Apraxia is a neurologically-based motor disorder that impairs the ability to perform purposeful movements, despite having the desire and physical capacity to do so. It affects planning and coordinating complex actions, often impacting speech (apraxia of speech) and other motor tasks. The term conveys a disruption in motor programming rather than muscle weakness.
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"After the stroke, she developed apraxia, making it hard to articulate even simple words."
"Children with apraxia of speech may struggle with sequencing sounds and syllables."
"The speech therapist designed exercises to improve motor planning for apraxia."
"Some patients experience limb apraxia, where purposeful movements can't be executed smoothly despite normal strength."
Apraxia comes from the Greek prefix a- meaning “without” or “not,” and praxis meaning “action” or “doing.” The term was adopted in neurology in the early 20th century to describe disorders of action not caused by weakness or sensory loss. The root praxis itself is from Latin origin via Greek, reflecting the sense of purposeful movement. In medical literature, apraxia broadly designates impaired motor planning, with variants such as ideomotor apraxia, ideational apraxia, and limb apraxia, each reflecting different aspects of action planning and execution. First described in clinical neuropathology discussions, apraxia gained prominence as neurologists distinguished motor planning deficits from muscle paralysis. Over decades, the term has become central in stroke rehabilitation, neurodegenerative disease studies, and speech-language pathology, with evolving subtypes and criteria for assessment and differential diagnosis.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "apraxia" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "apraxia"
-xia sounds
Practice with these rhyming pairs to improve your pronunciation consistency:
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Pronounce as /əˈpræk.si.ə/ (uh-PRACK-see-uh). The primary stress is on the second syllable, with the first syllable reduced. Start with a schwa, then the stressed “prack” cluster, followed by a clear “see” and a final schwa. Mouth positions: lips neutral to slightly spread, tongue slightly raised for /æ/ in “præ”, then light lateral airflow on /si/. Practicing slowly at first helps solidify the rhythm before speeding up.
Common mistakes: misplacing stress (unstressed second syllable), mispronouncing the /æ/ as /æɪ/ or /eɪ/; and over-enunciating the final schwa /ə/ or dropping the final /ə/. Correct by emphasizing the second syllable: /ə-PRACK-si-ə/. Keep the /pr/ cluster tight, avoid turning /si/ into /siː/ or /saɪ/. Practice the sequence aloud with slow tempo and articulator-focused cues.
Across accents, the main variance is vowel quality and rhoticity. US: rhotic /ɹ/ in sequences can be pronounced with a slightly cared-for /ɹ/ sound leading into /æ/. UK tends toward non-rhoticity in some dialects, but /præk/ remains clear; final schwa may be lighter. Australian often has a shorter /ə/ at the end and a more centralized /æ/; the /ə/ at end may be reduced more quickly. IPA remains /əˈpræk.si.ə/ with subtle vowel shifts.
It's a multi-syllabic word with a stressed central syllable and a sequence of contrasting consonants (/pr/ and /ks/). The /æ/ in /præk/ sits between a bilabial stop and a dental/alveolar fricative, which can trip articulators if you have a motor planning issue. The final /ə/ adds an unstressed schwa that can be dropped or reduced when rushed. Focused practice on the /præk/ cluster and steady final /ə/ helps stabilize pronunciation.
A unique aspect is the strong signaled stress on the second syllable: a-PRACK-si-a. The /pr/ cluster should be released quickly into the /æ/ vowel, then smoothly connect to /si/ and the final /ə/. Many speakers struggle with the /ks/ sequence in /præk.si/; ensure a clean /k/ release before combining with /s/ for /ks/. IPA reminder: /əˈpræk.si.ə/.
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