Tip of the tongue: why you can’t quite remember that word
You know the word. You know it starts with a B. It’s right there. It’s one of the most frustrating memory experiences, and one of the most studied.
You’re telling a story and reach for a word: the name of an actor, a street, a type of tree. You know it. You can almost hear it. It might start with “M”. But it won’t come. This is the tip-of-the-tongue state, and almost everyone experiences it.
What’s happening
Retrieving a word takes two steps: first finding the meaning you want, then finding the sound that goes with it. In a tip-of-the-tongue moment, the first step succeeds and the second partly fails. That’s why you often know things about the word: its first letter, how many syllables it has, or a similar-sounding word.
Psychologists Roger Brown and David McNeill studied this in a classic 1966 experiment. They gave people definitions of uncommon words and found that when people were stuck, they could often correctly guess the first letter and number of syllables. The memory was partly there.
Why it happens
- Rare words and names are the most common culprits, because the link between meaning and sound is weaker for words you use less often.
- Similar words get in the way. A wrong word that keeps coming to mind can block the right one.
- Tiredness and stress make it more likely.
- Age. It becomes more frequent as we get older. That’s a normal change, not a sign of illness on its own.
What helps
Stop trying for a minute. Forcing it often keeps the wrong word active. The right one frequently pops up later, out of nowhere. Go through the alphabet slowly. Think around it: where did you hear it, what’s it related to? Once you find it, say it a few times. Practicing the word right after you retrieve it may make the same word less likely to get stuck again.
Names are the worst
Names are especially prone to this because they’re arbitrary labels: knowing someone is a teacher doesn’t help you find the name “Martin”. Our guide on how to remember names covers ways to make them stickier.
Recognition vs recall
Tip-of-the-tongue is a recall problem. If someone says the word, you’d instantly recognize it. Recognition is much easier than recall, which is why the Words game, a recognition test, can run for dozens of words.
Frequently asked questions
What causes the tip-of-the-tongue feeling?
It happens when you know a word’s meaning but can’t fully retrieve its sound. You often have partial information, like the first letter or number of syllables.
Is tip of the tongue a sign of memory loss?
It’s a normal experience at every age and becomes somewhat more common as we get older. On its own, it isn’t a sign of a memory problem.
How do you get rid of a tip-of-the-tongue moment?
Stop trying for a moment and do something else; the word often pops up later. Going through the alphabet or thinking of related words can also help.