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OK, bit of an odd one and certainly impossible to test for absolutely sure but when you read things, do you "hear" a voice in your head reading out what your eyes see?
I assumed, like you must do with these things that because I don't "hear" anything in my head as I read, thats how it is for everyone else but there is a thread over on ocuk where people are talking about reading things in different voices and stuff. Unless I actually want/try to do that, I don't hear any voices at all, I guess I just sort of absorb the words?
Perhaps this is why I can read so fast? I could read and understand an entire novel in just 3-4 hours if I could sit completely undisturbed for that whole period of time. I regularly used to read one whole book a night as a child. Does the voice inside people's heads slow them down because you can only read at the speed that you could understand speech?
How many people hear voices?
Yes I do. But oddly when I watch subtitled anime its like I'm able to understand Japanese because I don't hear my inner voice when reading the words.
Sometimes. Depends what I'm reading. With regards to it meaning faster reading, I did a course at work which incorporated a bit about speed/effective reading, where they actually said that blocking out that voice is an enabler to being able to read extremely quickly. I can't remember the whys and wherefores though. I think it's something about being able to think faster than the voice, so if you can block it out and just absorb the words, you quicken the pace.
I'd really love to be able to block those voices then!
Piggymon
31-01-2008, 08:30
I don't hear any voices when I read... I don't think I do anyway
/is confused.
Matblack
31-01-2008, 09:57
Nope, none here, I am also a very fast reader, although not legitimate speed reading fast, I can do that but it takes away some of the enjoyment of novels.
Different people read in different ways, my mother and I both read in a similar way, we use word shape rather than letter order to read, my father on the other hand is very letter order orientated and is consiquently a slower more methodical reader, not slow just slower than us.
MB
I thought it was just how you read :/
Though if I read something written by someone who I know has an accent they tend to 'sound' like that in my head too :D
BB x
Depends on how I'm reading and what I'm reading. For the most part I don't, I generally read far to fast to be able to hear the voices. Sometimes I'll read books slowly though for various reasons and its then that I hear the voices :)
I can't speed read at all without missing the intricacies of the book or article I'm reading. Even when I type I mouth the words as I type (in mouth them in my head). I also attributed it to having learnt how to read and write and speak in numerous languages so it was the only way I could cope/deal with it.
It's interesting though.
I don't at all. I can read quite fast though and also used to read an entire kid's book at a time.
I like to make up voices for characters in books in my head, but that's about as far as it goes.
Kell_ee001
31-01-2008, 12:39
I'm pretty sure I "read aloud" in my head, especially when reading friends text. Like Pheebs I can hear her voice, jumping and boucing and giggly, when I read her posts or texts ;D
Blackstar
31-01-2008, 12:43
No i don't, i am a fast reader and i don't hear anything just absorb words.
I like to make up voices for characters in books in my head, but that's about as far as it goes.
Me too! I become so so sad when they release films from books as I think "that's not how they look... nor sound! BOO! I will have to read it all again."
I definitely read other peoples posts/texts/emails/letters in their voice and way of speaking and if not then I do it in my voice but in an accent/way I think is appropriate. And I'm poo at accents.
I think it's partially because I did a lot of acting when I was younger and plays... so reading scripts meant acting it out in your head... if not saying it out aloud. I just couldn't imagine anyone reading a playwright without a tone of voice/accent etc in thier head... it's like reading a book and not imagining what the people and places look like...!
When reading manuscripts and boring instructions I often have myself interrupt myself in my head thinking "Oh god this is so boring... skip skip skip skip skip... where are the pictures... blah blah blah... screw driver... blah blah blah... side B and side A adjacent... blah blah blah PICTURES! Hoorah!"
Maybe I spend too much time alone :(
When I'm eating it's like nyom nyom nyom, chomp chomp chomp, yum, slurp etc. Maybe it's why I like my food so much :D
I do. I don't read the story 'aloud' in my head though. I tend to just say the acronyms.
