Dyslexia in Finland and Italy – Myths and Realities

A lie, repeated often enough, will end up as truth.

              The bigger the lie, the greater the likelihood that people would believe it.

Dr Paul Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's Minister of Propaganda (1933-1945)

“A lie, repeated often enough, becomes accepted as truth.” 

This old maxim explains why the claim that “there are no dyslexics in countries with orthographically consistent languages” keeps resurfacing—even in reputable outlets like The Guardian. The idea is seductive but false.

 

The Myth of “No Dyslexia”

Many articles insist that in places like Finland or Italy, dyslexia doesn’t exist because their languages are more phonetic.

 

Some even go further, claiming there isn’t even a word for dyslexia in those languages.

 

In reality, this is sloppy repetition of misinformation. One writer invents it, others copy it, and soon it circulates as “gospel truth.”

 

The Reality

Every country has dyslexics. The percentage is broadly similar worldwide.

 

In orthographically consistent languages, dyslexics may read their native language with fewer difficulties. But when they encounter English, their struggles become obvious.

 

Dyslexia is not just about reading English—it also involves challenges with abstract words, sequencing, time, fractions etc.

 

Evidence from Linguistics

Geoffrey K. Pullum, a respected linguist, debunked the “no word for dyslexia” trope:

 

Italian: dislessia

 

Finnish: lukivaikeus (“reading difficulty”), lukihäiriö (“reading disturbance”), and dysleksia (borrowed term)

 

The Finnish word dysleksia alone yields tens of thousands of search results and has its own Wikipedia entry.

Pullum rightly criticized journalists and academics who fail to do even “thirty seconds of research” before publishing such claims.

 

Why the Misinformation Persists

Professors and writers recycle outdated errors, often to promote their own programs or products.

 

As Pullum bluntly put it, this is either stupidity or deliberate bullshit—written by people who know they haven’t checked the facts but don’t care.

 

My Position

I spend much of my time dismantling myths:

 

Dyslexia is not caused by a phonological awareness deficit.

 

Dyslexics do not inherently suffer from reading comprehension problems.

 

These myths distract from the real issue: wrong teaching methods.

 

Key Takeaway

Dyslexia exists everywhere—including Finland and Italy. The difference lies not in the presence or absence of dyslexics, but in how languages expose or mask their difficulties. The real danger is misinformation repeated by academics and media, which misleads parents, educators, and policymakers.