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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

 

  • Apps: Lingraphica and Tactus Therapy —Joseph G
  • 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
  • Association and time —Crisan I
  • Association, look up, and my executive assistant —Tasha
  • 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
  • Before I talking, I try to words in my mind. Obviously, I need the world to slow down. —Joe M
  • Call Google or Siri —Carol I
  • 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
  • Choose a different word to say that means almost the same thing —James B
  • Circumlocution —Kim S
  • Circumlocution, semantic feature analysis, + gestures —Kori S
  • Circumlocutions, giving any cues that I can find at the time to others in the hope they’ll get what I mean —Peter S
  • Communication book —Juanita F
  • Computer thesaurus —Trazana S
  • Constant reading and writing —Robert M
  • Cueing —Tasha S
  • Describe the object —Erica H
  • Describe the situation, like “water from the sky” = rain —Peter S
  • Describe the word. Gesture. Association – a very similar word —Lisa
  • Describe with other words —Melora J
  • Describing items, being patient, and then assisting —Michelle
  • Describing the word to someone. Staying calm and not frustrated with the hope that it comes to my brain space —Molly H
  • Dictionary —Shaun B
  • Dictionary/thesaurus in Google —Vikki M
  • Drawings, circumlocution, gestures, computers —Dennis C
  • Examples and probing questions —Tashaya S
  • Flow chart —Jay D
  • (During the chat, Nancy M, a speech-language pathologist mentioned using semantic feature analysis for anyone interested in learning more)
  • Giving yourself time —Serena R
  • 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
  • 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
  • I keep a small memo book to keep new words and learn critical words or use digital words/forms —Dennis N
  • I like looking at pictures —Joe C
  • I set a goal —Claire R
  • I talk around it. I describe it. I give things that are like it —Donna B
  • I tried to picture it in my mind & talk around the words —Yvonne B
  • I try my best to know the word or words my grandma knows and wants to say but cannot —Nikki
  • I use another word —Elizabeth H
  • I use my phone and my iPad to talk through the microphone —Betsy M
  • I used the Elevate app, which challenges me to find synonyms, spelling, and other academic studies —James M
  • I’ll google it —Deb C
  • 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
  • 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
  • If my husband is trying to figure out a month he wants to reference, he starts by saying the months in order —Lynne
  • Index cards with written notes —Frank G
  • iPhone —Joseph G
  • Just say ‘I’ll get back to you” if I can’t remember —Julia B
  • Look up info sent to me online, look at earlier emails, review earlier emails —Debbie M
  • Make word lists —Elma L
  • Need to repeat what is spoken to me —Shawn P
  • Pace myself —Doreen M
  • Pausing, using synonyms —Valerie C
  • Pictures help me very much. I like to sing, and that helps me also to find the correct phrases —Joe C
  • Practice with Tactus apps, use description, slow down, and wait a few seconds —Dominique S
  • 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
  • Read a lot, think a lot —Robert M
  • Reading and substitute similar words —Jim G
  • Relax as much as I can and just let the word come rather than try to force it to come —Charlotte N
  • Relax before speaking or nothing comes out —Ted R
  • Repeating the answer and repeating, and repeating and repeating —Elizabeth H
  • Repetition and practice before speaking —Barbara K
  • Say as many words around that word as I can until I get to the word I want. It jogs my memory —Jeri W
  • Scanning the alphabet in my mind; trying to visualize the actual word —Farra D
  • Slowing down your speech tends to help with me and sometimes I still get stuck —James M
  • Spelling the word —Pauline G
  • 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
  • Stay calm and thinking slowly is the best way —Fredrick R
  • Stop and think awhile —Mike C
  • Struggle —Nancy K
  • Sub similar words and read books or newspapers —Jim G
  • Synonyms, delay in time (returning to the problem) —Valerie
  • Take my time to think about what I am trying to say —Mildred B
  • Take notes on my calendar or notebook also add to my daily information page —Debbie M
  • Take slow —Kevin K
  • Talk around the word —Lisa
  • 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
  • The internet —Veronica B
  • Think of an associated category —Marisa S
  • Think of similar words to express them —Lucia C
  • Try not to stress & slow down… give me some time to think —Jon
  • Use Google to find the word I’m looking for —Christopher L
  • Use similar words that come to mind & work from there —Suzanne
  • Using communication boards —Shan L
  • Using gesture, and also circumlocution, often helps the interlocutor guess the intended message —Madhura M
  • Using hands —Doug B
  • Visualization —Nancy M
  • Visualize —Joyce D
  • Wait a minute/funny gesture, gestures, P2Go app, describe, draw, lookup, never mind —Trish H
  • Walking through the alphabet —Mike and Jeannette K
  • Word searches on apps —Joe C
  • Work backward —John B
  • Write it down —Dorothy B
  • Write the word down in Samsung Notes and then look it up under Google. You can try it —Mertro R
  • Writing —Kathy B
  • Writing them down. Or relying on my wife to remind me —James S

 

What are your best word-finding tips?