Sometimes you just can’t get a word out, even though you know exactly what it means. Psychologists and linguists refer to such cases as “tip-of-the-tongue” (TOT) slips.
Research has shown that TOTs are related to age, becoming more frequent as we get older. In these cases, your brain still stores the meaning of the word, but it takes a few more milliseconds to access the word’s sounds.
Some linguists suggest that increased TOT errors in older adults are caused by this lag in accessing words, especially those which are long, irregularly spelled, or are loan words from another language. Here are ten examples that fit this pattern (see sources at the end).
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1. Colonel
Spelling: “colonel.” Pronunciation: “kernel.”
Why it’s harder with age: The brain must suppress the decoy spelling to retrieve the correct sound. Research indicates that irregular spell–sound correspondences become increasingly difficult for older adults, as the “phonological pathway” is slower.
2. Mischievous
Correct: “MIS-chi-vus.”
Common slip: “mis-chee-vee-ous.”
Why it’s harder with age: The temptation to add a syllable comes from how our brains sometimes “repair” difficult sound patterns. With slower retrieval in older speakers, that phantom syllable slips in more often.
3. Nuclear
Properly: “NEW-klee-er.”
Often: “NEW-cue-lar.”
Why it’s harder with age: Consonant clusters like “klee-er” are demanding. Research shows older adults often simplify clusters, especially in faster or casual speech.
4. February
Correct: “Feb-ru-ary.”
Most people say: “Feb-uary.”
Why it’s harder with age: The double “r” demands extra precision. Older adults are more likely to drop one sound in multi-syllable words, a pattern researchers have observed in conversational speech.
5. Epitome
Correct: “uh-PIT-uh-mee.”
Mistaken as: “epi-tome.”
Why it’s harder with age: This is a low-frequency word. Studies show older adults have more difficulty producing rare words because they aren’t reinforced as often in everyday conversation.
6. Subtle
Correct: “SUTT-ul.”
Wrong but tempting: “SUB-tul.”
Why it’s harder with age: Silent letters demand an extra mental check. Research notes that older speakers often default to spelling-based pronunciations, especially if they’re less confident in a word.
7. Quinoa
Correct: “keen-wah.”
Misread as: “kwin-oh-ah.”
Why it’s harder with age: Foreign borrowings don’t follow English sound rules. Studies show older adults are more prone to phonological slips on these “rule-breaking” words.
8. Espresso
Correct: “es-PRES-so.”
Mispronounced as: “ex-PRES-so.”
Why it’s harder with age: Sound clusters like “s-pr” require fast sequencing. With slower phonological retrieval, older speakers often insert an extra sound like the “x.”
9. Auxiliary
Correct: “awg-ZIL-yuh-ree.”
Often shortened to: “auxil’ry.”
Why it’s harder with age: Multi-syllable, low-frequency words are the perfect storm for errors. Research shows older speakers often “compress” these words to make them easier to say.
10. Anemone
Correct: “uh-NEM-uh-nee.”
Common slips: “anenome,” “anemini.”
Why it’s harder with age: Repeating vowel–consonant patterns increase the chance of errors. Linguists note that older adults are especially vulnerable to stumbles in words with repeating or mirrored sounds.
Sources: Please see here for a complete listing of all sources that were consulted in the preparation of this article.
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