Apraxia of speech is a disorder that makes it hard to speak well. People who have it understand language. They know what they want to say. The muscles of the mouth and throat are strong enough to help them speak. But the brain isn't able to plan the order and timing needed for the muscles to move together to create speech that others can understand.

Apraxia of speech can be caused by many things, such as a stroke, a head injury, or a brain tumor. Some children are born with it (childhood apraxia of speech). Speech therapy can help improve speech.