r/answers • u/Ok-Editor-4482 • 9h ago
Why do we hear an internal voice when reading, and can you actually turn it off?
Is this just a habit from learning to read out loud as a kid, or is it actually necessary for comprehension? Has anyone here successfully trained themselves to stop doing it?
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u/Krand01 9h ago
Not everyone has an internal voice
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u/iamapizza 8h ago
Or imagery
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u/Krand01 8h ago
Hard to imagine how someone thinks without either one, but a small percentage of people have neither one.
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u/The-Keen-Spleen 8h ago
I dont have either! Ama
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u/broken_watch8367 8h ago
Have you ever had psychedelics or know how they affect people like you?
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u/The-Keen-Spleen 7h ago
Its the only time ive ever "seen" an actual image or pattern or anything, that and dreaming. It can be really overwhelming at times (when I was crazier in my 20's) but im sure thats most people with psychedelics
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u/-_-Edit_Deleted-_- 7h ago
These are the people that can fall asleep anywhere. Blessed by silence between the ears.
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u/Icy_Nothing_2917 3h ago
Not everyone has one, and when you do its usually just inner speech or subvocalizing. You can quiet it down, but it may cost you speed or what you remember after.
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u/dylan3569 9h ago
It sounds like subvocalization. It's how we learn to read, so it's wired in. You can reduce it with speed-reading techniques, but you might lose depth of comprehension.
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u/TernarySageThyme 8h ago
I actually turn that internal voice on to slow myself down, improves retention of what I am reading. When I speed read, the voice goes quiet but the retention goes down 20%.
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u/GrapefruitPurple2495 8h ago
If you have one, don't turn it off. You're supposed to know how to pronounce words. How are you going to learn new words or learn a new language? Silent reading was practically non-existent during ancient times, people would pronounce what they were reading, even geniuses like Pythagoras or Aristotle.
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u/Umbrosyx 9h ago
i don't think you can fully turn it off. your brain just likes adding a narrator to everything
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u/BlueSkyla 8h ago edited 8h ago
Not everyone has a voice in their head. And not everyone can see pictures in their head. Everyone has various ways of thinking and imagining. And generally you cannot turn off your way of how you think.
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u/Hot-Fox-5628 8h ago
I do it intentionally so what I'm thinking no mind traders can hear, they only hear what I'm reading
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u/touchgrasschampion 4h ago
Some people have an internal voice, some dont, and what youre noticing is usually subvocalization. Slowing down can help retention, speeding it up can cost comprehension a bit
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u/LittleReserve8767 4h ago
I have one, but reading goes faster without it slowing me down. It is more about asking about a book than reading it. I have a very curious internal voice.
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u/misterstaypuft1 9h ago
I have no idea what you’re talking about
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u/OyeButWhy 9h ago
Same— it turns out some people think in words 😱
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u/MrSnowflake 9h ago
I think in words, mainly if I'm preparing a response or something like that. But more abstract thinking happens without words.Or with almost no words.
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u/sonic10158 9h ago
When I read I can “hear” myself “speaking” the words on the page inside my head. I am able to visualize what’s going to a lesser extent (aka internally paint a picture inside my head to “see” what I’m reading as it happens), but those thoughts are usually drowned out by the inner voice.
It’s weird, I can visualize things easily outside of reading, but when actually reading? It’s like I have to struggle with myself to see the visualizations
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u/MauPow 9h ago
I wonder if this is why I'm such a huge reader... I do all of the above and it's almost like watching a movie in my head. I can fully visualize a scene while I'm reading quickly through. Then if a part comes along with more description or action I can kinda paint it in my minds eye as I read more deliberately for a bit, enunciating each word in my head. It's great. Sometimes I get lost in the sauce just imagining it and realize I've read the same page 5 times, lol. I didn't realize this isn't everyone's experience
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u/iamapizza 8h ago
I wish I could do this, but I have no mental imagery or sound. I feel it would make reading richer. It's not that reading is dull though, just having scenery to go with it would be a bonus.
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u/MauPow 8h ago
Heh it is pretty awesome. I'm honestly feeling very lucky reading this thread. I can't even imagine what thinking without words or not having a mind's eye would be like.
It can be a double edged sword though because I am totally addicted to reading often to the detriment of other things. I read over 150 books last year.
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u/throwaway_messylady 2h ago
This is how I read! It’s wonderful. I wish everyone’s reading experience was like this. People would enjoy reading more. This is how I described reading to my siblings growing up and they never understood what I was talking about. Do you have vivid dreams too?
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