No? Don’t be surprised. Turns out that most Americans, and indeed most of the world, sub-vocalize to some extent. That’s natural, it’s simply a hold over from when you were originally taught to read. The trouble is, after we learn to read, very few people rarely improve upon the basic reading skills we’re as children.
What happens, is so insidiously innocent that we barely notice it. As children we’re taught to read each word at a time, saying those words in our heads, and we become very comfortable with it. What happens to our reading speed when we sub-vocalize is that it limits our reading speed to the speed the average person speaks.
The solution is as simple as the cause. All that needs to happen to dramatically boost your reading speed is to silence that inner voice. Its simple, really. Most people can silence that inner voice by simply being aware that they have an inner voice. If your still having trouble, try humming a single tone. This tricks your brain into silencing the inner monologue, helping you read faster than you ever thought possible!
There are hundreds of tricks, tips and techniques to help enhance your reading speed, but preventing that inner voice of sub-vocalization will help dramatically. Being aware of bad habits like sub-vocalization is only part of the solution. Once aware of the bad habit, its necessary to practice overcoming that habit every day.
