Apraxia of speech, also called verbal apraxia, is a loss of speech ability from a brain injury such as stroke. A person with apraxia of speech has trouble saying what they want to say correctly and consistently. The brain knows what it wants to say but cannot properly plan and sequence the required speech sound movements. The severity of apraxia of speech varies from person to person. It can be so mild that it causes trouble with only a few speech sounds or pronouncing words with many syllables. In the most severe cases, someone with apraxia of speech might not be able to communicate effectively by speaking and may need the help of alternative communication methods.
