Many people don’t realize they’re dragging an invisible anchor when they read. It’s called subvocalization—the habit of silently pronouncing each word in your head. For some, it’s subtle. For others, it’s full-blown: throat movements, lip flickers, even whispered words.
It’s not inherently bad. Subvocalization can help with comprehension, especially when tackling new or complex material. But it comes with a cost—it limits your reading speed to your speaking speed, usually 150–250 words per minute. And that’s a problem when your brain is capable of absorbing much more.
The goal isn’t to eliminate subvocalization—it’s to control it. By learning to read visually, chunk ideas, and limit inner speech to key concepts, you can dramatically increase your reading speed while retaining (or even improving) comprehension.
Let’s dive into what subvocalization really is, what the research says, and the 10 professional-level techniques that can help you break through this invisible barrier.
What Is Subvocalization?
Subvocalization is the act of silently “saying” words in your mind as you read them. This process often activates the same physical pathways used in actual speech, including the larynx, tongue, and lips—even if you don’t notice it.
Early research, like that of Edfelt in the 1950s, used devices to detect internal speech muscle movements during silent reading. Edfelt believed this habit was not only natural but essential for memory formation.
However, modern cognitive researchers such as B.A. Levy and L. Curtis argue that subvocalization is a limiting habit. It restricts your ability to process text visually and in chunks, locking you into a linear, word-by-word style of reading. These researchers assert that comprehension does not require inner speech—only the ability to understand ideas in context.
So, is subvocalization good or bad? The answer lies in moderation. When reading difficult material, subvocalizing can reinforce learning. But when you’re scanning a blog post, reading a novel, or absorbing email, it becomes dead weight.
For more on the science and debate, check out this detailed guide from KeyToStudy.
Why You Should Minimize Subvocalization
Reading with subvocalization ties your mental pace to your vocal one. This limits your speed and decreases your ability to take in large ideas at once. Reducing subvocalization allows you to:
- Increase reading speed (often 2–3x)
- Shift from verbal to visual comprehension
- Focus on meaning instead of pronunciation
- Learn more, faster
Jonathan Levi, speed reading expert and educator, compares breaking the subvocalization habit to overcoming the “sound barrier” in aviation. At first, the process is uncomfortable. You’ll feel comprehension dip slightly. But as with training at the gym, pushing through the discomfort leads to speed and clarity.
“You’ll feel like a supersonic jet when you finally break through it—but it will give you a lot of resistance.” – Jonathan A. Levi.
Now, let’s break down the 10 best techniques to reduce or control subvocalization.
1. Keep Your Inner Voice Busy
One of the fastest ways to reduce subvocalization is to occupy the part of your brain that wants to vocalize. Try silently counting (1, 2, 3) or repeating a phrase like “I’m absorbing this” as you read. This tactic prevents your inner voice from narrating every word.
Dr. Lev Gold suggests combining this with background distractions, such as humming or music, to overwhelm your audio processing loop. It’s a kind of cognitive jamming—your inner voice can’t do everything at once.
2. Pre-Read to Eliminate Surprises
Subvocalization often intensifies when encountering new or complex words. One effective method is pre-scanning the page. Use your finger to draw “S” shapes across the page, forcing your eyes to take in the content quickly. Deliberately subvocalize only difficult or unfamiliar terms during this scan.
This primes your brain to recognize those terms later, reducing the need to vocalize them again. Pre-reading also helps you mentally map the content—a key technique taught in the KeyToStudy Speedreading Masterclass.
3. Guide Eye Movement with Your Finger
Regression—jumping back to reread words—is a major trigger for subvocalization. To combat this, guide your reading with your finger or a pen, sweeping smoothly across the line at a consistent pace. This creates a visual rhythm and forces your eyes to stay forward.
Start slowly and increase speed as you grow more confident. The finger acts as a metronome, keeping your eyes moving too quickly to dwell on each word.
4. Train with a Line Window
Once your eye movement is under control, try reading entire lines or phrases at a glance. Create a reading window by cutting a strip of card with a single-line opening. Slide it down the page, line by line.
This trains your brain to take in more visual information at once. Over time, widen the window to show two or three lines. The goal is to absorb meaning from phrases, not individual words.
This is one of the most powerful methods for reducing subvocalization, as it builds your visual reading span.
5. Distract the Physical Speech Mechanism
Subvocalization is partly physical. Your tongue, lips, throat, and larynx often move slightly, even during silent reading. To suppress this:
- Chew gum to occupy your jaw
- Hum softly to engage your throat
- Play soft background music, especially Baroque, which has been shown to enhance focus without stealing attention.
These physical distractions prevent your vocal apparatus from activating, reducing the urge to pronounce every word internally.
Dr. Lev Goldentouch reinforces this strategy by combining physical distraction with limited subvocalization—for example, humming while subvocalizing only one “marker” word per line. This form of dual encoding strengthens memory while keeping subvocalization minimal.
6. Use Speed Reading Apps
Technology offers new ways to disrupt subvocalization. Apps like Spreeder and SwiftRead use Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) to flash words on the screen quickly, eliminating time for internal speech.
By forcing your brain to process words visually and rapidly, these tools train your eyes and attention to operate beyond subvocal pace. They’re especially effective for articles, short stories, or non-technical reading.
If you’re interested in cutting-edge research, MIT’s experimental AlterEgo device takes this further by detecting neural signals from silent speech, demonstrating that subvocal thought can eventually be replaced by direct mental control.
More on these methods is available in the in-depth resource here.
