stammer

[ stam-er ]

verb (used without object)

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

   Synonyms: falter, hesitate, pause

verb (used with object)

1. to say with a stammer (often followed by out ).

noun

1. a stammering mode of utterance.
2. a stammered utterance.

stammer

/ 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

noun

1. a speech disorder characterized by involuntary repetitions and hesitations

Derived Forms

• ˈstammerer, noun
• ˈstammering, nounadjective
• ˈstammeringly, adverb

Other Words From

• stam·mer·er noun
• stam·mer·ing·ly adverb
• un·stam·mer·ing adjective
• un·stam·mer·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of stammer¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of stammer¹

Old English stamerian ; related to Old Saxon stamarōn , Old High German stamm

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

I stammer on about how the lens is just a fancy bandage; a device to hide the fact that my vision loss is a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off.

From Los Angeles Times

It was all so traumatic he developed a stammer that lasted into his teens.

From BBC

Ironically, it was the stammer that turned him towards acting, giving him a life-long appreciation of the spoken word.

From BBC

The boy from Mississippi with a strong stammer will be remembered as a powerful stage actor with a legendary voice.

From BBC

Jones discovered that his stammer eased when he was speaking from memory.

From BBC

Related Words

• sputter
• wobble