Augh! Normally I never subvocalize, but after reading this post I've started dong it uncontrollably and it's noticeably slowing down my reading speed. And my typing speed.
edit: well, not exactly never. I think I sometimes do it when I'm reading a challenging text while distracted/tired. It's usually a harbinger of the dreaded "same sentence over and over for 5 minutes", so I usually don't get far with subvocalizing. (Also, thankfully, it only took a few minutes of being distracted from this topic for the effect to go away. Whew.)
edit 2: even when this is in effect, I can still easily read while counting. I guess it's not really subvocalization after all.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subvocalization
I'm curious about how often or to what degree visitors to this site subvocalize as they read. I was originally interested in reducing subvocalizations as a way to increase reading speed, as the idea is mentioned in multiple pieces I've read about speed reading.
The Wikipedia entry seems to focus on subtle throat and muscle movements, but I'm more interested to know if you "say" or "hear" the words in your head as you read.
Since reading about subvocalization recently, I seem to notice that I "say/hear" what I'm reading quite frequently. I'm not sure if this is causal (in the way that the command "don't think of pink elephants" obliges you to do so), or if I just notice it more now, or both.
When I'm very engrossed in a book either I don't notice the subvocalizations or they stop happening, so seems that it could either be a cause or a symptom of distractedness.
In the comments, please describe your mental subvocalizations (or lack of them) and if they are related to how engrossed you are in the book. Any other comments relevant comments about speed reading or subvocalizations are welcome.