dyslexia

noun

dys·​lex·​ia dis-ˈlek-sē-ə How to pronounce dyslexia (audio)
: a variable often familial learning disability involving difficulties in acquiring and processing language that is typically manifested by a lack of proficiency in reading, spelling, and writing
dyslexic
dis-ˈlek-sik How to pronounce dyslexia (audio)
adjective or noun

Examples of dyslexia in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Learning to write in cursive is also associated with better outcomes for learners with dyslexia and dysgraphia, a neurological learning disability that makes writing difficult. — Mary Jean Tecce Decarlo, The Conversation, 20 Aug. 2026 Lorne Balfe From overcoming dyslexia with early synths to navigating AI, remote recording, and spatial audio, the blockbuster composer reveals how technology shapes his scores. — Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026 Outside of acting, Keen, who’s been open about struggling with school because of ADHD and dyslexia, has accumulated many hobbies. — Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 15 Aug. 2026 Another resident, Susan Eiland, said she was concerned for the kids in the Marshall Ridge neighborhood, especially those who have autism, ADHD or dyslexia. — Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dyslexia

Word History

Etymology

earlier, "impairment in the ability to read due to a brain injury," borrowed from French & German; French dyslexie, borrowed from German Dyslexie, from dys- dys- + -lexie (in Alexie alexia)

Note: German Dyslexie was introduced by the ophthalmologist Rudolf Berlin (1833-97), apparently first in print in Medicinisches Correspondenzblatt des Württembergischen Ärztlichen Landesvereins, vol. 53 (1883), p. 209. Berlin gave an oral presentation on dyslexia at a professional meeting in June, 1883 ("VIII. Wandersammlung der Südwestdeutschen Neurologen und Irrenärtze in Baden", published in Archiv für Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheiten, Band 15 [1884], pp. 276-78) in which he explained the coinage as follows: "Die mehr oder weniger deutlich ausgesprochene Plötzlichkeit, mit welcher die Krankheit auftritt und die begleitenden, resp. im Verlaufe sich entwickelnden cerebrale Symptome machen es höchst wahrscheinlich dass die pathologisch-anatomische Ursache der Lesestörung ebenfalls eine cerebrale ist. Redner bezeichnete die letzere deshalb, um diese Auffassung zu markiren, nach Analogie des gebräuchlichen Ausdruckes Alexie als 'Dyslexie.' Dabei macht er auf die etymologischen Bedenken aufmerksam, welche diesen Bezeichnungen entgegenstehen, die Aufstellung eines physiologisch weniger anfechtbaren Ausdruckes anheimgebend." ("The more or less clearly pronounced suddenness with which the disorder appears, and the cerebral symptoms that accompany it or develop in its course, make it highly probable that the pathological and anatomical cause of the disturbance in reading is likewise a cerebral one. To make this conception clear, the speaker [i.e., Berlin] therefore designates the disturbance, by analogy with the customary expression alexia, as 'dyslexia.' At the same time, he draws attention to the etymological concerns that oppose these terms, suggesting the coinage of a physiologically less objectionable expression.")

First Known Use

circa 1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dyslexia was circa 1888

Rhymes for dyslexia

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Browse Nearby Words

dyskinesia
dyslexia
dyslexiac
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dyslexia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dyslexia. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

dyslexia

noun
dys·​lex·​ia dis-ˈlek-sē-ə How to pronounce dyslexia (audio)
: a learning disability that is usually marked by problems in reading, spelling, and writing

Medical Definition

dyslexia

noun
dys·​lex·​ia dis-ˈlek-sē-ə How to pronounce dyslexia (audio)
: a variable often familial learning disability that involves difficulties in acquiring and processing language and that is typically manifested by a lack of proficiency in reading, spelling, and writing

More from Merriam-Webster on dyslexia

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dyslexia

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