A Long List of Word-Finding Tips

We asked you (thanks to James M) your best word-finding tips. And you delivered… a lot. There were so many that we couldn’t cover them all in the chat, so we rounded them up here. If one doesn’t work for you, try the next.

Word-Finding Tips

1. Apps: Lingraphica and Tactus Therapy —Joseph G

2. As a non-traditional student, I always look up synonyms for words that I keep repeating in my essay papers, and if you know the first or last letter of the word you can always type it in the Google search or look through a dictionary —James M

3. Association and time —Crisan I

4. Association, look up, and my executive assistant —Tasha

5. At present, I usually work to remember and remember and then write it down. I do find that after a few reminder efforts, I generally do begin to remember —Debbie M

6. Before I talking, I try to words in my mind. Obviously, I need the world to slow down. —Joe M

7. Call Google or Siri —Carol I

8. Checking on the written lists of papers I have of various words; typing on my laptop the word to confirm the spelling or definition or how to pronounce it —Cheryl M

9. Choose a different word to say that means almost the same thing —James B

10. Circumlocution —Kim S

11. Circumlocution, semantic feature analysis, + gestures —Kori S

12. Circumlocutions, giving any cues that I can find at the time to others in the hope they’ll get what I mean —Peter S

13. Communication book —Juanita F

14. Computer thesaurus —Trazana S

15. Constant reading and writing —Robert M

16. Cueing —Tasha S

17. Describe the object —Erica H

18. Describe the situation, like “water from the sky” = rain —Peter S

19. Describe the word. Gesture. Association – a very similar word —Lisa

20. Describe with other words —Melora J

21. Describing items, being patient, and then assisting —Michelle

22. Describing the word to someone. Staying calm and not frustrated with the hope that it comes to my brain space —Molly H

23. Dictionary —Shaun B

24. Dictionary/thesaurus in Google —Vikki M

25. Drawings, circumlocution, gestures, computers —Dennis C

26. Examples and probing questions —Tashaya S

27. Flow chart —Jay D

    (During the chat, Nancy M, a speech-language pathologist mentioned using semantic feature analysis for anyone interested in learning more)

28. Giving yourself time —Serena R

29. I don’t use the word. I try to find something else to say that is the same thing as what I was going to say —James B

30. I have seen a total communication approach work best, though I often see PWA benefit from miming the target word or use of it being a very useful strategy —Laura M

31. I keep a small memo book to keep new words and learn critical words or use digital words/forms —Dennis N

32. I like looking at pictures —Joe C

33. I set a goal —Claire R

34. I talk around it. I describe it. I give things that are like it —Donna B

35. I tried to picture it in my mind & talk around the words —Yvonne B

36. I try my best to know the word or words my grandma knows and wants to say but cannot —Nikki

37. I use another word —Elizabeth H

38. I use my phone and my iPad to talk through the microphone —Betsy M

39. I used the Elevate app, which challenges me to find synonyms, spelling, and other academic studies —James M

40. I’ll google it —Deb C

41. I’m new to this and have only used printed reminders from the workbook for word retrieval that was used by speech therapists —Bernard L

42. If I hear a word I don’t know about then I type it in and I will recognize the word. If I can’t remember the word then I will type in about it and it will help me remember the word —Bruce L

43. If my husband is trying to figure out a month he wants to reference, he starts by saying the months in order —Lynne

44. Index cards with written notes —Frank G

45. iPhone —Joseph G

46. Just say ‘I’ll get back to you” if I can’t remember —Julia B

47. Look up info sent to me online, look at earlier emails, review earlier emails —Debbie M

48. Make word lists —Elma L

49. Need to repeat what is spoken to me —Shawn P

50. Pace myself —Doreen M

51. Pausing, using synonyms —Valerie C

52. Pictures help me very much. I like to sing, and that helps me also to find the correct phrases —Joe C

53. Practice with Tactus apps, use description, slow down, and wait a few seconds —Dominique S

54. Practice. Give examples when talking to others. Just work around the word by explaining, giving examples, etc. Games also help me. I love playing Taboo and Scattergories! —Kai C

55. Read a lot, think a lot —Robert M

56. Reading and substitute similar words —Jim G

57. Relax as much as I can and just let the word come rather than try to force it to come —Charlotte N

58. Relax before speaking or nothing comes out —Ted R

59. Repeating the answer and repeating, and repeating and repeating —Elizabeth H

60. Repetition and practice before speaking —Barbara K

61. Say as many words around that word as I can until I get to the word I want. It jogs my memory —Jeri W

62. Scanning the alphabet in my mind; trying to visualize the actual word —Farra D

63. Slowing down your speech tends to help with me and sometimes I still get stuck —James M

64. Spelling the word —Pauline G

65. Start with descriptions of the item/place/person. You know, like it’s a man and he was at the last meeting in a red shirt… and then try the words —Lou Ann K

66. Stay calm and thinking slowly is the best way —Fredrick R

67. Stop and think awhile —Mike C

68. Struggle —Nancy K

69. Sub similar words and read books or newspapers —Jim G

70. Synonyms, delay in time (returning to the problem) —Valerie

71. Take my time to think about what I am trying to say —Mildred B

72. Take notes on my calendar or notebook also add to my daily information page —Debbie M

73. Take slow —Kevin K

74. Talk around the word —Lisa

75. The Grammarly app is free, and I love to use it for writing so my sentences make sense, especially as a non-traditional student —James M

76. The internet —Veronica B

77. Think of an associated category —Marisa S

78. Think of similar words to express them —Lucia C

79. Try not to stress & slow down… give me some time to think —Jon

80. Use Google to find the word I’m looking for —Christopher L

81. Use similar words that come to mind & work from there —Suzanne

82. Using communication boards —Shan L

83. Using gesture, and also circumlocution, often helps the interlocutor guess the intended message —Madhura M

84. Using hands —Doug B

85. Visualization —Nancy M

86. Visualize —Joyce D

87. Wait a minute/funny gesture, gestures, P2Go app, describe, draw, lookup, never mind —Trish H

88. Walking through the alphabet —Mike and Jeannette K

89. Word searches on apps —Joe C

90. Work backward —John B

91. Write it down —Dorothy B

92. Write the word down in Samsung Notes and then look it up under Google. You can try it —Mertro R

93. Writing —Kathy B

94. Writing them down. Or relying on my wife to remind me —James S

What are your best word-finding tips?