Which term describes loss or impairment of language ability?

• A. Dysphasia
• B. Aphasia
• C. Dysarthria
• D. Aphonia

Answer: (B)

Language impairment caused by brain injury is described by aphasia. It covers difficulties across speaking, understanding, reading, and writing, reflecting disruption in the brain’s language centers often after stroke or trauma. This makes aphasia the best fit for “loss or impairment of language ability,” because it directly names the condition that affects language regardless of the specific speech mechanics involved.

Dysarthria, by contrast, is a motor speech problem—trouble with articulation and execution of speech sounds due to muscle control issues—so it doesn’t describe a language deficit itself. Aphonia means a loss of voice, not a loss of language capability; a person with aphonia has trouble producing sound but may still understand and form language. Dysphasia is an older or less precise term sometimes used synonymously with aphasia, but aphasia is the standard, clearer term for language impairment.