We all know that lying is a common phenomenon in our daily lives. We have all lied at some point in time to get ourselves out of trouble, to maintain our privacy, or to save ourselves from embarrassment.

However, when it comes to lying, some people are better at it than others. Some individuals have a natural talent for lying, while others struggle to keep up with their deceit. Fortunately, there are some tell-tale signs that can help you spot a liar.

In this article, we will discuss these tell-tale speech patterns that can help you separate fact from fiction.

The Avoidance of Personal Pronouns

A common sign of deception is a person’s reluctance to use or avoid using personal pronouns, such as “I,” “me,” and “my.” Liars tend to distance themselves from the event they are lying about by avoiding the use of personal pronouns, or by using them less frequently. For instance, a person might say “The car was stolen” instead of “I lost my car.” This distancing language is an indication that the person is not sure of the story they are presenting.

In contrast, truthful people use personal pronouns more naturally, to describe their personal experiences or opinions.

For example, a person being truthful about a lost car will say “I lost my car.” By using personal pronouns, speakers tend to associate themselves with their stories.

The Use of Qualifiers

Using qualifiers is another sign of lying. A qualifier is a word or phrase that softens or weakens a statement or claim. For example, in the statement, “I sort of did it,” the phrase “sort of” is a qualifier.

Qualifiers make statements ambiguous and vague, which can be an indication that the person is not telling the entire truth.

Added to that, liars often use words like “possibly,” “maybe,” or “probably” to qualify statements because they don’t want to be caught in an outright lie.

For instance, a person who is lying might say, “I possibly saw him that day” instead of “I saw him that day.” By using qualifiers, liars can distance themselves from their statements and avoid accountability.

Excessive Distancing Language

Another sign of deception is the excessive use of distancing language. When people lie, they attempt to create a distance between themselves and their statements.

Distancing language can take different forms, such as referring to events in the third person or using past tense instead of the present. For example, a liar might say, “He said he saw it,” instead of, “I saw it.”.

Additionally, liars may use phrases like “to be honest” or “if I am being honest” repeatedly throughout their conversation.

Because they believe the listener won’t believe them outright, these phrases are used to manipulate the listener into believing they are being truthful and honest.

Repeating the Question

When a person lies, they may try to buy more time to come up with a fabricated story. They do this by repeating the question. By repeating the question, they appear to be thinking deeply but in reality, it gives them time to formulate a lie.

The answer, when it arrives, is typically brief and shallow.

Using Inadequate Details

Liars tend to leave out details that could potentially prove that their story is untrue. Often, they will provide some information, but not enough to create a vivid mental picture.

For instance, a liar may say, “I went to the bank” instead of providing specific details like which bank, what time, or why they went there. In contrast, people who tell the truth provide adequate details and are often more specific with the information they provide.

Excessive Qualifiers or Superlatives

When people tell a lie, they can add unnecessary qualifiers or exaggerate their statements to make them sound more convincing.

For instance, a person who is lying might say they are “100 percent certain” about a statement, or that they “never” did something they did. Exaggeration is used as an attempt to overcompensate for a lack of credibility, but it has the opposite effect on the listener.

An Unnatural Delayed Response

Another sign of deception is an unnatural delay in a person’s response. When lying, people often take more time to think about what they are going to say. Therefore, it is common for liars to delay their response.

A liar might pause, blink, or take a deep breath before answering a question, especially if it is a complicated question.

In contrast, when people are telling the truth, their response is usually more spontaneous. They respond immediately without much hesitation or delay.

Signs of Nervousness

Lying can be stressful, and people can manifest their unease in different ways. When lying, some people fidget, shift their eyes, stutter, or touch their face frequently. When lying, the brain produces signs of stress such as a release of cortisol.

As cortisol secretion increases, it can cause physical reactions that can manifest in body language. For example, a person might feel the urge to scratch their nose or play with their watch.

Using a Formal Tone

Liars can sometimes use a formal tone to appear more credible. When people lie, they might try to speak more formally to add gravitas to their claims.

For instance, they may use more technical language or complex words that are out of context with their usual vocabulary. Other times, a person who is lying might use very low-key language to try and play down the significance of a situation.

Conclusion

Knowing how to spot a liar can help you detect when someone is trying to deceive you.

Keep an eye out for common tell-tale signs such as avoidance of personal pronouns, excessive qualifiers or superlatives, and signs of nervousness such as fidgeting or touching the face. Additionally, an unnatural delay in a person’s response, excessive distancing language, and the use of a formal tone can also be indications of lying.

Keep these factors in mind when you’re listening to someone tell a story or attempting to separate fact from fiction.