From the article: What Does Deaf Speech Sound Like?
Has anyone ever told you your speech sounds like "deaf speech?" How did that make you feel? How did you respond?
Speech/Accents
- I've grown up with people not believing that I can't hear despite being able to speak as equal to a hearing person, as well as being a prolific speechreader. When younger, I get annoyed when people think I'm faking it or can't be deaf. I keep this in mind: all hearing people do not speak the same way, even in American English. So my having an accent is just a natural part of spoken language that I acquired through training and daily use. I do not necessarily have a Midwestern accent because I speak (and sign) as an Easterner, only because of my personality. Speech training is very precise, ignores the regional accents. Now days I prefer to sign to people where ever I am because when I speak - two things happen; they don't get it because my natural voice modulation is lower than the norm (same as my father), they start rapid firing information or move their face out of my sight. I get more direct information when I sign and the people pay attention somehow better than when I speak.
- —Guest Joanna
Speech Compliments
- I was born severe hoh and am now profound hoh. I had speech therapy, lip reading training, corrections from my hearing mother and training from a friend in college who was studying speech therapy. Compliments are OK. what bugs me is when someone says, Oh it COULD be SO MUCH WORSE!! Hello? That is a comment that bugs me every time and I never have a good comeback to that but wish I did!!
- —Guest KARENELOISE
My Deaf Speech
- I went deaf slowly and as a newly deaf person people say I speak too loud , i can't hear my voice . i have been told that my voice is very flat sounding-- because of the complaints, I don't speak much any more.
- —Guest tristamirandadeaf
Comments - Bug Off!
- I hate receiving reaction on my speech, too. I don't make comments on people's skin color. I don't make comments on people's height. I don't make comments on people's weight. I don't make comments on people's choice of partner. Why make comments on my speech - whether I speak well or not. Just take it at face value and let's move on!
- —Guest Chris
It's Just Interesting
- I had advanced phonetics and phonology classes in college. I've taught English as a second language and accent-coached hearing people. I don't comment when I hear a "deaf/hard of hearing" accent, because I don't think that's something everybody necessarily wants to discuss with me. But I simply have a naturally good ear, and this training and experience, and I can tell what exactly people's tongue and mouth is doing, and sometimes I just think "oh, she's hitting the sentence intonation so well!" or "wow he's really doing the sh sound so perfectly!" So to me, this reaction is appreciating how well somebody mastered something that I know is not easy even for hearing people. But I don't say that (maybe with close deaf friends). What I feel is embarrassment that I am making the other person read my lips instead of being able to sign with them.
- —Guest Krystian
Happy
- It makes me happy when people compliment my speech because essentially I am able to speak well enough to be understood. I know at one time my aunt said my voice wasn't monotonous anymore when I got new hearing aids however I have lost more hearing and I wonder if that has change. Quite frankly being born deaf and learning to speak to me is a huge accomplishment and who cares about the accent!!
- —lcrossle
Gradually Became Deaf
- I can use hearing aids but in most situations they don't help. Everyone thinks I am hearing because of my "good speech". It is annoying because then I get the laughter and accusations that I fake deaf. I read lips good and speech good and some reisidual hearing with the aids. Because I was not born deaf but gradually became deaf over many years. I don't think is is a compliment when they say you have good speech it is not under our control. Is is when you developed speech. But, I don't let it annoy me when they ask about it, I would rather them voice their curiosity than talk behind my back. It is natural to be curious as long as it is not done rudely.
- —Guest lark29
Is it a Compliment?
- Come to think about it again; I've had people telling me that *I speak well*. It is not really complimentary because do they say that to hearing people? It made me wonder what DO I Sound Like? My family never said and said that I sound just fine! Okay. And also! If I started talking to anyone (maybe like a clerk at a store, etc) and if they know "deaf accent"; they would immediately start to enunciate. Sometimes, I don't know what to feel, more like mixed feelings...like I am glad they are taking care talking to me or that gee, do I sound deaf after all? Nah, you know? it makes life interesting, I have to think that or I would go insane!
- —Guest Squirrelley
European Accent
- Severe/profound hearing loss all my life but was mainstreamed and had intensive speech therapy. Whenever I speak, people will sometimes look surprised or sometimes not at all (most likely, polite or not really care) They would look at me with delight and asked where I was from. In my lifelong experiences, I know what would come next. I've been told that I sound like I am from France, England, Australia, Texas, Ireland, Germany, Sweden and gosh! I would be so embarrassed because they would be even more embarrassed when I tell them I am deaf. But then I quit doing that and if they are strangers (never see again) I would just shrugged my shoulders so I would not embarrassed them. They just kinda figured I cannot speak English so I shut up after they asked me that *loaded* question. But you know? it makes good stories in my twilight years!
- —Guest Squirrelley
Know the Feeling
- I know the feeling all too well when someone says that and they think they are complimenting you and they just do not know it is just the opposite, because, no one knows what we go through in our daily lives, it is best not to say anything, thank you.
- —Guest bdummette@aol.com
Friends Say Speech Has Changed
- As I've lost more hearing, I'm severely deaf, I have a lot of difficulty hearing speech, especially the higher pitched sounds such as ch, th, sh and S sounds even with my hearing aids in. As I can't hear these sounds my friends say that I speak and pronounce words without making those sounds anymore. My b/f tells me regularly that I speak like someone who is deaf, which considering that is what I am, I tend to smile at when he says this.
- —Guest ians1958
Sorry, But It is True
- I have met hundreds of deaf people in my life, many who believe that they sound like a hearing person or have "great speech" and in truth, all of them "sound deaf'. The only exceptions are those who are late deafened or had cochlear implants as young children. Sorry if that is offensive, but really, that is the truth.
- —Guest Hearing Person
Deaf Accent
- People told me they understand my spoken words and that I speak with a 'deaf accent'. It dont bug me.
- —Guest Richard Roehm
No, But People Make Comments
- I get compliments on my speech and I hate it. I'm not sure why I hate it but it bothers me every time some one tries to compliment me, by telling me they'd never know I couldn't hear. I guess it has something to do with the way hearing aids and the like are marketed to baby boomers. "It's so small -- no one will know!" Those @#^%ers don't know how lucky they are to even be able to use hearing aids. (I'm beyond any real benefit from hearing aids) I didn't start to lose my hearing until I was about 13, by the time I was 18 I was 100% deaf on only the left side. I still have a large ammount of residual hearing on the right side and can hear my own voice, the vowels anyway. I can also feel the consonants I make so I don't think I hear them but I percieve them because I feel myself making them. I have at times dropped sounds that I don't hear from my speech but I catch myself when I do (usually I think) and put a bit more effort into enunciation.
- —surdophobe
