Hello! So, I have always joked around with my friends about how when you say a particular word a few times, you start to question if it even is a word, or if it is spelled that way, etc.(think of tubing, or smock as examples) I have noticed in the past few weeks that I (37yr) am having that problem with almost any word that I try to write. We are talking about “and/it/the/Patrick” and whatnot, and it is really making problems for me at work.
Does anyone else have this problem! Does your brain automatically make all words sound fake?
And, yes, all words are made up… I am talking about the ones that currently reside in common speech.
The phenomenon I think you’re referring to is semantic satiation (thanks Ted Lasso!). It has to do with semantic memory and I think the effect can happen to anyone in the right setting. But if you’re noticing a difference or having trouble you may want to speak to your primary care physician about semantic memory disorders.