We have studied three acquired Italian dysgraphic patients with selective (and substantial) impairments of their ability to spell nonwords. All the patients were significantly and markedly less accurate spelling, i.e. writing to dictation. That word and non word spelling ability can be dissociated in Italian writers, suggest that Italian need not be written by necessary phonic mediation. Words may be spelled in Italian by a non-phonological, purely lexical route. phonological dyslexic patients who suffered a left hemisphere stroke when aged 36 years, and when tested (3 to 6 months post-onset), she had a moderate non-fluent aphasia, but no other major neurological disturbances. We documented phonological dyslexia and discussed peculiar features of the cognitive disorders according to the recent literature.