The language of LYING: Expert reveals how tiny clues in the way people talk reveal when they're withholding the truth

We hear between 10 and 200 lies every day, from ‘sorry, my phone’s died,’ to ‘I’m fine’.

And just by listening to simple linguistic clues, we could easily weed them out, claims scientist and linguistics expert.

Minimal self-references, negative language, simple explanations and convoluted phrasing are all hallmarks of a lie. 

In a Ted talk, Noah Zandan a science communicator and chief executive of Quantified Communications based in Austin, Texas, explained how ‘linguistic text analysis’ - which is based on the difference between how we structure the truth, and lies – can help people spot untruths.

Studies have shown that stories based on imagined experiences are qualitatively different from those based on real experiences, suggesting that coming up with a lie takes work and results in a different pattern of language use.

Linguistic text analysis helps people spot four common patterns in the subconscious language of lying.

HOW TO SPOT A LIAR 

Liars tend to refer to themselves less in a story that isn't true, and sometimes use hypothetical situations or mention others more than usual.

They often use negative terms, because they are subconsciously feeling guilty.

Untrue stories tend to be overly-simplified because humans find it hard to construct and keep track of complex lies.

While their story may be simple, liars tend to use longer, convoluted sentences, adding in irrelevant but factual-sounding details in a bid to make a story sound more convincing.

Mr Zanden explained that liars typically mention themselves less and talk more about others in a lie. 

They sometimes use the third person to disassociate themselves from their lie, because they feel subconsciously guilty.

‘Liars tend to be more negative because on a subconscious level they feel guilty about lying. 

'For example, a liar might say: “Sorry, my stupid phone battery died. I hate that thing,” Mr Zanden said.

People can also spot a lie when someone explains events in very simple terms.

Our brains struggle to build a complex false story, which means that explanations about events that didn’t happen, seem unrealistically straightforward.

But while liars may keep their story simple, they tend to use longer and more convoluted sentences, inserting irrelevant but factual sounding details to pad out the lie, he said. 

Mr Zanden said that the devices can be seen in famous lies.

For example, when seven times winner of the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong denied using performance-enhancing drugs in 2005, he described a hypothetical situation focused on someone else, to distance himself from his lie.

Conversely, when he admitted to using them in 2013, his use of personal pronouns increased by nearly three quarters, indicating that he was telling the truth. He talked about his focus on personal emotions and motivations.