stutter

[stuht-er]

verb (used with or without object)

1. to speak in such a way that the rhythm is interrupted by repetitions, blocks or spasms, or prolongations of sounds or syllables, sometimes accompanied by contortions of the face and body.

noun

1. disordered speech production characterized principally by blocks or spasms interrupting the rhythm.

stutter

/ ˈstʌtə /

verb

1. to speak (a word, phrase, etc) with recurring repetition of consonants, esp initial ones

2. to make (an abrupt sound) repeatedly

   the gun stuttered

noun

1. the act or habit of stuttering

2. a stuttering sound

stutter

1. A speech disorder characterized by spasmodic repetition of the initial consonant or syllable of words and frequent pauses or prolongation of sounds.

Other Word Forms

• stutteringly adverb
• stuttering noun
• stutterer noun
• unstuttered adjective
• unstuttering adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of stutter¹

First recorded in 1520–30; earlier stut ( Middle English stutten “to stutter”) + -er ⁶; compare Dutch stotteren, Middle Low German stotern in the same sense

Word History and Origins

Origin of stutter¹

C16: related to Middle Low German stötern, Old High German stōzan to push against, Latin tundere to beat

Synonym Study

See stammer.

Example Sentences

He developed chronic headaches, began stuttering, suffered severe tremors and would regularly collapse in public and be helped home by strangers.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Staying could be a wise decision from the former Getafe youngster with Villa needing creativity and goals after their stuttering start.

Read more on BBC

"My children have become very, very weak and they are troubled from what they see and hear – all the explosions. My youngest developed a stutter," she says.

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One of his first noticeable symptoms was a stutter, his wife Emma Heming Willis has said in interviews; he now has minimal language ability.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But a moment of realisation, where everything clicks and stuttering potential morphs into roaring success, is even more giving: enter Canada's Victoria Mboko.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• sputter 
• stammer 

When To Use

What does stutter mean?

Stutter is to speak in a way in which the flow of speech is interrupted by repetitions, blocks, or prolonged sounds, as in He became so nervous that he started to stutter.Stutter also refers to this distortion of speech, as in My uncle was talking to the man with a stutter.The most commonly known form of stuttering is repetitions, either of partial words, as in I n-n-n-need water, or entire words, as in My-my-my back hurts.Two other forms of stuttering include prolonged sounds or syllables, as in Sssssshe is nice to me or blocks, which are stops when a person is struggling to get a word out.The word stammer is often used as a synonym for stutter, especially to describe temporary breaks in speech. However, stutter describes a wider range of speech distortions.Example: The girl hated speaking in front of the class because her shyness made her stutter and repeat her words.