severe language

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "severe language" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to describe language that is harsh, strict, or intense, often in the context of criticism or reprimand. Example: "The teacher's severe language during the lecture made it clear that she was not pleased with the students' performance."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Among cases described to date, Orellana et al. (2008) noted striking variability in phenotype, including good social skills in several individuals, but severe language delay as a highly consistent symptom.

Evolutionary Applications

Duplications of the WBS critical region in 7q11.23 have also been described in several patients with ASD, severe language delay and mental retardation [ 55].

BMC Medical Genomics

The resulting subgroups included one with severe language impairment, another with mild severity across all items, a third of intermediate severity, and a fourth of moderate severity with a higher frequency of savant skills.

Plosone

Histograms of severity, fluency and type of aphasia show that most patients presented with severe language impairment (Fig. 1A), non-fluent aphasia (Fig. 1B) and global aphasia (Fig. 1C).

Brain

Severe language problems certainly do not fall into that category.

The Guardian

By the age of two, we knew that Kevin had severe language issues.

The Guardian - Opinion

The congresswoman could have used different, more severe language to describe the attacks, but she didn't.

The New York Times

The picture exchange communication system (PECS) is a functional communication system frequently used with individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders who experience severe language delays (Frost & Bondy, 2002).

Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders

We examined the effects of two adult social partners on the requesting repertoire of a young child with autism and severe language delays.

Research in Developmental Disabilities

For decades, Chinese intellectuals have brooded over the lack of a Chinese Nobel laureate in literature, half blaming the outside world for its ignorance, half wondering if their artists are up to standards and always bemoaning the severe language barrier.

The New York Times

(In the past, Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has called for Israel's destruction, although on at least one occasion last year, he used somewhat less severe language, saying Israel would collapse).

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing language difficulties, be specific about the type and extent of the impairment. Use "severe language" to indicate a significant deficit in language abilities, rather than a mild delay or typical mistake.

Common error

Avoid using "severe language" when you actually mean "complex language", "technical jargon", or simply "unpleasant language". "Severe language" refers specifically to a marked deficiency or impairment in language skills, not the style or content of communication.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "severe language" functions as a descriptive term, modifying a noun (usually "delay", "impairment", or "problems") to indicate a significant deficiency in language abilities. Ludwig confirms this usage across varied contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

65%

News & Media

20%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "severe language" is a grammatically sound and commonly used term to describe significant impairments in language abilities, as validated by Ludwig. It's primarily found in scientific, academic, and news contexts. While it's important to use it accurately to refer to language deficits rather than other aspects of language, alternative phrases like "critical language impairment" or "profound language deficit" can offer nuanced variations. The frequency of "severe language" is high across diverse sources, underlining its importance in professional and academic discourse when discussing language-related challenges.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

harsh linguistic expression

This alternative replaces "severe" with "harsh" and "language" with "linguistic expression", emphasizing the harshness of the language used.

profound language deficit

Replacing "severe" with "profound" emphasizes the depth of the language deficit.

major language disorder

This alternative uses "major" to emphasize the significance of the language disorder.

critical language impairment

This phrase uses "critical" instead of "severe", often used in medical contexts to describe a significant degree of impairment.

marked language impairment

This phrase uses "marked" to indicate a noticeable or significant level of impairment.

acute language disability

Using "acute" in place of "severe" suggests a sudden or sharp onset of the language disability.

extreme language limitation

This option replaces "severe" with "extreme", highlighting the extent of the limitation.

substantial language delay

This focuses on the developmental aspect, where language acquisition is significantly behind schedule.

significant language difficulty

This alternative is a more general way to describe "severe language", focusing on the difficulty experienced.

intense linguistic reprimand

This phrase is suitable when the language being described is a strong form of criticism or rebuke.

FAQs

How is "severe language" used in a sentence?

You can use "severe language" to describe substantial difficulties in language abilities. For instance, "The child exhibited "severe language delay"", or "The stroke resulted in "severe language impairment"".

What are some alternatives to "severe language"?

Alternatives include "profound language deficit", "critical language impairment", or "marked language impairment", depending on the specific context.

Is it correct to use "severe language" to describe strong criticism?

While "severe" implies intensity, it's more accurate to use phrases like "harsh words", "strong criticism", or "bitter language" when describing criticism. "Severe language" typically refers to language impairment, not the tone of the message.

What's the difference between "severe language delay" and "language difficulty"?

"Severe language delay" indicates a significant developmental lag in acquiring language skills, while "language difficulty" is a more general term encompassing a wider range of challenges, including milder forms of delay or specific learning disabilities. In this sense "language difficulty" is less intense compared to "severe language delay".