THE SPEECH IMPACT OF POLYSEMY IN ENGLISH COMMUNICATION

This article investigates the role of polysemy in shaping effective English communication. The study examines how multiple related meanings of a single lexical unit influence speech comprehension, interpretation speed, and communicative success in both native and non-native interactions. Drawing on semantic, cognitive, and pragmatic perspectives, the research analyzes conversational patterns and discourse contexts to determine how speakers select and interpret meanings in real time. The findings indicate that polysemy enhances communicative economy by allowing speakers to express complex concepts using a limited vocabulary set, while successful interpretation depends primarily on contextual alignment and pragmatic inference. Advanced users process polysemous words predictively through conceptual schemas, whereas developing learners rely on primary meanings and therefore experience delays or misunderstandings. The study also demonstrates that polysemy functions as a rhetorical tool in professional and media discourse and requires additional contextual support in digital communication. Overall, the research concludes that communicative competence in English depends not only on vocabulary size but on the ability to manage semantic flexibility and contextual interpretation.