- How can humans read?
- How do humans read words?
- Why can humans still read text where the letters inside words are scrambled or parts of letters are hidden?
- How does the human brain read?
How can humans read?
They found that a part of the human brain is “pre-wired” at birth to learn how to read. It is called the “visual word form area” (VWFA) and it is connected to the language network of the brain. Simply put, humans are born with a brain that has the ability to read letters and words.
How do humans read words?
Reading words is a complex process in which our brain decodes the letters and symbols in the word (also called the orthographic code) to derive meaning. Earlier research has shown that our brain processes jumbled words at various levels — visual, phonological and linguistic.
Why can humans still read text where the letters inside words are scrambled or parts of letters are hidden?
Our brains process all the letters of a word simultaneously and uses the letters as context for each other. This is why we also can read words that have NUMB3RS 1NST3AD 0F L3773RS. The numbers' similar appearance to letters, as well as the overall context, overpowers their individual status as numbers.
How does the human brain read?
The temporo-parietal cortex and inferior frontal cortex play key roles in phonological processing. These areas help us sound out the words we're looking at. The occipito-temporal cortex helps us recognize words by sight. As we recognize more words by sight, we can read faster.