Finishing sentences / repeating words someone else is saying

[passthesugar]

I've known a couple of women who do this. Sometimes when we're chatting and I'm speaking to them, they will nod along and sort of repeat the end of my sentence immediately after I've said it - almost finishing my sentence and talking over me slightly. Not in a rude way, more like anticipating/mimicking what I'm saying. It's a bit distracting though. Has anyone experienced this or know what's going on there? I'm curious

God my sister does this, it's so fucking annoying!!

I have ADHD, and like a previous poster said, I like it when other people do it to me - I see it as a sign of interest and connection, and until fairly recently didn't realise that NT people don't like it. It always made me a bit sad and rejected when DH didn't join in with conversations like that, and I was quite hurt when he asked me not to do that when speaking with him. But now I know, I try to hold back unless I know that the other person also prefers that communication style.

My MIL does this (not envy) it makes my teeth itch! I've taken to just stopping talking if she starts it

I do this but only when someone is either being very pedantic and not getting to the point. I’m like the poster above who wants to drive the conversation forward as I get bored very easily. It is particularly frustrating when someone is explaining something you already understand. However, I come from a large and opinionated family and nobody got to hold the floor for too long. I expect it comes from that as you had to get to the point quickly if you wanted to be heard. It never means I am not listening, quite the opposite really. I’ve heard and understood every word. Some people drone on and on with barely taking a breath and that is when I will interrupt, finish a sentence or change the subject. I hate conversation being a lecture. It feels arrogant to demand other people listen to you endlessly without allowing them to chip in, give their opinion or even change the direction of the conversation.

I used to work with someone who did this. Did my head in.

I am similar!

This is totally me as well. My friend and I are both neurodiverse and we can actually have a conversation both talking at the same time! I’m sure it looks bizarre from the outside.

OP, it can be an ADHD trait. I do it (and know it is weird and annoying to others!) but have a very difficult time reining it in.

I’ve got a friend who speaks in the way you’ve described. He’s pretty interesting but sometimes it’s like listening to Just A Minute. He’s comparatively posh (privately educated and from the SE).

We’ve run into difficulties because he regards interjections or spontaneous introductions of related matters as interruptions. I think it might be cultural because my son recently taped a family gathering of eleven of us, and there are a number of separate conversations going on simultaneously with the occasional fleeting intersection where one of us affirms/echoes another then then off it goes again. I suppose it must be distracting/maddening if you’re not used to it, but someone holding forth without any input just wouldn’t happen where I’m from😜 I also do the echoing thing (so do most women I know and a lot of men) but I also regard it as a positive. I find silent listening a bit disconcerting tbt!

🙄

What OP is describing is not echolalia. It's not an echo. It's predictive. Echolalia is repeating what has already been said.

echolalia

i know someone who does this.
it is odd
i assume it is to remember correctly what i am saying, and i guess it goes with the job she does

Echos come after, not before. This isn't echolalia.

My mum does this and it drives me insane. I'm always tempted to throw a really obscure word into the conversation to see if she says it

interruptions then

DP does this but invariably gets it wrong or says the opposite of what I’m saying; a friend of ours is the exact same. They both had ADHD.

I’m not a slow talker or a rambler, and it’s only these two who do this. Oh and my sister but that’s not ADHD, that’s oldest child bossybootsitis.

I’m afraid I do the finishing sentence thing but only with one particular friend and yes, it does annoy her and she tells me so. I don’t know why I do it, or why with this particular friend. I do try not to do it but can be caught off guard if I am not actively thinking about it.

they will nod along and sort of repeat the end of my sentence immediately after I've said it .
Cant say I have never noticed this is anyone. However I have known people (and am one) who finish other's sentences. It's something I'm trying to stop in myself. My reasons are twofold I suppose. One is to confirm I am not only listening but understanding otherwise it's yeah, uh huh for ten minutes. The other is because I suffer from brain fog and my concentration levels can be low at times. If you want a conversation then don't dilly dally and waffle!

I have adhd and do this, although I’m very conscious of it and I try really hard not to. Unfortunately sometimes I am concentrating so hard on not doing it, that I stop listening to what is being said.

I know one woman who does this, she repeats the last word of every sentence I say, but in a loud and confident voice so every time it feels like she is starting her own sentence but she isn't. She also says "yeah" or "ooh yes" over whatever anyone is saying, again in a loud and confident voice so it feels like she is interrupting people to say something but is just noisily agreeing throughout a conversation.
She does it to everyone and it means all conversations with her in them are disjointed and jumpy because everyone is either getting interrupted, waiting for her to say the rest of a sentence that isn't coming or trying to get a whole thought out before she is already agreeing with you- even if you haven't managed to say anything yet.

Its like, "hi Tina, would you li-"
"Yeah!"
"-like to go for your break now"
"Now. ... yes I would thanks"
"Grand, see y-
"Ooh yeah"
"- See you up there in ten minutes"
"Minutes... okay"
"Could you put th-"
"Yeah!"
"Could you put the kettle on?"
"Kettle on"
"Yes is that oka-"
"Ooh yeah"
"Great, thanks tina"

It's exhausting, I was so glad when she went part time.

Echolalia can also be a pretty innocuous verbal tic in the form of echoing the end of someone's sentence. My sil does it, I don't think she has any control over it. She's certainly not being rude or assertive. As with all these things there's a sliding scale.

Everyone I know who does this has ADHD/is autistic. It is a type of echolalia, because they are ‘processing out loud’ to show their understanding. Part of ADHD is processing too quickly, which makes conversations really difficult to follow.

Try not to get too annoyed.

I have a few friends who do this to me, and as other pp have said, it’s bloody annoying. It’s weird to see people defending their habit on this thread- surely ND aside, it’s just really rude.

Echolalia and it's very common in people with ASD.