Introduction: It has been suggested that cognitive characteristics may affect search. This study investigated how decoding abilities, short-term memory capacity and rapid automatised naming skills relate to query formulation. Method: A total of twenty dyslexic participants and twenty non-dyslexic controls completed four standardised cognitive tests and solved ten search tasks in a Norwegian library catalogue. Analysis: The relationships between search patterns and cognitive profiles were explored using correlation analysis. Results: Results show that decoding skills relate to query lengths and spelling errors, short-term memory relates to the number of iteration cycles, and rapid automatised naming relates to query times. Conclusion: Search interfaces should be robust to errors in short queries to accommodate users with reduced cognitive function.