stammer (also stutter)

verb / noun

- to speak or say something with unusual pauses or repeated sounds, either because of speech problems or because of fear or nervousness

Cambridge Dictionary

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Stammering, or stuttering as it is also called, is a speech disorder in which fluency is interrupted by repetitions (li-li-like this), prolongations (lllllike this), or abnormal stoppages (silences) of sounds or syllables.

Some people who stutter have difficulty saying their own names, which can be extremely embarrassing. They may even resort to legally changing their name to one that is easy to pronounce. Interestingly, once the change has taken place, they often discover they can now say the old name with ease, but then have a block on the new one.

Although there is no clear scientific explanation, stuttering is likely a combination of genetic, physical and psychological factors. People who suffer from this disorder usually don't stutter when they sing, speak in unison, whisper, talk to a pet, or speak to a small child.

There are almost as many remedies for stuttering as there are different cultures, from the bizarre to the brutal: eat a green grasshopper; drink seawater; hit the child in the mouth with a dish towel; cut the membrane (lingua frenum) beneath the tongue. The great orator Demosthenes was said to have cured his stutter by practicing speeches with pebbles in his mouth. Nowadays there are more reasonable treatments.

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SYNONYMS

stutter, speak haltingly, stumble over one's words, hesitate, falter, fumble for words, pause, halt, mumble, splutter, sputter

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Practice OWAD in a conversation today, say something like:

"Marilyn Monroe was said to have cured her STAMMER by whispering, that was how she developed her distinctive screen voice."