21 Ways To Know If Someone Is Lying - WikiHow

9/26/22, 3:14 PM 21 Ways to Know if Someone is Lying - wikiHow
How to Know if Someone is Lying

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Trudi Griffin, LPC, MS
and Janice Tieperman
Last Updated: April 6, 2022
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Do you suspect that someone lied to you? Thankfully, you don’t need a polygraph test
to get to the bottom of things. According to body language experts and law enforcement
veterans, liars provide plenty of accidental hints and clues when they’re being less than
honest. When you’re speaking with someone you know well, think about their baseline,
or how they’d normally act in a stressful situation.[1]
If their behavior doesn’t seem to
add up, check out this list—we’ve put together lots of signs and red flags to look out for
so you can get to the truth of the matter.
1
Breathing Rapidly
People tend to breathe heavily when they lie. Listen to their breathing, and
keep a close eye on their posture. When breathing heavily, people tend to lift
their shoulders and speak in a more shallow tone of voice.[2]
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2
Fidgeting or Staying Completely Still
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Liars tend to either fidget too much or sit rigidly. Take a close look at their
body language—a fidgeting person might shuffle their feet, move their head
from side to side, or shift back and forth.[3]
On the other hand, a liar might look
as still as a statue and not fidget whatsoever.[4]
In any nerve-wracking situation, like telling a lie, the body goes into "fight
or flight" mode. Staying still is more of a "fight" response, which is a red
flag.
Keep the person’s baseline behavior in mind, if you can. If a person usually
fidgets when standing still, this behavior might not be a sign of lying.[5]
3
Fleeting Microexpressions
Liars tend to show emotion one way or another. In many cases, their
expressions will shift for a fraction of a second—these are also known as
microexpressions. Pay attention for tiny shifts in a person’s face throughout a

