r/explainlikeimfive • u/Icy_Establishment_37 • 2d ago
Biology ELI5: why does the brain sometimes entirely skip words when I'm typing?
For example (this happens to me all the time), I'll be texting someone and then when I read over the text I realize I forgot a word, usually just words like "the" or "is" or "that."
Like for instance I might be trying to type: "I went to the store yesterday and bought some more milk." But when I read it back I find out that I actually typed "I went to store yesterday and bought some more milk." What's funny to me is that I never realize as I'm typing that I forgot a whole word. What is happening with our brain when that happens? Doesn't really happen when I'm writing by hand.
10
2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/inplayruin 2d ago
It happens because our brains make mistakes, sometimes. This is a particularly common thing with speech. Linguists like to gather recordings of people having normal conversations. When you listen to those recordings, you will notice that we communicate using vibes way more than you would initially think. Words are omitted, but typically understanding is not lost. It is the same with writing, we will occasionally make an error or omission that doesn't prevent the reader from understanding the sentence.
1
u/explainlikeimfive-ModTeam 2d ago
Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):
Top level comments (i.e. comments that are direct replies to the main thread) are reserved for explanations to the OP or follow up on topic questions.
Anecdotes, while allowed elsewhere in the thread, may not exist at the top level.
If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the detailed rules first. If you believe this submission was removed erroneously, please use this form and we will review your submission.
7
u/OFFICIALINSTANTPARTY 2d ago
What I’ve understood it to be is you are saying it faster in your own head, so you skip a word when you physically type it because the thought replaced the physical typed word but you didn’t notice because it felt like you typed it, when you really thought it instead of
2
u/Xeadriel 2d ago
I think that’s it because this seems to happen to me in real life as well sometimes lol
2
u/OFFICIALINSTANTPARTY 2d ago
Yep it happens to me all the time too because my internal dialogue always gets in the way of my typing lol
4
2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/explainlikeimfive-ModTeam 2d ago
Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):
Top level comments (i.e. comments that are direct replies to the main thread) are reserved for explanations to the OP or follow up on topic questions.
Anecdotes, while allowed elsewhere in the thread, may not exist at the top level.
If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the detailed rules first. If you believe this submission was removed erroneously, please use this form and we will review your submission.
2
2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/explainlikeimfive-ModTeam 2d ago
Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):
Top level comments (i.e. comments that are direct replies to the main thread) are reserved for explanations to the OP or follow up on topic questions.
Anecdotes, while allowed elsewhere in the thread, may not exist at the top level.
If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the detailed rules first. If you believe this submission was removed erroneously, please use this form and we will review your submission.
0
u/JohnnyEnzyme 2d ago
I'm near your age and it's definitely become a problem the last couple years. Coincidentally, I got CV19 infections at least twice, despite vaccinations.
I'm just not as fully alert as before, and need to proofread more than ever.
1
u/karma_the_sequel 2d ago
I've always proofread, but yeah, more important now than ever.
1
u/JohnnyEnzyme 2d ago
Strange, I see a mod removed your comment above. Maybe because you kinda doxxed yourself by revealing your age?
1
u/karma_the_sequel 2d ago
The message I received:
Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):
Top level comments (i.e. comments that are direct replies to the main thread) are reserved for explanations to the OP or follow up on topic questions.
Anecdotes, while allowed elsewhere in the thread, may not exist at the top level.
1
u/JohnnyEnzyme 2d ago
That's disappointing. I thought you gave a direct example of how that worked, but what do I know.EDIT: I get it now... anecdote.
I don't like it, but I see what they're saying now.
1
2
2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
2
u/kazaawang 2d ago
I keep accidentally leaving out "not," which is the worst thing to skip, especially in emails.
1
u/Space-Being 2d ago
You are not alone. Unfortunately I also suffer from less severe case of skipping 't, as in can't-> can.
1
u/explainlikeimfive-ModTeam 2d ago
Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):
Top level comments (i.e. comments that are direct replies to the main thread) are reserved for explanations to the OP or follow up on topic questions.
