david i have experienced all you say and it can be humiliating when you give the wrong answer to sombodys question as people think you are stupid to give the answer you have and that is why i cannot go out to a social evning anymore i can lipread quite well but as you say in some sircumstances you misinterpit .i have to get pepole to phone for me too i laughed when other people laughed when i used to go to nights out and sombody told a joke but i did not hear the joke i laughed because they did as i did not want to look out of it