--- title: How dyslexia affects speech description: Find out how dyslexia can affect speaking or speech. Learn about dyslexia and speech problems like trouble finding the right word to say. slug: how-dyslexia-affects-speech author: The Understood Team reviewer: Bob Cunningham, EdM published: '2019-08-05T15:10:30.387Z' thumbnail: https://cdn-images.understood.org/p0qf7j048i0q/2A47YoMmVJDoGBVl3eIiR3/1fbe216a4fd536d3113bed91218b7587/G1054665100.jpg source_url: https://www.understood.org/en/articles/how-dyslexia-affects-speech lang: en --- # How dyslexia affects speech Imagine you’re watching television and suddenly you recognize the face of your mom’s favorite actor. You call her up immediately. “Hey, turn on your TV. It’s… it’s… you know the guy… that actor you love… from the thing….” Suddenly you’re at a loss for words, even though you know who the actor is. You’re experiencing a momentary problem with what experts call word retrieval or word finding. Everyone experiences this now and then. But with [dyslexia](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/what-is-dyslexia), it can happen often and with all types of words. Kids and adults with dyslexia may know a word but have trouble remembering how it sounds. The word they want to say may be “on the tip of their tongue.” But they have trouble bringing to mind the exact sound combination for that word. People with dyslexia may say a wrong word that sounds similar to the right one (like *extinct *instead of *distinct*). Or they may talk around it using vague words like *thing *or *stuff*. This kind of mental hiccup can happen when they’re writing too. Trouble finding the right word is one of the most common [signs of dyslexia](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/checklist-signs-of-dyslexia-at-different-ages). But it’s important to note that problems with word finding are not unique to dyslexia. Learn about other reasons why [kids might struggle with word retrieval](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/child-word-retrieval-problems). It’s also important to note that stress can make it harder to come up with words. A lot of kids and adults feel stressed when they have to talk in front of a group of people. Kids with dyslexia may have less trouble finding the right words when they have more time to respond and aren’t put on the spot. The same goes for adults with dyslexia. Having more time to prepare or to complete a task can help with word retrieval. Learn more about [dyslexia in children](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/dyslexia-in-children). And find out [how dyslexia is diagnosed in adults](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/how-dyslexia-is-diagnosed-after-high-school). --- ## Explore related topics and articles - [Why kids have trouble finding the right word to say ](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/child-word-retrieval-problems) - Weve all had that frustrating, tip-of-the-tongue moment, when the word we need just wont come to us. We know the word. Weve used the word. And were sure its in our head somewhere. This is known as trouble with word finding, or word retrieval. We tend to associate this challenge with adults, especial - [Skills that can be affected by dyslexia](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/skills-that-can-be-affected-by-dyslexia) - Dyslexia doesnt only affect reading. It can make a lot of things hard for kids and adults. Here are some of the other skills and behaviors dyslexia can affect some of which may surprise you. - Understand and follow directions - Repeat something in the right order - Remember words, phrases, names - [Learning and thinking differences that cause trouble with spelling](https://www.understood.org/en/articles/learning-and-thinking-differences-that-cause-trouble-with-spelling) - - Many kids and adults struggle with spelling. - Its a complex activity that involves many skills. - Trouble with spelling can be a sign of learning and thinking differences, like dyslexia. Many kids and adults have trouble with spelling. And they may struggle for different reasons. Thats becau --- ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.understood.org/en/articles/how-dyslexia-affects-speech#webpage","url":"https://www.understood.org/en/articles/how-dyslexia-affects-speech","description":"Find out how dyslexia can affect speaking or speech. 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