People learn how to tell lies at an early age and become more skilled at doing so as they get older. Not surprisingly, it is not easy to detect lies. However, some people give away verbal and nonverbal signs of lying without realizing it. Here, then, are some of the best signs to look for to detect a lie.

1. A change in the pitch and tone of the voice may indicate a lie. Undue tension in the voice and talking way too fast are defensive reactions that may show that the speaker is not truthful.

2. A person who stammers and pauses excessively may be trying to gather their thoughts and think of a plausible story. Garbled speech also shows that the speaker may not believe what they are saying.

3. Instead of answering a question with an immediate truthful answer, a liar may echo back the question that was just asked. The person may be stalling for time in order to think of a story.

4. When a person adds too many details to a story it may indicate that it is a lie. When telling the truth most people just relate the bare essentials rather than make an effort to remember lots of details.

5. Overreacting can be a bad sign. When a person becomes overly angry and defensive they may be trying to force a person to believe their story. It may indicate that their story is weak and unbelievable.

6. By contrast, acting shocked and confused and playing dumb when asked questions is also a bad sign. The person may be trying to divert attention from themselves and to gain time to think of a believable response.

7. If the questioner changes the subject abruptly the liar may readily go with the change. However, if the person is telling the truth they may want to stick with the line of questioning until the issue is resolved.

8. The accused may become the accuser, pointing fingers and trying to divert attention elsewhere.

9. A lot of face touching, especially with fingers that partially cover the mouth, is also a bad sign. It’s like the person is trying to cover the lie.

10. Fidgeting and generally looking uncomfortable also is a sign that the speaker is not comfortable with what they are saying.

Verbal signs of telling a lie are generally more reliable than nonverbal signs. Nonverbal cues are more easily controlled by the experienced liar and therefore often not very useful. A few other nonverbal signs include avoidance of eye contact and frequent blinking. Also, raised eyebrows or looking upward may be signs of dishonesty, though it is important to remember that these nonverbal signs may be misleading.

It is always difficult to detect lies using verbal and nonverbal clues. The tips above and especially combinations of the tips may help a person to detect a story that isn’t totally honest.