The nature of the word-learning deficits of children with developmental language disorders are analysed in this article. Experimental studies of word learning with language-disordered groups demonstrating a clear phonological long-term learning locus to the word-learning problems of this population are reviewed. It is argued that the severe phonological working-memory impairments of such children play an important role in the difficulties they encounter in learning the phonological forms of new words. Finally, possible techniques for remediating phonological memory deficits are discussed.