How Do You Spell ECHOLALIA?

Pronunciation: [ˌɛkəlˈe͡ɪli͡ə] (IPA)

Echolalia (/ɛk.oʊˈleɪ.li.ə/) is a term used to describe the repetition of someone else's words or phrases, often observed in individuals with developmental disorders such as autism. The word itself is composed of the prefix "echo," meaning the repetition of sound, and the suffix "-lalia," meaning speech. The spelling of "echolalia" follows the English language's phonetic structure, where each letter and combination of letters represents a specific sound. The symbols used in the IPA phonetic transcription provide a more precise representation of the sounds used to spell the word.

ECHOLALIA Meaning and Definition

1. Echolalia is a term used in psychology and linguistics to describe the repetitive and involuntary repetition of verbal utterances or sounds made by another person. It is a language-related phenomenon often observed in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or certain neurological conditions, such as Tourette syndrome or aphasia.

   The word "echolalia" is derived from the Greek words "ekho" (meaning "echo") and "lalia" (meaning "speech" or "utterance"). In the context of human communication, echolalia is characterized by the immediate or delayed repetition of words, phrases, or entire sentences without apparent comprehension or understanding of their meaning. It can manifest as immediate echolalia, where the exact words are repeated immediately after hearing them, or as delayed echolalia, where the repetition occurs later on.

   Echolalia can serve different purposes for individuals. In some cases, it may function as a form of communication, helping the person express themselves or establish a connection with others. It can also be a self-soothing or self-stimulatory behavior, offering comfort or a sense of control. However, it can also impede functional communication, as it may replace spontaneous speech or hinder the development of original and meaningful language.

   Treatment approaches for echolalia often involve therapeutic interventions, such as speech and language therapy, applied behavior analysis, or augmentative and alternative communication methods. These aim to enhance language comprehension, promote functional communication skills, and reduce reliance on echolalic repetition.

2. The involuntary repetition of a word or sentence just spoken by another person.

   A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.

Common Misspellings for ECHOLALIA

• wcholalia
• scholalia
• dcholalia
• rcholalia
• 4cholalia
• 3cholalia
• exholalia
• evholalia
• efholalia
• edholalia
• ecgolalia
• ecbolalia
• ecnolalia
• ecjolalia
• ecuolalia
• ecyolalia
• echilalia
• echklalia
• echllalia
• mcholalia

Etymology of ECHOLALIA

The word "echolalia" is derived from two Greek roots: "echo" meaning "a repeating sound" and "lalia" meaning "speech" or "babbling". The combination of these roots gives us "echolalia", which refers to the involuntary repetition or imitation of others' words or speech patterns, often associated with certain neurological or psychiatric conditions like autism or schizophrenia.

Plural form of ECHOLALIA is ECHOLALIAS