1. sequences of letters or sounds that are not actual words in a language
Usage: linguistics; psychology

Examples

• The researcher used nonwords like ‘blick’ and ‘frim’ to test reading ability.
• Children often create nonwords when they are learning to speak.
• The psychology experiment included both real words and nonwords.
• Students had difficulty distinguishing between words and nonwords in the test.
• The speech therapist used nonwords to assess phonological processing skills.
• Nonwords help researchers study how the brain processes language.