stammer

American  

[stam-er] / ˈstæm ər /

verb (used without object)

1. to speak with involuntary breaks and pauses, or with spasmodic repetitions of syllables or sounds.

   Synonyms:

   falter, hesitate, pause

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verb (used with object)

1. to say with a stammer (often followed byout ).

noun

1. a stammering mode of utterance.

2. a stammered utterance.

stammer British  

/ ˈstæmə /

verb

1. to speak or say (something) in a hesitant way, esp as a result of a speech disorder or through fear, stress, etc

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noun

1. a speech disorder characterized by involuntary repetitions and hesitations

Usage

What does stammer mean? To stammer is to speak with involuntary breaks or pauses or involuntarily repeated words or parts of words. In text, it is often represented with hyphens, as in s-s-s-safe to represent a struggle to pronounce the s- sound. A stammer is a way of speaking with a stammer, as in Kim spoke with a stammer, but it didn’t define him. To stammer is also to say something with a stammer, as in Lawrence was so nervous during his presentation that he stammered out the first part of his speech. Stutter is a synonym of stammer and is preferred in technical usage. Example: Everytime we have to present to the board, I get so nervous that I start to stammer.

Related Words

Stammer, stutter mean to speak with some form of difficulty. Stammer, the general term, suggests a speech disfluency that results in broken or inarticulate sounds and sometimes in complete stoppage of speech; it may be temporary, caused by sudden excitement, confusion, embarrassment, or other emotion, or it may be persistent and require speech therapy for its correction. Stutter, the parallel term preferred in technical usage, designates a broad range of speech production disturbances that produce spasmodic interruptions of the speech rhythm, repetitions, or prolongations of sounds or syllables: The child's stutter was no mere stammer of embarrassment.

Other Word Forms

• stammerer
  noun
• stammering
  noun
• stammeringly
  adverb
• unstammering
  adjective
• unstammeringly
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of stammer

First recorded before 1000; Middle English verb stammeren, Old English stamerian (cognate with German stammern ), equivalent to stam “stammering” + -erian -er ⁶; akin to Old Norse stamma “to stammer,” Gothic stams “stammering”

Explanation

To stammer — or to have a stammer — is to speak haltingly and to have trouble getting the words out. A stammer is also called a "stutter." Stammering (or stuttering) has a couple of related meanings. A stammer is a serious problem for some people who have great difficulty speaking. They have trouble getting the words out, and their language does not flow. They might get stuck repeating one sound over and over again. This is a difficult problem to overcome. However, we all stammer sometimes, often because we're confused, scared, tired, or unsure of what to say.

Example Sentences

Now, Gellar has made a more ceremonious return, albeit with a frustrating stop-and-start stammer.

From Salon • Mar. 26, 2026

Jessie Stride, another contestant on this series of The Traitors, has a stammer and spoke on the show about struggling to pronounce her own name.

From BBC • Jan. 22, 2026

Jessie says she has received messages from others with a stammer who have said the representation has helped them feel seen.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

Hayley, 34, said Jessie being good at the game and her stammer not being the focus gave people "something to relate to".

From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026

I didn’t like what this did to my interactions, the way my presence sometimes caused people to stammer or go silent, unsure of how to be themselves.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Related Words

• sputter
• wobble