This is what happens in your brain when you struggle to recall a word - Cella Wright episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 2, 2026 · 8 MIN

This is what happens in your brain when you struggle to recall a word - Cella Wright

from TED-Ed · host TED-Ed

Dig into what causes the tip of the tongue phenomenon, where your brain struggles to recall a word or term from memory.--You’re sure you know your 3rd grade teacher’s name— it’s like you’re hovering over it in your mind, but it just won’t materialize. Researchers call this tantalizing torment a “tip-of-the-tongue state,” and it’s something everyone experiences. But what’s actually happening when a word’s caught here, and how can you best get it unstuck? Cella Wright explores why your brain can struggle with recall.Lesson by Cella Wright, directed by Avi Ofer.Support Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-do-some-words-get-stuck-on-the-tip-of-your-tongue-cella-wrightDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-do-some-words-get-stuck-on-the-tip-of-your-tongue-cella-wright/digdeeperAnimator's website: https://aviofer.comMusic: https://www.wonderboyaudio.com----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Chin Beng Tan, Tom Boman, Karen Warner, Iryna Panasiuk, Aaron Torres, Eric Braun, Sonja Worzewski, Michael Clement, Adam Berry, Ghaith Tarawneh, Nathan Milford, Tomas Beckett, Alice Ice, Eric Berman, Kurt Paolo Sevillano, Jennifer Heald, Megulo Abebe, isolwi, Kate Sem, Ujjwal Dasu, Angel Alberici, Minh Quan Dinh, Sylvain, Terran Gimpel, Talia Sari, Katie McDowell, Allen, Mahina Knuckles, Charmaine Hanson, Thawsitt, Jezabel, Abdullah Abdulaziz, Xiao Yu, Melissa Suarez, Brian A. Dunn, Francisco Amaya, Daisuke Goto, Matt Switzler, Peng, Tzu-Hsiang, Bethany Connor, Jeremy Shimanek, Mark Byers, Avinash Amarnath, Xuebicoco, Rayo, Po Foon Kwong, Boffin, Jesse Jurman, Scott Markley, and Elija Peterson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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This is what happens in your brain when you struggle to recall a word - Cella Wright

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