conversation. A liar might show their real colors for a brief moment, even if
they don’t mean to.[6]
For example, a liar might show a microexpression of guilt or regret while
telling their story, which proves they could be lying.
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4
Darting Eyes
Darting eyes are a big sign of discomfort. If someone just lied to you,
they’re probably feeling uncomfortable, especially if you’re peppering them with
questions. If a person’s eyes start quickly shifting to the left and right, there’s a
good chance that they aren’t telling the truth.[7]
5
Blinking Fast
Count how many times the person blinks in a row. While the occasional
blink is expected, 5 to 6 blinks in a row definitely aren’t. If someone starts
blinking rapidly, they’re probably not telling you the full truth.[8]
For reference, most people only blink about 5 times in a single minute, not
in a matter of seconds.
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6
Shutting Eyes
Count how long the person keeps their eyes closed. Normally, people blink
in a matter of milliseconds. When telling a lie, they’ll shut their eyes for at least
1 second. [9]
7
Faking a Smile
A real smile affects the entire face. When a liar smiles, their expression may
look tight or forced, instead of genuine. Think of it this way—if you see crow’s
feet on a person’s face, they’re probably telling the truth.[10]
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8
Touching their Face
According to experts, people tend to feel itchy after spouting a lie. See if
the person is rubbing or scratching their face throughout the conversation. If
so, there’s a good chance that they aren’t telling you the full truth.[11]
9
Pursing Lips
A person’s mouth may go dry when they tell a lie. To counteract this, they
might purse their lips. Take a close look at their mouth—if their lips look tight
and pinched, they might be hiding the truth.[12]
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10
Sweating Excessively
The body tends to sweat extra after telling a lie. Does the person’s
forehead, cheeks, or back of the neck seem especially sweaty? See if the
person starts wiping at these areas more than they usually would.[13]
11
Flushing or Turning Pale
Both flushed or pale cheeks can be a sign of lying. After telling a lie, a liar
might experience a rush of adrenaline—this adrenaline causes them to
blush.[14]
In other cases, telling a lie may cause the blood to rush out of a
person’s face, which makes them look pale.[15]
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12
Shaking Their Head
People often nod when telling the truth. On the other hand, some people
tend to shake their heads left and right when they lie. Pay close attention
whenever they make a statement—If they shake their head while speaking,
they might be lying.[16]
13
Gesturing Too Late
Usually, people gesture as they talk, not after. Pay attention to the person’s
hand movements throughout the conversation. If they’re lying, the person will
move their hands after sharing their story, instead of while they’re telling it.[17]
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14
Making Quick Corrections
Liars can’t keep track of their stories. Because of this, they’ll probably slip
up along the way and "correct" themselves. While a couple of corrections
aren’t necessarily suspicious, constant backtracking and editing definitely
are.[18]
15
Repeating Words
Liars tend to repeat words for different reasons. They might say the same
phrase over and over to drill it in your mind, or to give themselves some extra
time to put together a good lie. Regardless, it’s probably bad news if the
person in question is repeating themselves a lot.[19]
For instance, the person might say "I didn’t do it" over and over again, or
"Listen to me."
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16
Speaking Too Vaguely
Liars tend to gloss over the details. A truthful person will remember and
include the little details in a story, like what was playing on the radio, or what
color the wallpaper was. Since they’re making up or heavily editing a story, a
liar won’t have this same attention to detail, and will speak in a vague, basic
way.[20]
17
Talking Slowly
Liars need extra time to get their story straight. A truthful person can recall
a story at a pretty normal pace, but a liar will spend extra time lining up the
details and editing their story. If the person is speaking a turtle’s pace, there’s a
good chance that they’re being deceitful.[21]
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18
Speaking in a High Pitch
The vocal cords tend to tighten when a person feels nervous or stressed.
Because of this, if someone is telling a lie, their voices might sound a lot higher
than usual. Their voice might also sound "creaky," too.[22]
A person might also clear their throat a lot when they’re lying.
19
Using Vocal Filler
Listen for words like "uh," "um," and "like." In some cases, liars will string
their lie together on the spot. As they come up with their story, they’ll use filler
words to bridge the gaps in the conversation.[23]
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20
Overstating Honesty
A truthful person doesn’t need to state their honesty over and over again.
On the other hand, liars may feel the need to remind you about how "honest"
they are. If they toss around phrases like "in all candor" or "if I’m being totally
honest," there’s a good chance they aren’t actually being honest at all.[24]
21
Answering Quickly
Some liars create their story ahead of time. When you ask them a question,
they’ll reply with the story they’ve already created, instead of taking a moment
to come up with an answer. Pay attention to how quickly they reply—an instant
answer may be a big red flag.[25]
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Community Q&A
My sister lies a lot. How can I tell if she’s lying?
wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer
Pay attention to her body language the next time you speak with her. Liars
tend to use certain cues and habits without realizing it, like breathing rapidly,
fidgeting, darting their eyes, and blinking fast. If your sister does any of these
things, there’s a good chance that she’s lying to you.
How do I know someone is lying in a phone or not?
wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer
Call the person up, if you can. While there’s no replacement for a face-to-face
meeting, there are plenty of audio cues that point to someone being
dishonest, like using vocal filler, speaking in a high-pitched voice, talking
slowly, or repeating phrases.
What if they're a good liar and can easily cover up their tracks?
Community Answer
There is only one version of the truth. On the other hand, there are many
versions of a lie. A liar usually won't tell the exact same story twice, so listen
closely for any inconsistencies.
See more answers
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Tips
People tend to speak more loudly when they lie.[26]
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References
1. https://www.oprahmag.com/life/relationships-love/a29590620/how-to-tell-if-
someone-is-lying/
2. https://www.businessinsider.com/11-signs-someone-is-lying-2014-4#2-their-
breathing-may-also-change-2
3. https://time.com/5443204/signs-lying-body-language-experts/
4. https://www.businessinsider.com/11-signs-someone-is-lying-2014-4#2-their-
breathing-may-also-change-2
5. https://www.oprahmag.com/life/relationships-love/a29590620/how-to-tell-if-
someone-is-lying/
6. https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/how-tell-if-someone-lying-according-
behavioral-experts-ncna786326
7. https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-tell-someones-lying-by-watching-their-
face-2016-1
face-2016-1#watch-their-eyes-1
face-2016-1#count-how-long-someone-closes-their-eyes-3
10. https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/how-tell-if-someone-lying-according-
behavioral-experts-ncna786326
face-2016-1#watch-their-hands-as-well-8
face-2016-1#and-keep-an-eye-on-what-they-do-with-their-mouth-9
face-2016-1#take-note-of-any-excessive-sweating-10
face-2016-1#and-in-some-instances-notice-when-the-person-blushes-11
face-2016-1#pay-attention-to-which-direction-they-shake-their-head-12
18. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201407/9-ways-
tell-whos-lying-you
19. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/signs-someone-lying-not-telling-truth-
a7606246.html
tell-whos-lying-you
tell-whos-lying-you
24. https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/how-to-tell-if-someone-is-lying-10-tells-and-
clues.html
25. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/281593
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9/26/22, 3:14 PM 21 Ways to Know if Someone is Lying - wikiHow

How to Know if Someone is Lying

microexpressions. Pay attention for tiny shifts in a person’s face throughout a

My sister lies a lot. How can I tell if she’s lying?

wikiHow Staff Editor

How do I know someone is lying in a phone or not?

wikiHow Staff Editor

See more answers

People tend to speak more loudly when they lie.[26]

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