Can you control your inner voice when reading?

Submitted by mrtomatoehead77 t3_yzuf5j in books

I've been wanting to be able to comprehend what I read for a very long time and have just found a way to do it for myself. The way I have always read is out loud in my head. I have never been able to retain or comprehend anything. It has always been arduous and a struggle. So the stories or information I read never synthesize in my head and I always have to back track and try to remember, very poignantly and specifically, key details, like names/places/settings, so much so that it distracts my mind from the whole of what I'm reading. I could never seem to remedy this experience.

I've read that people read better if they don't have an internal voice so I have tried that (surpressing my voice). That never worked. Then I had a thought one day to just surpress it to a lower level instead of completely and that changed the game for me. Me doing that made me realize that my internal voice was just to loud and distracting which lead me to theorize what was happening.

When you read, the speech, hearing, and thinking part of your brain activate. That's fact. So what if when there is lower activity in one part, there is more activity in the other; like you think more if the other parts are less active. Since I've'n able to lower my voice internally, I'm able to "get" what is being said and even if I have to back track, it's still more productive than before. It's almost as if no voice isn't enough to initiate comprehension and too much voice over powers the thinking mind. Is it that barely hearing the words in your head is an enough of a stimulus to gear/prime your pre frontal cortex to start doing it's thing.

Anyways, if you guys would like to share any insights, thoughts, or experiences, I would really appreciate that 😀

I only made this post because I have NEVER been able to read well and now I can sit for a good hour and read and have it flow smoothly the whole time.

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Feline_Odd t1_ix27df7 wrote

This post is making me forget how to read

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Ressikan t1_ix2wbg3 wrote

Now now, you have never been able to retain or comprehend anything.

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overwhelmed-yordle t1_ix26lge wrote

What... how is it even a thing to read without saying the words in your head... lol

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Comprehensive-Cat-86 t1_ix28d30 wrote

When I read fiction, within about 5 pages my internal voice disappears and I visualise the scene, I guess it's always there and turned on but I don't pay it any attention. I assume most people read like this?

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Kind_Nepenth3 t1_ix2fb0p wrote

Well yeah, but that's always still with the audible words when I do it. I just also have an internal movie with my monologue. Which is important in this case because when I'm not reading something, I don't think in words.

I know you could have just the one with aphantasia but I can't begin to imagine the other way around, being able to comprehend a sentence you're not reading out to yourself. It's like...enjoying art with your eyes closed.

I don't believe it. Reading posts like this reminds me of that one post about the girl that went to therapy over hearing "voices" and found out she just thinking.

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tgs-with-tracyjordan t1_ix2f0du wrote

Not me, but then, I can't visualise anything in my head.

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Kathony4ever t1_ix56oqn wrote

Neither can I. Well, I can wen I'm not reading. Scenes of my novels or fanfics will play out like movies in my head. But then I have trouble putting it into words. And vice versa. When I read, I have trouble visualizing. Even when reading fanfiction of t.v. shows, where there are specific people, that I know what they look like. I will hear dialogue in the actors' voices, but won't actually see them. There's a disconnect between words and pictures for me.

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Oolonger t1_ix3jx2y wrote

Yes, it’s almost like watching it unfold. If I’m really into it I can’t hear any of the sounds of the room I’m in. You’re just immersed in the story.

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mrtomatoehead77 OP t1_ix2avtd wrote

Yeah I think when you get immersed like that it's what's supposed to happen. You actively voice the words then your mind takes over and that's when the magic happens. I have yet to been taken away like that 😂

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swirlypepper t1_ix322ta wrote

My husband doesn't even have an internal voice! Thought he was joking but it's A Thing. He gets the words translated straight into images, like in a play when a spotlight illuminates character or scenery as it's described.

This sounds insane to me but we got into the discussion because he didn't know why I needed to turn down the car radio to find the right house number first time we visited an address. He didn't realise I don't process the "8" I see until my brain says "eight" internally.

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ehollen1328 t1_ix2pvh4 wrote

There’s a word where you begin to recognize the shapes of words and that leads to comprehension. I for one have trouble reading with saying the words in my head (though I try). It’s mostly visual

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chromeVidrio t1_ix2do1o wrote

I don’t have one unless I want to

That said, this post made me start doing it. Kind of like how you just switched to manual breathing.

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thebookishdad t1_ix2a9ol wrote

I personally have a comprehension problem. I had a stroke at birth so I don't understand what I read sometimes. So I've found reading and listening to the audiobook at the same time as better results for me ...I know some people can't do it, but it sure helps me and I've been able to read way more in the last few years because of this.

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mrtomatoehead77 OP t1_ix2b4fd wrote

That's probably something your mind has had to adapt to. Fuck yeah for finding that out!