For example, I'm reading a book about Pegasus Bridge at the moment. I read through the pages silently, but when I read PIAT the voice says 'projector infantry anti-tank', even though I've continued reading passed that point. Pages with lots of acronyms really do cause me problems.
Erm, if the above makes me sound like a nut-job, it's just because I can't explain it properly. Honest.
Edit: I say 'nom nom nom' when I'm eating too! I used to say it when my neice was eating, and haven't stopped since.
Goose - me too. And if I don't know the acronyms I will physically say "P - I - A - T" in my head... which takes longer than if I knew what it was. Annoying.
So no you're not a nut job :)
Meh! I just did it with an email from my Director in Leeds :/
Will have to tick yes then...
BB x
HollyThirtyFive
31-01-2008, 14:13
I clicked yes I do hear voices when I read, but then reading the first bit of the thread I couldnt hear any voices. But I can again now hmm
I think it depends if I have an idea of what that person sounds like my mind will automatically assume a voice but if im scanning over something that isnt from a pov I wont
LeperousDust
31-01-2008, 14:19
Voices when i read just about everything, now i feel stupid :o :D
I hear the words the same way I think thoughts if that makes sense...
I've been told I'm a fast reader but I don't speed read or do it on purpose, I just read at what is a comfortable pace to me - it probably isn't that fast compared to a lot of people
Pumpkinstew
31-01-2008, 14:31
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subvocalisation
I've started doing it since my A-levels as it slows me up during technical report reading and also helps me memorise things.
I couldn't imagine reading a piece of fiction without the characters voices in my head. Although the female chracters all sound like Kathleen Turner. ;)
So no you're not a nut job :)
Unless you are too... ;D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subvocalisation
That's pretty interesting. I've never really though about different languages.
MarcLister
31-01-2008, 15:41
Voted that I does hear dee voyces. It annoys me. They tell me to kill people and not what a good book I am reading.
Oh wrong thread? :D
Seriously though, I do hear voices as I read a book. Severely annoying and I have to stop reading for a few minutes to make the voices go away.
Whenever I read poetry I always hear it in a broad Yorkshire accent, of a bloke I knew at my old church whom I've heard recite poetry a few times.. I just love his way of reading, tone and pace. It perfectly compliments most poems.
I just don't read. :D
Well, of course I do, but if there's a list of 'rules' that dictate how one should read quickly, I probably break all of them. By the time I've got to the bottom of page two in a book, I've probably forgotten what was on page one. :o
Voices? Not sure really. I suspect I probably do, at least sometimes.
Treefrog
31-01-2008, 18:53
Nope, none here, I am also a very fast reader, although not legitimate speed reading fast
Same here, i.e. The Belgariad in 2 days.
semi-pro waster
31-01-2008, 21:35
Since there isn't an option for occasionally I've had to vote yes, I do read text messages sometimes as if the mate who sent it was speaking it but it is only for some people and it is usually just because of a funny turn of phrase. However when I'm reading a book I almost never imagine a characters voice reading it unless I'm deliberately trying to, I also tend to read pretty quickly when I am reading a novel but I go through quite long periods where I won't read any novels at all.
I don't hear a voice, i've always been a fast reader throughout school and still find at Uni most people seem to read noticeably slower than I do.
I was given the first four Harry Potter books a few years back for christmas, I finished all four within two days.
Same here, i.e. The Belgariad in 2 days.
2 days? Hmm.. if I didn't have work, yeah I guess I could manage it in two days.
Damn this work thing, cuts in to so much quality reading time!
Mohinder
01-02-2008, 03:11
Not only do I hear voices, they have accents and dialects and speech impediments.
I think it depends if I have an idea of what that person sounds like my mind will automatically assume a voice but if im scanning over something that isnt from a pov I wont
Not like that for me I'm afraid. Von is southern sounding unless I deliberately put on a Sid the Sexist Geordie accent for example :D
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