7. Subvocalize Only Key Concepts
Total suppression isn’t realistic—or necessary. Even expert readers subvocalize key words like names, dates, or unfamiliar terms. Instead of fighting this, strategically choose what to subvocalize.
When reading a dense passage, allow yourself to pronounce key concepts or terms you’re marking silently. This helps with encoding and memory, without slowing you down. For non-critical words, trust your eyes to do the work.
Jonathan Levi confirms this approach, noting that he still hears 1 out of every 10–20 words, especially when reading for comprehension.
8. Visualize Instead of Vocalize
Subvocalization is an auditory process. The way around it is visual. Train your mind to visualize what you’re reading rather than hear it. If the sentence says, “A storm broke across the valley,” don’t pronounce it—imagine the storm.
This shift from sound to imagery significantly boosts both speed and retention. The brain processes images faster than words, making this one of the most efficient ways to upgrade your reading skills.
Smartorfun discusses the power of openness to multisensory learning, and this is one area where visual thinking outpaces inner speech.
9. Chunk Words into Meaning Units
“Chunking” is the process of grouping several words into one concept. Instead of reading “The results of the study showed,” as five separate words, process it as a single phrase.
This method requires you to recognize patterns, anticipate common structures, and trust your brain’s ability to derive meaning from context. It also forces you away from word-by-word reading—the exact habit subvocalization thrives on.
Mark sections with a pen or your finger to help train this technique. Over time, you’ll naturally start thinking in larger chunks rather than single syllables.
10. Practice Progressive Overload
The final method is more mindset than technique: progressive overload. Just like muscles grow by handling more resistance, your reading skill grows by gradually increasing speed and complexity.
Start by reading slightly faster than your comfort level—even if comprehension drops a little. With consistent practice, your brain adjusts, and your baseline speed improves. As Jonathan Levi puts it, this is how you “break the sound barrier.”
For daily practice, try speed reading one article per day using a different method from this list. Mix it up. Over time, your brain will learn to read faster and subvocalize less without you even noticing.
A Deeper Look at Subvocalization: Beyond the Basics
Subvocalization isn’t just a reading habit—it’s a reflection of how your brain processes language, memory, and even speech. Understanding its subtle mechanics can help you use it strategically instead of unconsciously. Let’s explore the cognitive science behind it and where it fits into different learning scenarios.
How Subvocalization Affects Speech Patterns
Not all readers subvocalize the same way. Generally, they fall into two categories:
- Low subvocalizers: These readers use little to no throat or lip movement. Interestingly, they tend to speak louder when reading aloud, possibly because their silent reading lacks muscular reinforcement.
- High subvocalizers: These individuals engage their throat, tongue, and lips more actively, even during silent reading.
Why does this matter? Habitual subvocalization can unintentionally reinforce incorrect pronunciations, especially when encountering unfamiliar words. If you mispronounce a word mentally, you’re more likely to repeat that mistake aloud—something particularly relevant for language learners.
Visualization Over Verbalization: The Power of Mental Imagery
Skilled speed readers often don’t “hear” words at all. Instead, they visualize ideas—a faster, more efficient pathway to comprehension. This form of cognitive processing is known as auditory-to-visual conversion.
Rather than decoding each word phonetically, expert readers engage their mind’s eye to see scenes, concepts, or actions. The faster you identify word clusters as conceptual units, the less you rely on your internal narrator.
Chunking and visualization go hand in hand, making this shift an essential step toward high-speed, high-retention reading.
Does Subvocalization Improve Comprehension?
Here’s where it gets interesting: despite how widespread it is, there’s no solid evidence that subvocalization improves comprehension.
While it can reinforce focus during difficult passages, advanced readers tend to grasp meaning through visual scanning, predictive reading, and context, not internal speech. In many cases, reducing subvocalization actually enhances understanding by freeing up working memory to interpret larger ideas.
So, while subvocalization isn’t inherently bad, it’s not essential for deep comprehension, and it may even limit your ability to process higher volumes of information quickly.
When Subvocalization Is Helpful: Special Reading Needs
For readers with dyslexia, ADHD, or slower reading speeds (typically under 200 words per minute), subvocalization can serve as a scaffolding mechanism. It provides structure, assists with decoding, and helps isolate unfamiliar or tricky words.
If you fall into this group, or are working with students who do, controlled subvocalization is recommended. Gradually introduce visual-based methods like chunking and pre-reading while maintaining subvocal cues for clarity and confidence.
Scientific Perspectives on Inner Speech
Cognitive science offers strong insights into the function and limitations of subvocalization. Dr. Keith Rayner, a pioneer in reading and eye-tracking research, demonstrated that subvocalization is commonly used during early-stage reading but becomes a bottleneck at higher speeds.
Dr. Elizabeth Schotter further explored how inner speech contributes to short-term memory but isn’t a requirement for understanding text. Her work supports the idea that subvocalization should be adaptive, not automatic.
Subvocalization is not an enemy—it’s a tool. When used consciously, it can enhance focus and precision. But when left unchecked, it limits how fast and effectively you can read.
The real skill is knowing when to rely on it and when to bypass it. Like any tool, its value lies in its timing and application.
Final Word
Subvocalization is a natural, even useful process—but it becomes a barrier when you’re trying to read quickly and absorb information efficiently. The key isn’t to eliminate ly, but to reduce it strategically.
By combining visual techniques, guided practice, physical distractions, and progressive training, you can significantly reduce your reliance on inner speech and unlock your true reading potential.
To explore these ideas further and sharpen your skills, check out:
Start slow. Be consistent. And soon, you’ll leave that inner voice behind—and read at the speed of thought.

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