According to Geschwind's model, which area is responsible for selecting the phonemes for words?

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $4.99 payment

Prepare for the UCF SPA3011 Speech Science Exam 2. Our quiz features flashcards and multiple-choice questions with helpful hints and explanations. Get exam-ready now!

Wernicke's area is critical for language processing and comprehension, particularly in the context of selecting phonemes when forming words. This region is situated in the posterior part of the left hemisphere and is associated with the understanding of spoken and written language. In Geschwind's model of language processing, Wernicke's area plays a vital role in accessing and selecting the appropriate sound units (phonemes) that correspond to words based on their meanings.

When a person hears or reads words, Wernicke's area helps encode the semantic information and links it to the corresponding phonological representations, effectively enabling the selection of the correct phonemes for articulation. This is essential for producing coherent speech and understanding language, as it allows for the mapping of concepts to their verbal representations.

In contrast, Broca's area is primarily involved in the production of speech, including the motor aspects of speaking, while Heschl's gyrus is primarily responsible for processing auditory information. The angular gyrus plays a significant role in reading and writing but is more related to integrating sensory information than selecting phonemes directly for spoken language.