Meaning & use

stutter

verb·Everyday

To speak with involuntary pauses or repeated sounds, especially at the start of words.

See it in a sentence

He tends to stutter slightly when he is nervous or under pressure.

Years of speech therapy helped reduce her stutter significantly.

A note on using this word

Stutter and stammer are largely interchangeable, though stammer is somewhat more common in British English.

Words with a similar meaning

stammer

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Make it your own

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