Wernicke’s area

Posterior temporal lobe

Wernicke’s area is an area in the posterior temporal lobe of the left hemisphere of the brain involved in the recognition of spoken words.

If Wernicke’s area is damaged, the result will be the inability to perceive the pitch, rhythm, and emotional tone of speech.

Speech is preserved, but language content is incorrect. This may vary from the insertion of a few incorrect or nonexistent words to a profuse outpouring of jargon.