How to Tell if a Man Is Lying

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No one likes to be lied to or played the fool. Perhaps you have found something that raises your suspicion or your man has said something that makes you question his honesty. Although there is no tell-tale sign that a man is lying, there are indicators you can look for to help determine if he may be lying to you.

His Eyes and Facial Expressions

Body language can indicate that a man might be lying. Carefully watch your man's face if you suspect that he is not telling you the truth. If he is lying, his face may appear less lively and facial movement may be restricted to his mouth, with his eyes failing to move in conjuction with his mouth, say Anthony DeLorenzo and Dawn Ricci on the Today website. Eyes can be another sign that he may be lying. If he is avoiding eye contact with you, you might be concerned that he is being dishonest, notes Ian Kerner, a clinical sexologist, in the article "10 Ways to Tell He's Lying." In some cases, a man will make an effort to look you in the eyes with a vacant, unblinking stare, which also can be a sign that he is lying, say Lorenzo and Ricci.

Speech Patterns

Listen carefully to your man's speech patterns to determine if he is lying to you. When a man is lying, he will often speak more cautiously, make more structural errors and and speak in a higher pitch than normal, says Terri Orbuch, a professor of sociology at Oakland University and author of "Signs Your Partner Is Lying" on the Psychology Today website. Your man may pause longer between sentences and appear to be thinking carefully before opening his mouth to speak. Watch for discrepancies between what he is saying and his facial expressions. When a man is being dishonest, there is an inconsistency between his tone of voice and his facial expression, says Orbuch. For example, his tone of voice may indicate that he is happy, but his facial expression may betray him.

Evasiveness

A man who is being dishonest may come across as evasive, notes Orbuch. For example, if you ask who he was out with, he might say, "It's nobody you know," rather than tell you the name of the person. It might be very difficult to get a direct answer, even with a direct question. If your man is not typically evasive by nature, this can be a strong warning signal that he is trying to cover something up.

His Responses

Listen carefully to how he responds to questions that you ask him. It's common for a man who is lying to repeat what you said by answering your question using the same words posed in the question, say DeLorenzo and Ricci. For example, if you ask, "Were you working late last night?" he might respond, "Yes, I was working late last night." Another sign that a man could be lying is that he answers your question without using contractions in an attempt to come across as more honest. For instance, he might respond, "I did not see her last night," rather than "I didn't see her last night." He may also provide detailed information that is not necessary. For example, if you ask if he saw his ex last night, he might respond, "No, I did not see her last night. I have not seen her for two months. Last time I saw her was at the grocery store."