History Main / OneWordVocabulary

* ''Animation/FlowerFairy'': In Season 7 Episode 3, the Fengshou Guardian only says "''fēngshōu''" ("立秋"), which means "beginning of autumn".

* ''WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents'': Cosmo and Wanda's son Poof, who was born at the start of the sixth season, can only say "Poof", which is how he got his name; however, the others don't have trouble understanding him. Averted as of "School of Crock" where he undergoes his "Pooferty" phase and begins speaking full sentences like everyone.

* ''Animation/FlowerFairy'': In Season 7 episode 3, the Harvest Guardian only says "fengshou" ("立秋"), or "harvest".

* During the 2019 U.S. tax season, financial software company Intuit ran a series of commercials for their [=TurboTax=] software in which every speaking character, in place of actual dialogue, only uses the word "free" throughout to emphasize the fact that using [=TurboTax=] "won't cost you a cent". Three years later they shelled out $141 million to settle a class action lawsuit, as they made it very difficult for consumers to emerge without paying.

* In ''Anime/YukiYunaIsAHero,'' the only [[MentorMascot fairy]] who can talk is [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Karin]]'s, Yoshiteru, and he only speaks one sentence, "All things must pass," randomly and repeatedly. (Though of course, it winds up being [[MeaningfulEcho meaningful]] near the finale.) This technically makes him [[ChromosomeCasting the only male character with a line of dialogue]].

* ''{{ComicBook/Marsupilami}}'': The titular character can only ''Houba!''. The same goes for all males of his species. Females instead say ''Houbi!''.

[[folder:Fanfic]]

--> "It's a draw!" Mr. Sukizo announced. "A wonderful display of skill, where the two Coordinators are exactly evenly matched to the point that they can't even be separated by a tie break!"\\

* Groot from ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse'' only ever says "I am Groot". [[spoiler: Though near the end of ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy2014'', he manages to say, "We are Groot."]]

* The Korean boy adopted by the Bluths in ''Series/ArrestedDevelopment'' only says "Annyong", which the others assume is his name. It's actually "Hello" in Korean. In the finale of the regular series it is revealed that [[spoiler:not only can he speak English, but he's actually a spy getting revenge on the Bluths for stealing his father's frozen banana business. And his real name is Hel-loh.]]

--> Drink! Girls! Feck!

'''Steve:''' ''[off-screen]'' [[CatchphraseInterruptus Hey-]]\\

* ''{{Webcomic/Housepets}}'' : Daisy has only said "Hi! I'm Daisy!" during the course of the strip.
* Early on in ''Webcomic/ScandinaviaAndTheWorld'', Finland only ever says "Perkele." [[SirSwearsALot It's an obscenity.]] Averted later, though.

** In Campaign 1, after Doty [[spoiler:is left in the Nine Hells]], Taryon [[spoiler:creates a new Doty,]] and gives him the ability to speak one word: "Tary".
** [[spoiler: In Campaign 2, after Mollymauk is revived, he is only able to say "empty", though he eventually calls the other members of the Mighty Nein he knows by the tarot cards he made of them; Yasha is Love, Beau is Rumors, Veth is Tinkerer, Caleb is Magician, Fjord is Sea, and Jester is Joy.]]

* Clint of ''WebVideo/LazyGameReviews'' has a "Christmas Clone" of himself that shows up every December to force him to do {{Christmas Episode}}s. His vocabulary consists entirely of the word "Christmas".

* ''WesternAnimation/JimmyNeutronBoyGenius'': Jimmy's DoAnythingRobot dog Goddard only ever says "Bark!" -- and not like a normal dog would; he actually, literally says that word as-is, just like it's spelled.

A SuperTrope is PokemonSpeak (where the "one word" is specifically their name). See also WelcomeToCorneria where [=NPCs=] in a video game only ever talk like this.

A SubTrope is PokemonSpeak, where the only thing they can say is their name. See also WelcomeToCorneria where [=NPCs=] in a video game only ever talk like this.

* In ''Series/{{Bread}}'', small-time gangster Yizzel only says the single word "Yeah!", usually in response to his more talkative colleague (billed as 'Yizzel's Mate') calling on him for support.

* ''Anime/{{Aggretsuko}}'': The instructor at the yoga class Retsuko starts taking in episode 4 can only communicate by saying the word "Protein!"

* In ''Fanfic/RiseOfTheMinisukas'', the titular doll-sized doubles of the Second Child can only say five things, all
of which involve calling someone an idiot: "Baka", "Anta Baka", "Baka Shinji", "Bakasuka", and "Bakayanami".

The LogicalExtreme of a {{Catchphrase}}. Not only is this word or phrase something that a person habitually says and identifies that person, but that person ''never says anything else'' (and may well be unable to).

The LogicalExtreme of a catchphrase. Not only is this word or phrase something that a person habitually says and identifies that person, but that person ''never says anything else'' (and may well be unable to).

* ''Film/TheBadNewsBears in Breaking Training'': the Bears use the mentally challenged groundskeeper as a [[TheBeard beard]] so they can go on a road trip without any supervision. All he can say is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyeEgj96fDg Hello! How are you?"]] Except at the end when he says "Goodbye."

* ''WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius'': The Needleheads from "Win, Lose & Kaboom!" can only say "Mibs".

* The seagulls in ''WesternAnimation/FindingNemo'' can only say "Mine!" whenever they see a potential meal (whatever unlucky sea creatures they want to hunt).

The LogicalExtreme of CatchPhrase. Not only is this word or phrase something that a person habitually says and identifies that person, but that person ''never says anything else'' (and may well be unable to).

* Magnitude from ''Series/{{Community}}'' only ever says his CatchPhrase, "Pop pop!" In an episode where he is told he can no longer use the phrase, he becomes extremely distraught.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Rugrats}}'': Played with for Chuckie. Although he can use actual dialogue with the babies, in the last three seasons, following ''WesternAnimation/RugratsInParis'', the only word he can say to the adults is "No," regardless of the context.

* Uh-Huh from ''Film/TheLittleRascals'' (1994); to the point it's a VerbalTicName. At the end of the film, he reveals he has a very big vocabulary for a 5-year old boy; he just never had to say anything beyond "Uh-huh".

* In ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3'', Nemesis can only say "S.T.A.R.S." because he's a LivingWeapon engineered to fight members of our hero's organization S.T.A.R.S.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheXs'': The Robo-Mom Truman builds in "To Err is Truman" only says "Destroy!".