Aphasia is language difficulty after stroke. A person may have a hard time thinking of words, say the incorrect words, speak nonsense, slur speech, speak slowly, or any combination of the above. They may have difficulty speaking or understanding language or a mixture of both. Sometimes, people lose the ability to speak entirely. Speech therapy can help to retrain language and provide other means of communication.

A stroke patient's intelligence can still be in tact. The have just lost the ability to speak. Do not assume that someone's intelligence if affected because they cannot speak.

A stroke patient's biggest gains are usually made within the first year after a stroke. However, progress can still be made after this time in both speech and language. Recent research shows that progress can be made in the chronic (long-term) phase of stroke.