The type of language disorder that results in difficulties in auditory comprehension is sometimes called “sensory aphasia,” but is more commonly known as Wernicke’s aphasia. Someone suffering from this disorder can actually produce very fluent speech which is, however, often difficult to make sense of. Very general terms are used, even in response to specific requests for information, as in this sample: I can’t talk all of the things I do, and part of the part I can go alright, but I can’t tell from the other people.

Difficulty in finding the correct word, sometimes referred to as anomia, also happens in Wernicke’s aphasia. To overcome their word-finding difficulties, speakers use different strategies such as trying to describe objects or talking about their purpose, as in the thing to put cigarettes in (for “ashtray”). In the following example (from Lesser & Milroy, 1993), the speaker tries a range of strategies when he can’t come up with the word (“kite”) for an object in a picture.

it’s blowing, on the right, and er there’s four letters in it, and I think it begins with a C – goes – when you start it then goes right up in the air – I would I would have to keep racking my brain how I would spell that word – that flies, that that doesn’t fly, you pull it round, it goes up in the air