Lexical Access

Lexical access is the mental process by which the brain retrieves specific words and their meanings from your vocabulary when you need to communicate or understand language. It involves quickly connecting the spoken or written word to its associated concepts and details stored in memory. This process happens seamlessly during conversation or reading, allowing us to find the right words to express ourselves or comprehend others. Essentially, lexical access is how your brain efficiently locates language units—words—in the vast mental dictionary to facilitate effective communication.