Speaking Out Loud Helps You Remember Longer

Most people have probably wandered the aisles of a supermarket at least once after completely forgetting what they needed to buy. One shopper’s cart contains two tissues, peanut butter, sliced bread, toothpaste, and shampoo. But an important item is missing. The shopper walks through the aisles trying to remember it, growing frustrated because it simply will not come to mind. After wandering around the supermarket for 20 minutes, the shopper ultimately fails to remember it.

Fortunately, scientists have discovered through research a way to improve memory: “speaking out loud.” Researchers at the University of Waterloo in Canada asked 75 students to read 160 words aloud and recorded them.

The experiment lasted two weeks, and participants completed the task in four ways: reading the words silently, listening to a recording of someone else’s voice, listening to a recording of their own voice, or saying the words aloud.

Rachel Lapidos wrote about the paper, “Ultimately, one method produced the best results. Among participants who said the words aloud, 77% answered correctly.” The study was published in the scientific journal Memory.

According to BPS Research Digest, which is run by the British Psychological Society, reciting words activates motor skills, while reading words engages visual processing.