Which term defines substitution of an incorrect but related word? Example: saying 'knife' for 'spoon'.

• A. Paraphasia
• B. Circumlocution
• C. Aphasia
• D. Dysarthria

Answer: (A)

Substitution of an incorrect but related word is a language production error called paraphasia. In paraphasia, the speaker intends a specific word but produces another one. When the substitute is related in meaning to the intended word, it’s a semantic paraphasia; if the substitute differs mainly in sound, it’s a phonemic or literal paraphasia. Saying knife instead of spoon fits semantic paraphasia because both items are types of utensils and belong to the same category, so the produced word is associated but not correct. This kind of error often appears in aphasia, a language disorder usually due to left hemisphere brain injury or disease.

Circumlocution is talking around the word with a description or explanation rather than producing a substituted related word. Aphasia is the broader impairment of language itself, not a specific word-substitution error. Dysarthria is a motor speech disorder affecting articulation, not word choice.