What does alexia mean?
Alexia is a neurological condition defined as the loss of the ability to read, usually following brain damage from a stroke, tumour, or head injury. Unlike dyslexia, which is a developmental difficulty present from early life, alexia affects people who could previously read normally and have lost that capacity. In its striking 'pure' form, a patient may be able to speak, write, and name objects correctly, yet be unable to comprehend written text — sometimes even their own handwriting. Clinicians classify various subtypes, such as alexia without agraphia, based on accompanying symptoms. The term derives from Greek roots meaning 'without words.' Alexia appears mainly in medical literature, neuropsychological assessment, and rehabilitation settings, where distinguishing it from other language disorders guides treatment. It is a precise, technical word, valuable for describing a specific and often devastating acquired deficit.
nounThe inability to read, typically caused by damage to the brain, in which a person can still see and often write but cannot comprehend written words.
- Loss of the acquired ability to read, resulting from brain damage such as a stroke or head injury; also called acquired dyslexia or word blindness.
"After the stroke, she retained her ability to speak fluently but was diagnosed with alexia and could no longer decipher the newspaper."
"Following a stroke affecting the left visual cortex, the patient developed pure alexia and had to identify letters one by one."
"Neuropsychologists distinguish alexia from dyslexia by noting that alexia represents a loss of a skill once possessed."
Rarely pluralized; the plural may appear in clinical literature discussing multiple cases or subtypes.
"The review surveyed several distinct alexias documented across case studies."
Some people with 'pure alexia' can still write perfectly well — they just can't read their own words back.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of alexia
Alexia comes from the Greek prefix a- ('without') combined with lexis ('word' or 'speech'), literally meaning 'without words.' It entered English medical terminology in the nineteenth century as neurologists began systematically classifying acquired language disorders. It shares its Greek root with related terms such as dyslexia, lexical, and lexicon, all built on the same stem for words and reading.
Related word forms
How alexia is actually used
Alexia is primarily a clinical and neurological term used in medical, psychological, and academic contexts rather than everyday conversation. It is sometimes called 'acquired dyslexia,' though the two terms are not strictly interchangeable. The adjective form 'alexic' describes a person or condition affected by it.
Easily confused with alexia
Dyslexia is a developmental difficulty with reading present from childhood, whereas alexia is the loss of the previously acquired ability to read, usually after brain injury or stroke.
Aphasia is impairment of language production or comprehension generally (including speech), while alexia specifically refers to the loss of reading ability.