What could be a consequence of a lexical neighborhood being too dense?

A dense lexical neighborhood refers to a situation where many words sound similar or have similar phonological characteristics. This can create confusion during word recognition because the brain may struggle to distinguish between closely related words or phonemes, leading to increased effort in processing language. When there are numerous similar-sounding words, it can impede a listener's ability to quickly identify the intended word, particularly in noisy environments or during fast-paced conversations.

Increased difficulty in word recognition is a significant consequence of a dense lexical neighborhood because the listener may misinterpret or mix up similar-sounding words that occupy the same phonological space. This challenge can complicate communication and comprehension, as individuals may frequently encounter ambiguity while trying to decode spoken language.