Stuttering vs. Stammering — What's the Difference?

Stuttering, also known as stammering, is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases as well as involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the person who stutters is unable to produce sounds. The term stuttering is most commonly associated with involuntary sound repetition, but it also encompasses the abnormal hesitation or pausing before speech, referred to by people who stutter as blocks, and the prolongation of certain sounds, usually vowels or semivowels.

To speak with involuntary pauses or repetitions.

To speak or utter with a spasmodic repetition or prolongation of sounds.

To utter with involuntary pauses or repetitions.

The act or habit of stuttering.

A way of speaking characterized by involuntary pauses or repetitions.

A speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words or phrases, and by involuntary silent pauses or blocks in which the stutterer is unable to produce sounds.

The act of one who stammers.

An instance of stuttering.

Present participle of stammer

Present participle of stutter

Apt to stammer; hesitating in speech; stuttering.

That stutters.

A disturbance in the formation of sounds. It is due essentially to long-continued spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm, by which expiration is prevented, and hence it may be considered as a spasmodic inspiration.

(figuratively) Hesitant.

Unable to speak freely and easily

The act of one who stutters; - restricted by some physiologists to defective speech due to inability to form the proper sounds, the breathing being normal, as distinguished from stammering.

Apt to stutter; hesitating; stammering.

Unable to speak freely and easily