dyslexic

American  

[dis-lek-sik] / dɪsˈlɛk sɪk /

adjective

1. of or relating to the reading disorder dyslexia.

---

noun

1. a person with dyslexia.

Etymology

Origin of dyslexic

First recorded in 1960–65; dyslex(ia) + -ic

Explanation

If you're dyslexic, you have a learning disability that makes it particularly hard for you to read, write, and spell. Someone who's dyslexic suffers from dyslexia, in which the brain has trouble translating images into language. Many think that dyslexic people simply transpose letters and numbers — reading 1234 as 4321 or mistaking b for d — but the symptoms are usually broader than this. To a dyslexic person, letters and numbers may jump around on the page, or the person might have trouble connecting letters to the sounds they make. The word dyslexic comes from the Greek roots dys, meaning bad, and lexis, meaning word.

Example Sentences

As a child, I was severely dyslexic and developed a stutter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 16, 2025

“I’m not proud of having a poor education. I’m not proud of being dyslexic and having attention deficit disorder,” he says, pausing to request some sweetener to stir into this tea.

From Salon • Jul. 24, 2025

Cosby’s family later learned when Ennis graduated from college that he was dyslexic.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2025

He explained that his friends used to say "you don't look dyslexic" as if it was a "deformity", but he added "those were the times".

From BBC • Feb. 9, 2025

The dyslexic school was only for one year, so I didn’t know what would happen when I got to high school.

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers