1. Cued Speech Compiled by: Cyndi Childers
Intended Audience: Anyone wanting to learn more about Cued Speech
Goal: To make everyone more aware of the workings and facts concerning Cued Speech
Class: Educational Perspectives of Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing #350-Undergraduate; Fall 2003; Converse College

2. Abstract for Work
“Cued Speech is based on the hypothesis that several of the speech sounds in our spoken language look similar when produced on the lips. By providing the hearing impaired person with a visual indicator of what sound is being produced, fuller comprehension can be achieved. The purpose of this system is to overcome the limitations of pure oral/aural methods without deviating from or compromising any of the objectives that are inherent in the oral philosophy” (Scheetz, 129).

3. Who Developed Cued Speech?
Cued Speech was developed in 1966 by R. Orin Cornett, Ph.D.
Developed at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.
Cornett invented Cued Speech as a solution to reading and language barriers that deaf people have had to face.

4. Explanation of Cued Speech
Cued Speech is a method of communication which makes spoken language clearly understood because it identifies each speech sound as it is signed.
This is achieved with Funetic spelling.
Ex. People would be spelled peeple, and Equal would be spelled eekwal.
It is a code for the spoken language being used; it is not a language of its own; it is not a kind of sign language.

5. Explanation, Cont.
For the hearing-impaired person, it produces visually each sound as it is spoken.
It removes the guess work from lipreading.
A person cues according to sound, not spelling.

6. Explanation, Cont.
Cued Speech uses eight different shapes of the hand to represent groups of consonants.
These shapes are cued in four different positions around the face to show groups of vowels.
Consonants and vowels are cued at the same time.
It is typically not used widely in the Deaf community but only used as a teaching aid.

7. Cued Speech is Composed of Three Elements
Shape of the hand
Indicates the consonant group.
Location or position of the hand
Indicates the vowel group.
Movements (Diphthongs) and Mouth shapes
Show which vowel or consonant sound within each group is being said.

8. Shape of the Hand 1= d, p, z 2= th, v, c, s 3= h, s, r 4= b, n, wh
Taken from:
1= d, p, z
2= th, v, c, s
3= h, s, r
4= b, n, wh
5= m, f, t
6= w, l, sh
7= j, th, g
8= y, ng, ch

9. Location or Position of Hand
Taken from:
Mouth= ea (flat mouth), er (round mouth)
Chin= o (round mouth), e (flat mouth), a (open mouth)
Throat= u (round mouth), I (flat mouth), a (open mouth)
Side= o as in love (flat mouth), o as in mom (open mouth), o as in so (round mouth)

10. Movements or Diphthongs
Taken from:
Chin to throat= a (flat to flat mouth), oy (open to flat mouth)
Side to throat= I (open to flat mouth), ow (open to round mouth)

11. Mouth Shapes
Taken from:

12. Basic Principles of Cued Speech
Every sound in the language must look different, either on the hand or the mouth.
When sounds look alike on the lips, they are cued differently.
Ex. Meat, beet, peat
Look alike so are cued differently.

13. Problems that Cued Speech Seeks to Solve
Failure to acquire a mental picture of the spoken language.
It is hard for some deaf people to understand spoken language; lipreading is not 100% accurate.
An article entitled Why we Need Cued Speech says, “Lipreading is of limited help because it is estimated that we lipread as little as 30% of what is said – the rest we guess” (-----, 1).
Failure to understand English word order.
Children who are born deaf may have delayed development of verbal language because they cannot understand or think in English.

14. Problems that Cued Speech Seek to Solve, Cont.
A lack of a convenient and simple system of communication.
Confusion when signing or lipreading.
Lack of correct articulation with children learning to read and speak the English language.
The problem of limited communication in early years, which results in delayed individual and social development.

15. How Does Cued Speech Help?
Once every sound is made visible deaf children can gain an understanding of spoken language.
Lipreading becomes accurate without conjecture.

16. How Does Cued Speech Help?, Cont.
With an adequate vocabulary and the assimilation of the structures of spoken language, deaf children are very likely to become fully literate, able to use spoken language, and to lipread with greater fluency than those who do not cue.

17. Benefits of Cued Speech (taken from http://www.cuedspeech.co.uk/home.htm )
Literacy – Research has shown that profoundly deaf children with whom Cued Speech is used can achieve reading scores equivalent to hearing children of the same age (J.E. Wandel, 1989).
Internalized Language – Research shows that profoundly deaf children with whom Cued Speech is used can think in the spoken language of hearing society (J. Alegria et al, 1989).

18. Benefits, Cont. (taken from http://www.cuedspeech.co.uk/home.htm )
Helps Listening – Research has shown that deaf children familiar with Cued Speech use their residual hearing to greater effect (B.L. Charlier & D. Paulissen, 1986).
Cochlear Implants – Children’s use of Cued Speech prior to cochlear implantation has a significant positive effect on the ability to benefit from the implant (M.J. Osberger, 1997).

19. Benefits, Cont. (taken from http://www.cuedspeech.co.uk/home.htm )
Communication Within a Hearing Family- Cued Speech allows both deaf and hearing people to communicate using the English Language.
Speech and Language – Cued Speech had been found to help both deaf children’s speech and some speech and language problems in hearing children.

20. Benefits, Cont. (taken from http://www.cuedspeech.co.uk/home.htm )
Adult Deaf People – Adult Deaf people can use Cued Speech to improve their English skills.
Deafened Adults – Deafened adults whose friends and family cue can continue to communicate clearly and effectively in English and be helped by Cued Speech to retain the clarity of their speech.

21. Cued Speech vs. ASL or SEE
Cued Speech is easy to learn.
With Cued Speech, a parent is able to talk with their child in their native language.
It is more difficult for hearing parents to learn ASL than SEE, but both are more difficult than Cued Speech.
ASL and SEE are totally different from English which makes it hard to communicate effectively.

22. Cued Speech and Oralism
Cued Speech addresses the problem of sounds and letters that look alike on the lips.
Cued Speech necessitates lip-reading while reading the cue.
Many sounds and letters look alike on the lips when speaking.
Deaf children who do not have an adequate vocabulary cannot use context clues to help them lipread.

23. www.CuedSpeech.com says:
Cued Speech can be learned in 20 hours of direct instruction.
Expressive proficiency can be gained within 6 months to a year.

24. Bibliography
Cornett, RO, and Daisey, ME. The Cued Speech Resource Book for Parents of Deaf Children. Raleigh: NCSA, 1992.
“Cued Speech.” 7 October <
Kelch, Judy. “Visual Components of the Cued Speech System.” 7 October
-----.”Why we Need Cued Speech.” 7 October <
NCSA at Cued Speech Discovery. “What is Cued Speech.” 7 October <
New England Cued Speech Services. “Cued Speech Definition.” 7 October <

25. Bibliography, Cont.
Sbaiti, Mary. Cued Speech Instructional Manual. 2nd ed. North Carolina: Cued Speech Center, Inc., 1985.
Scheetz, Nanci A.. Orientation to Deafness. 2nd ed. Massachusetts: Allyn & Bacon, 2001.
Wright, Tony. “Cued Speech in San Antonio.” 7 October <
Zak, Omer. “Cued Speech FAQ.” 7 October <
“Cued Speech Solves Problems of Other Communication Methods.” 7 October <
Zapien, Cheryl. “Deaf Education Options Guide.” 7 October <