stutter

American  

[stuht-er] / ˈstʌt ər /

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.

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noun

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

stutter British  

/ 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

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noun

1. the act or habit of stuttering

2. a stuttering sound

stutter Scientific  

/ stŭt′ər /

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

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Usage

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.

Related Words

See stammer.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of stutter

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

Example Sentences

When China’s economy stutters, one major consumer class keeps spending: the country’s older households.

From Barron's

Scotland have tripped, stumbled and stuttered their way through this campaign with all the poise of a sumo wrestler on Strictly Come Dancing, but have managed to carve out positive results.

From BBC

"Five more minutes, and I would have left you," the pilot tells the reporters as they clamber back in, the chopper stuttering up and banking over the town's remains.

From Barron's

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said the pressure of Monday's "knockout" 2026 World Cup qualifier with Slovakia will be the boost his side need after a stuttering campaign.

From Barron's

—Bitcoin edged higher amid a stuttering recovery after the cryptocurrency recently fell below the key $100,000 level for the first time since June.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• sputter
• stammer