The three main types of aphasia
Many guides list three types because they are the best known and the easiest to picture. Here is what each one usually looks like:
| Type | Speaking | Understanding |
|---|---|---|
| Broca's aphasia (expressive, nonfluent) | Short phrases that take great effort; small words like “is” and “the” are often left out, for example “Walk dog.” | Usually better than speaking, though not perfect. People are often aware of their mistakes and can feel frustrated. |
| Wernicke's aphasia (receptive, fluent) | Long, easy-flowing sentences that may have little meaning, with wrong or made-up words. | Hard. People often do not notice their own mistakes. |
| Global aphasia | Very limited; a person may say only a few words or repeat the same phrase. | Very limited, even for simple words and sentences. |
Broca's aphasia often comes with weakness on the right side of the body, because the same part of the brain helps control movement. It may also come with apraxia of speech.
Why "3 types" is a simplification
The three-type list is a useful starting point, but it leaves a lot out:
- Clinicians first sort aphasia into two broad groups, fluent and nonfluent, and then into several subtypes.
- Many people have a mix of features and do not fit one type neatly.
- Aphasia can change as the brain heals, so the type at the hospital may not be the type months later.
- Speech-language pathologists usually care less about the label and more about what a person can and cannot do today, because that shapes therapy.
Other types clinicians describe
| Type | What it usually looks like |
|---|---|
| Anomic aphasia | Speech is fluent and understanding is good, but finding names and specific words is hard. It is often a milder type. |
| Conduction aphasia | Speech is fluent and understanding is fairly good, but repeating words and phrases is hard. |
| Transcortical motor aphasia | Like Broca's aphasia, speaking is hard, but a person can repeat what others say. |
| Transcortical sensory aphasia | Like Wernicke's aphasia, understanding is hard, but a person can repeat what others say. |
| Mixed transcortical aphasia | Speaking and understanding are both very limited, but repeating is still possible. |
| Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) | Language slowly gets worse over time because of a disease that damages the brain. It is not caused by a stroke. |
Primary progressive aphasia
Primary progressive aphasia is different from aphasia after a stroke or injury. It starts slowly, with language as the first and main problem, and it gets worse over time. It is a form of dementia and can be caused by frontotemporal dementia, Alzheimer's disease and other conditions. Clinicians describe three main kinds: semantic (losing the meaning of words), nonfluent or agrammatic (slow, effortful speech) and logopenic (pauses to find words).
There is no cure for PPA, but speech-language therapy can help people keep communicating for longer (see can aphasia be cured?).
Common questions
What are the 3 types of aphasia?
The three best-known types are Broca's aphasia (expressive or nonfluent), where speaking is slow and effortful; Wernicke's aphasia (receptive or fluent), where speech flows but may not make sense and understanding is hard; and global aphasia, where both speaking and understanding are severely affected.
Are there only three types of aphasia?
No. Three is a common simplification. Clinicians also describe anomic, conduction and transcortical aphasia, mixed types, and primary progressive aphasia. Many people do not fit neatly into one type.
Which type of aphasia is the most severe?
Global aphasia is usually the most severe. It comes from damage to large parts of the brain's language areas, and people may be able to say only a few words and understand very little. Many still improve with time and therapy.
Can the type of aphasia change?
Yes. As the brain heals after a stroke, a person's aphasia can change. For example, someone with global aphasia early on may later have a milder type. Speech-language pathologists retest over time.
What is the difference between expressive and receptive aphasia?
Expressive aphasia mainly affects getting words out: the person often understands well but speaks in short, effortful phrases. Receptive aphasia mainly affects understanding: the person may speak easily but have trouble understanding others and may not notice their own mistakes.
How ExpressAgain can help
Whatever the type, many people with aphasia recognize the right word when they see it, even when they cannot find it on their own. ExpressAgain is built around that: a person reads and chooses what they mean, and the app says it out loud. It is designed especially for people with expressive aphasia.
Keep reading
More about aphasia
- Understanding aphasia: the overview
- What is aphasia?: The meaning of aphasia, its medical definition, and what the inability to speak is called.
- Can aphasia be cured?: Recovery, speech-language therapy and what to expect, including primary progressive aphasia.
- Aphasia causes: Stroke, head injury, tumors, infections and progressive conditions, and why sudden changes are an emergency.
- ExpressAgain for aphasia: how the app's aphasia mode works
- ExpressAgain after a stroke: communication through recovery
Sources
- NIDCD (National Institutes of Health): Aphasia
- National Aphasia Association: What are the types of aphasia?
- National Aphasia Association: Primary Progressive Aphasia
- American Stroke Association: Types of Aphasia
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA): Aphasia, Practice Portal
- Mayo Clinic: Primary progressive aphasia
Last reviewed . This page is general information written in plain language from the sources above. It is not medical advice and cannot diagnose anyone. Talk with a doctor or a speech-language pathologist about your own situation. If speaking or understanding suddenly becomes hard, call 911.