Originally Posted by MDawg View Post
My lips don't move when I read, either.
It's my understanding that - the term I learned for it, long, long ago - "muscle images" are just the brain's way to divide up some of its work. The spinal cord does a lot of the processing, and, then, sends the results back up to the brain proper.

Out of curiosity, I googled a couple of things to find something specific to lip motion.

Sheena Hocking, Lifelong learner
Answered January 19, 2020

It is in no way immoral or harmful to self or others to move your lips when you are reading. Therefore it cannot be classed as “wrong”.

It is very common for readers to subvocalize[1] as they read. Most readers are not aware that they are making these tiny movements of the larynx, tongue, lips and throat. Even a person watching them read would need a special machine to detect these unconscious muscular movements.

Subvocalization may help us to remember what we are reading. The Wikipedia article on Baddeley’s Model of Working Memory[2] states:

Visually presented language can be transformed into phonological code by silent articulation and thereby be encoded into the phonological store.

The reason that subvocalization in general, and obvious lip movement in particular, are considered “wrong” by some is that all such movements make reading slower.

Those who are fans of speed reading consider this to be a bad habit which needs to be eliminated. They are of the opinion that it uses extra resources in the brain, and that we can read faster by learning not to do it.

I have learned the hard, and expensive, way that speed reading and PhotoReading do not work as advertised. I am not alone in this opinion:[3]

In a 2016 article published in the journal of 'Psychological Science in the Public Interest', the authors conclude there is no 'magic bullet' for reading more quickly while maintaining comprehension other than to practice reading and to become a more skilled language user (e.g. through increased vocabulary). The authors proceed with debunking common speed reading techniques such as eliminating sub-vocalization, reading more than one word at a time a.k.a. grouping, using RSVP (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation), increasing peripheral vision, alternating colors for each line of text.

There is some evidence presented in the Wikipedia pages listed below that the use of movement of lips, throat and larynx when reading may help us to remember what we read. This is because more brain areas are engaged, and as we read we are translating the material from visual to auditory.

If you continue to read in any way which makes you happy, you are likely to become a faster reader just because practice improves performance.

And if others criticize you for your lip movements, just consider that you will likely be remembering the material better than they are. That they also make movements when they read but much smaller ones, and you are aware of yours, whereas they are not.

Smile sweetly, and carry on.