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thebookishdad t1_ix2bstg wrote

For sure. Back in school (7th grade and up) it took a bit to figure out but my teachers were determined to help so we played around with books and audiotapes etc. So now I use audible, scribd and Libby with 5 different libraries to help find Audiobooks. So yeah I usually double dip getting the book and audiobook but it's pretty awesome I have so many options to find the Audiobooks as I get through my TBR

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ehollen1328 t1_ix2plry wrote

I think there’s a word for when you become so familiar with language that you stop sounding it out (reading with your ears) and begin to just recognize and achieve comprehension by the visible shapes (reading with your eyes). This is something that’s always bothered me as I’m a pretty big reader and I struggle with comprehension when I base things too much on sound (I struggle with poetry). So I’ve been trying to get back to an internal voice inside my head, which is difficult.

Things that help though include visualizing the scene, which usually blends the two together (literally trying to see it in your minds eye). Obviously this works better with fiction and the concrete as opposed to the abstract or something like a philosophical treatise. Another thing I’ve found helpful is to read a few pages aloud to get that inner voice going…after a few pages, when you lapse into silence it’s easier to hear the words.

If I’m truly trying to connect or having difficulty I sometimes twitch my fingers so that I’m giving all the words equal weight (as if I’m typing them on a computer.) I think it becomes very easy to skip over certain words but assigning weights and measures helps.

Really though, I’ve found it’s helpful to get in a good state of mind. Like, if I read after eight hours of Call of Duty my concentration will be awful, as opposed to, say, a good nights sleep and an early morning walk. I’ve found limiting distractions (writing down to do tasks on a dry erase board, airplane mode on phone, not reading by a TV, making sure your place is clean) helps me personally though I’m sure everyone’s different.

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narisomo t1_ix2xx7i wrote

I don’t have an audible inner voice, but I think in words. Even if I don’t hear or see the words, reading is tied to words, which limits my reading speed to speaking speed.

When I read out loud in front of someone, I usually don’t know what I had read, which is a bit strange.

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klutzwhale t1_ix4bejr wrote

Wow, I’ve never seen anyone think like me before! I also think in words, and can’t really visualize anything. However, when I read I read entire clauses and/or sentences and never «hear» anything inside my head. Ironically, I think that’s how I read at an above average speed.

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Dana07620 t1_ix5ib4j wrote

I always hear the words and if the text is descriptive enough then I see flashes of imagery.

The strangest experience I had with my inner voice was the process of learning Spanish. Naturally at first, it was stop and think and translate everything. Then it reached a point where my inner voice provided a fast English translation as I read. (Presuming I was familiar with the words / usage.) I remember thinking just how weird that was. Seeing Spanish words, but they came out in English in my inner voice.

Now I read Spanish and only hear in Spanish unless it's something I have to stop and figure out. That's always in English then gets translated to Spanish.

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UnableAudience7332 t1_ix2vokf wrote

I read with an inner voice and it never occurred to me until this post that there was any other way to do it lol

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MajesticLaw4939 t1_ix4gbxi wrote

Usually when I read mentally I use Morgan Freemans voice

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puckgolf t1_ix4i2qz wrote

Mine tells me to, KILL KILL KILL, but I ignore it for the most part and keep reading.

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wishIwasastoner_ t1_ix2oe71 wrote

TLDR I had bad comprehension issues and starting with low reading level books with visual help and interesting plots can help a lot with building up your comprehension to where one day you might be able to read without concisely thinking about reading.

I used to have severe reading comprehension issues. I always had to take those tests in k-3 where you read as much as you can and I would get halfway through the paragraph. it obviously went up by sixth grade but I was still about a 2 years behind. (I couldn’t understand the Diary of a Wimpy Kid comic series until 6th grade) when I was force to read I stuttered and jumbled the words, I mispronounced a lot of words, etc. but then I (ik this is funny but i’m being serious) discovered the episode app and I got really invested in reading the “canvas/creators” books (which are made by average people). they only had dialogue, it had movement, it had a life based storyline, and many more familiar features. I was able to comprehend it because of the additional VISUAL features that are already understood (like facial expressions and dialogue). I read them constantly. I fell asleep at 3 and wake up at 4 to read it. I was absolutely obsessed. then I got into comics and obsessively read those, then I started read watt-pad stories with basic, unimaginative plots, then I started reading actual books. and because I started with something that way easier to comprehend I seem to have built up my ability to comprehend more complicated literature. i’m now a high schooler who’s only taken honors english classes and am about to be in my first AP english class. idk if this helps at all, but I suggest starting with something you find extremely interesting but is way below your level. not something like the instruction manuals/books but one that has a storyline.

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lazerchin t1_ix2oetl wrote

Rarely, it's usually the same one

However reading text messages from some people, I hear that in their exact voice. Not everybody and really only a couple

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mathturd t1_ix2knux wrote

I can actively shut off the voice and read faster. It doubles or triples my reading speed and the text becomes images, more like flashes, some books are better than others so it's not just a flash of the scene, but for enjoyment I read with the inner monologue.

