speaking speed.
Mental Conceptual Echo
Nothing moves, and you hear a fast, faint version of the words. This is normal for skilled adult readers, and it supports comprehension.
How to Stop Subvocalization When Reading (3 Evidence-Based Drills)
You can’t remove your inner voice, but you can stop moving your lips and try lightening it on easy text. Here are three short practices.
1. Articulatory Suppression (The Baddeley Protocol)
In their 1974 working memory research, Alan Baddeley and Graham Hitch used a similar method in their working memory studies: repeating something irrelevant, such as "1, 2, 3, 4" or "the, the, the", while doing another task.
Keeping your speech system busy makes it harder to say words in your head. Try counting quietly for 5 minutes on easy text. Comprehension usually drops, which is why this is a drill and not a way to read.
2. Read With a Slightly Faster Pacer (350–500 WPM)
A slightly faster pace can make the inner voice feel lighter, because you have less time to dwell on each word.
Use our free Reading Pacer. Set it about 10–20% above your normal pace and try an easy article. Stop if you’re no longer following it.
3. Skip Stopwords (the, of, and, in)
Skilled readers already skip many short words such as the, of, and, in, to, that, is, because they can be predicted from context. Try paying attention to the words that carry meaning, and keep your full inner voice for anything difficult.
Subvocalization and ADHD: What We Know
Little research looks directly at subvocalization and ADHD, so be wary of confident claims. Some readers with ADHD say a strong inner voice helps them stay on the text. If yours helps you focus, there’s no reason to fight it.
How Fast Is Your Silent Reading Speed?
See where you are today. The free 3-minute test measures your speed and your comprehension together.
Academic References & Primary Sources
- Baddeley, A. D., & Hitch, G. (1974). Working memory. Psychology of Learning and Motivation, 8, 47–89. doi:10.1016/S0079-7421(08)60452-1
- McGuigan, F. J. (1970). Covert oral behavior during the silent performance of language tasks. Psychological Bulletin, 74(5), 309–326. doi:10.1037/h0030082
- Rayner, K., Schotter, E. R., Masson, M. E., Potter, M. C., & Treiman, R. (2016). So much to read, so little time: How do we read, and can speed reading help? Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 17(1), 4–34. doi:10.1177/1529100615623267
- Daneman, M., & Carpenter, P. A. (1980). Individual differences in working memory and reading. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior, 19(4), 450–466. doi:10.1016/S0022-5371(80)90312-6
Frequently Asked Questions
What is subvocalization?▼
Subvocalization is the inner voice many people hear while reading silently. Small movements of the speech muscles have been measured in some readers, but the inner voice works faster than speech and does not need your mouth to move.
Does subvocalization slow down your reading speed?▼
Not in the way speed reading courses claim. Silent reading averages about 238 WPM and reading aloud about 183 WPM, so most adults already read faster than they speak (Brysbaert, 2019). Moving your lips can slow you down on easy text, but the inner voice itself is not a fixed speed limit.
How do you stop subvocalization when reading?▼
You can’t remove it, and you shouldn’t try. To lighten it on easy text, keep your lips closed, try short sessions of counting while you read, or use a pacer at a pace slightly above comfortable. Comprehension usually drops during these drills, so use them only for practice.
Is subvocalization bad or is it necessary for comprehension?▼
It is normal, and it helps. It supports working memory, which holds the start of a sentence while you read the rest. Keep it for anything difficult, such as poetry, legal text and maths. It tends to fade by itself on easy, familiar text.
Is subvocalization different for people with ADHD?▼
Little research addresses this directly, so be wary of confident claims. Some readers with ADHD say a strong inner voice helps them stay on the text. If yours helps you focus, there’s no reason to fight it.