Standard Lemma guide

dysgraphia

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • dĭs-grăf′ē-ə
  • Australian, Received-Pronunciation: /dɪsˈɡɹæf.iː.ə/
  • Australian, Received-Pronunciation, also: /dɪsˈɡɹaf.iː.ə/
  • Canada, General-American: /dɪsˈɡɹæf.i.ə/
  • New-Zealand: /dəsˈɡɹɛf.iː.ə/
  • Scotland: /dɪsˈɡɹaf.i.ə/
  • Scotland: /dɪsˈɡɹaf.i.ʌ/
  • India: /ɖɪsˈɡɾa(ː)f.iː.a/
  • rhymes with -æfiə

1

noun

Meaning 1

A language disorder that affects a person's ability to write.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Examples

  • Near-synonym: agraphia

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: agraphia

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

impaired ability to learn to write

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: learning disorder, learning disability

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dews-? Proto-Indo-European *dus- Proto-Hellenic *dus- Ancient Greek δῠσ- (dŭs-)der. New Latin dys-der. English dys- Proto-Indo-European *gerbh- Proto-Hellenic *grə́phō Ancient Greek γρᾰ́φω (grắphō) Proto-Indo-European *-h2 Proto-Indo-European *-éh2 Ancient Greek -ᾱ (-ā) Ancient Greek -η (-ē) Ancient Greek γραφή (graphḗ) Ancient Greek -γρᾰφῐ́ᾱ (-grăphĭ́ā)lbor. English -graphia English dysgraphia From dys- + -graphia. First attested in 1892.

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: дисграфи́я (disgrafíja) — language disorder
  • Catalan: disgrafia — language disorder
  • Chinese Mandarin: 書寫困難 /书写困难 (shūxiě kùnnán) — language disorder
  • Czech: dysgrafie — language disorder
  • Esperanto: disgrafio — language disorder
  • Estonian: düsgraafia — language disorder
  • Estonian: vaegkirjutamine — language disorder
  • Finnish: dysgrafia — language disorder
  • Finnish: kirjoitushäiriö — language disorder
  • French: dysgraphie — language disorder
  • German: Dysgraphie — language disorder
  • German: Schreibschwäche — language disorder
  • Greek: δυσγραφία (dysgrafía) — language disorder
  • Hebrew: דיסגרפיה (disgráfya) — language disorder
  • Hungarian: diszgráfia — language disorder
  • Hungarian: írászavar — language disorder
  • Ido: disgrafio — language disorder
  • Interlingua: dysgraphia — language disorder
  • Irish: diosgraife — language disorder
  • Italian: disgrafia — language disorder
  • Japanese: 書字障害 (shojishōgai) — language disorder
  • Polish: dysgrafia — language disorder
  • Portuguese: disgrafia — language disorder
  • Russian: дисграфи́я (disgrafíja) — language disorder
  • Swedish: dysgrafi — language disorder