Our research focuses on language production in typical aging and age-related neurogenic disorders, such as aphasia and dementia. We are particularly interested in the mechanisms of word retrieval and how they break down. More broadly, we investigate how speakers fluently combine words to produce accurate, meaningful, and grammatical language. A recent project identified factors underlying fluency disruption in speakers with aphasia, and led to the development of a more reliable and clinically informative method of measuring language production fluency in individuals with aphasia. Another line of our research investigates how age-related stereotypes affect communication, giving rise to an expressive style termed “elderspeak”.