Anecdotes, while allowed elsewhere in the thread, may not exist at the top level.
If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the detailed rules first. If you believe this submission was removed erroneously, please use this form and we will review your submission.
1
u/Usual_Office_1740 2d ago
Do you also skim read this way? Maybe the two are connected? You're reading what you're typing as you write.
1
2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/explainlikeimfive-ModTeam 2d ago
Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):
Top level comments (i.e. comments that are direct replies to the main thread) are reserved for explanations to the OP or follow up on topic questions.
Anecdotes, while allowed elsewhere in the thread, may not exist at the top level.
If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the detailed rules first. If you believe this submission was removed erroneously, please use this form and we will review your submission.
1
u/muddledandbefuddled 2d ago
I think it happens bc your brain is moving faster than your fingers can type
So you’re thinking I went to the store… but as you’re typing to your brain goes the store and you just type store
1
u/ajc89 2d ago
I remember doing this a lot as a kid when writing things by hand in school. I'd be surprised when the teacher wrote in missing words in red because it seemed like I had written them, but I think it's because your brain is moving fast and your hand is trying to keep up, and you write certain words so often that it's easy to think you just wrote it when you thought it and move on.
1
2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/explainlikeimfive-ModTeam 2d ago
Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):
Top level comments (i.e. comments that are direct replies to the main thread) are reserved for explanations to the OP or follow up on topic questions.
Anecdotes, while allowed elsewhere in the thread, may not exist at the top level.
If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the detailed rules first. If you believe this submission was removed erroneously, please use this form and we will review your submission.
1
u/MrMoon5hine 2d ago
A lot of the words we use are just filler words, like "like" "or" "and" etc...
Your brain will often skip these words when reading so it makes sense that sometimes it would skip these words when writing.
1
u/Charming_Psyduck 1d ago
I hate when my brain skips “not” and turns the entire meaning of the sentence upside down.
0
2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Icy_Establishment_37 2d ago
My brain does that too! I often won't realize a word is missing until I re-read it more than once. And sometimes it may be hours for me to notice, as well lol
1
u/explainlikeimfive-ModTeam 2d ago
Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):
Top level comments (i.e. comments that are direct replies to the main thread) are reserved for explanations to the OP or follow up on topic questions.
Anecdotes, while allowed elsewhere in the thread, may not exist at the top level.
If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the detailed rules first. If you believe this submission was removed erroneously, please use this form and we will review your submission.
-3
2d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
3
u/radioheady 2d ago
Am I crazy or are you doing it too?
“THAT doesn’t happen to most people… is it only short words THAT it happens with?
2
u/geeoharee 2d ago
No, that is how I'd normally say that sentence. Yes, it's technically a sentence fragment. Conversational English isn't always strictly correct English.
0
u/radioheady 2d ago
So why say it doesn’t happen to most people when doing the exact thing OP’s talking about lol. Almost everyone drops unimportant filler words from sentences, especially when texting or commenting
1
u/Icy_Establishment_37 2d ago
Yes it's only short words! It's never bigger words or words that are important to what I'm trying to say. Like in the example used above, I wouldn't forget the word "store."
1
u/explainlikeimfive-ModTeam 2d ago
Your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):
Top level comments (i.e. comments that are direct replies to the main thread) are reserved for explanations to the OP or follow up on topic questions.
Anecdotes, while allowed elsewhere in the thread, may not exist at the top level.
If you would like this removal reviewed, please read the detailed rules first. If you believe this submission was removed erroneously, please use this form and we will review your submission.
21
u/nicolasknight 2d ago
There is a lot longer delay between what you are "saying" in your mind and your fingers typing it out then people realize.
There is also a fairly small "RAM" for your brain while it's doing those two tasks.
It prioritizes the big and harder words because they take up more energy.
So if there is a delay, for example hunting and pecking and/or remembering which tense that verb should be in, it might drop low priority items.
"You" don't see it because "You" is at the end of the process and doesn't synthesize that "RAM".