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wardy664 t1_ix2mjmu wrote

Idk i just read and mostly visualize. The voice in my head is mostly commentary. Or maybe there's 2 voices idk

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mrtomatoehead77 OP t1_ix2n9ca wrote

So basically you can have a voice that reads and then another that comments on the voice at the same time? That's interesting 🤔 So that means we can have multiple voices doing different things all at the same time. That's VERY interesting.

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wardy664 t1_ix2nc98 wrote

If u find this stuff interesting there's a book called idiot brain mostly contains this stuff

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marybeemarybee t1_ix2u81o wrote

I’ve never thought of reading that way, I’m going to try it.

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wardy664 t1_ix2vuc1 wrote

I wouldn't say you should force anything thats just how i naturally read. But i generally never had the problem of "not remmembering things i read" and it seemed weird to me

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Prestigious_Bank7946 t1_ix2shgu wrote

I believe there are two kinds of reading; passive and active. For a person to engage with the reading they need to have active reading.

How do we do active reading is the question to ponder on...

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NefariousnessOne1859 t1_ix2wkwn wrote

When I notice it’s there it’s really distracting and takes me 10 times longer to read anything. I used to read with radio or telly on in background when I was little so that probably helped me drown out my inner voice

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EUHEN_ t1_ix2zuhi wrote

When I read someting I imagine myself standing in front of me and saying what I read. From time to time I stop and ask questions to me. Iike there are 2 people, the one talking and the one who listen.

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LordCountDuckula t1_ix30a9p wrote

I try the Dune thing where I’m whispering to myself but then I remember psychic monitoring hasn’t been “Officially” invented yet and there’s no one here, why am I whispering?

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bofh000 t1_ix332l4 wrote

I also find that I have better reading comprehension if I don’t use met speech while reading. And even better if I don’t engage my hearing either.

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kaysn t1_ix378sw wrote

I don't remember a time I've ever experienced an "inner voice" while reading. If I'm voicing something in my head, it's because I'm wondering what to get for dinner or something. But my eyes and brain are still following the text and comprehending them.

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non_avian t1_ix380zv wrote

I never understand what anyone is talking about with this. Were you sounding out words before and now you just recognize the words from looking at them? Because the comments make it sound like you disappear into a wordless void. I don't think I could do that. Sounds like a great way to be caught lackin.

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Kathony4ever t1_ix58mnd wrote

I always read "out loud" in my head. I've heard you can read faster if you don't. But, I don't know if that's always better. When I try to speed read, my comprehension goes way down. (I've actually heard that that's pretty common.) I'm the opposite of you. I need to "hear" the words to fully comprehend them. Which is strange, because I also have trouble comprehending when I'm read to. I can't do audio books, because my brain does not compute. I don't pretend to understand it.

Of course, I also have ADHD, dyscalculua, and who knows what else. My brain is very strange.

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Rachel_meow_meow t1_ix5fpvh wrote

I grew up reading without an internal voice which hindered my ability to read out loud during class and word pronunciation. It wasn’t until my adult years that I figures out I could read out loud in my head. This way actually has been better for me, but for someone reason makes my throat hurt as if I had been actually reading out loud. Anyway I totally get what you’re saying

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Rachel_meow_meow t1_ix5fu3f wrote

Wow I wish we could edit comments. Sorry for all the grammar mistakes 😬

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chansi t1_ix5jnqj wrote

yeah, so when I speed read, the words kind of melt together or I only hear certain syllables or words. kind of like how it sounds at the end of commercials when they play those sped-up disclaimers.

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umdawg22 t1_ix5kxz5 wrote

Not with roomates and neighbors in college. Every night there's some board game or some shit and insane laughter permeating the area. Reading is for people with their own houses and perfect peace

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Rivermandy22 t1_ix6cowu wrote

My inner voice is so prominent that sometimes i catch myself actually reading out loud lmao but when I do that I always have to go back and reread it all cus I forgot it lol

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southsamurai t1_ix25eq3 wrote

You messed up the formatting, btw. Makes this difficult to read

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marybeemarybee t1_ix2u0on wrote

This was very helpful, thank you for posting

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DoomDroid79 t1_ix315to wrote

Subvocalisation is the term for the inner voice and I tried to get rid of it but it's very difficult for me

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mrtomatoehead77 OP t1_ix3bf5i wrote

The way you all read. This is very enlightening!

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Aimako t1_ix3de23 wrote

I used to not subvocalise (have inner voice) when I was younger and I used to read way faster than I do right now. With that being said, if something works for you don’t change it. I don’t think subvocalisation is your reason for bad comprehension. If the inner sound is causing you annoyance, then you can listen to atmospheric BGM music that suits the book using earphones/headphones. It helps me when I feel that my voice is really loud and distracting. There is nothing wrong with writing down character names, places and major events after you finish your reading session. It will improve your recalling abilities. Might be tedious at first but it’s a good exercise. Good luck and happy reading!

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