Just like predicting the weather with various factors, listeners and readers utilize contextual clues to make diverse predictions about upcoming language input. These predictions can be influenced by individual differences in language experience and other factors, much like how different regions have their own unique climate patterns. There are still many unanswered questions about the mechanics behind prediction in language comprehension. Is prediction a necessary part of processing language, like wearing a seatbelt while driving? Do these predictions come from within the language system itself or from more general cognitive processes? What is the connection between prediction and memory? And does prediction during comprehension require a simulation of the production system, akin to practicing dance moves before a performance? A closer examination of these queries could lead to a better understanding of how we predict and anticipate language during communication.

Prediction is often regarded as an integral aspect of incremental language comprehension, but little is known about the cognitive architectures and mechanisms that support it. We review studies showing that listeners and readers use all manner of contextual information to generate multifaceted predictions about upcoming input. The nature of these predictions may vary between individuals owing to differences in language experience, among other factors. We then turn to unresolved questions which may guide the search for the underlying mechanisms. (i) Is prediction essential to language processing or an optional strategy? (ii) Are predictions generated from within the language system or by domain-general processes? (iii) What is the relationship between prediction and memory? (iv) Does prediction in comprehension require simulation via the production system? We discuss promising directions for making progress in answering these questions and for developing a mechanistic understanding of prediction in language.

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