First of all check out their facial expression. Did you know that most people look at the lower part of the face? This is probably because it is often easier to understand and process speech when focussing on the mouth.  Also in some cultures it is considered rude to look someone directly in the eyes. 

 

 

 

In fact you should focus on the person's forehead, brows and eyes if you want to spot a liar.

 

We often learn in infanthood to modify our facial expressions to make them acceptable in different social situations thus allowing us eventually to become deceitful. For example: if we smile sweetly at Uncle Fred he will give us sweeties and a nice shiny pound coin; if we are sullen and frown at him he probably won't.

Move forward a few years and the adult may display a socially acceptable smile when neccessity dictates; although he or she despises the other person. 

 

If you know the person you suspect might be lying to you well then try to assess if their normal behaviour is different from that they are exhibiting right now. Care is needed because sometimes people use mannerisms which would indicate that they are lying.  The thing to watch out for are any indicators which are unusual for this person. 

If you don't know the person body language can be a good indicator of whether a person is telling the truth.  Below are some common indicators that a person may be lying:

Face and Head Area 

• Constant touching of face, nose, lips etc. 
• Pulling ear
• Smiling a lot - Genuine smiles don't last as long as a counterfeit smile.
• Smiling with only the lower half of the face
• Covering of mouth with a hand
• Scratching the head
• Eyes focussed to the right or fixed firmly on some object 
• Rapid blinking or eye rubbing 
• Prolonged eye contact
• Playing with hair 

Arms and Legs 

• Crossed arms
• Crossed Legs
• Feet not firmly planted on floor when seated
• Gripping an ankle or knee when seated
• Fidgeting
• Rubbing the hands together
• Shuffling feet
• Constant changing of position 

 

What a liar says and how he or she says it can often give the game away.

Liars generally use words like me, I or mine less often than a truth teller. They tend to overuse words like everyone, always, no-one, never and other generalizations. Watch out for use of past tense as this also can be an indicator that they are distancing themselves from what they are telling you.

A liar will often start out by saying something like "You'll never believe this" or "I can assure you". This is designed to allay any suspicions you may have.

Speech is often slower than normal and with several pauses and 'erm's'; unless of course the lie is very well rehearsed. A slight rise in pitch of the voice can indicate that they are struggling with their emotions. Stuttering and stammering can also be a good clue unless it's something they normally do.

A liar will often use negatives rather than positive's. They will say things like "I am not a liar" rather than "I am an honest person."

Look out for long-winded explanations but short answers if you ask them a question.They may also repeat the question if they are playing for thinking time.

A liar may be be defensive and ask something like: "Why are you asking me all these questions?"

 

Always trust your intuition.  If your gut feeling says that they are lying then you are probably right.