About 1% of the adult population stutters, or nearly 3 million people in the US alone. Despite being so prevalent around the world, stuttering is often misunderstood and ineffectively treated. In this article, Ability Central answers seven frequently asked questions about stuttering, including:

• What is a stutter?
• What causes stuttering?
• What are the different types of stuttering?
• What is the difference between a stutter and a stammer?
• What are the day-to-day challenges of living with a stutter?
• What are the other types of speech disorders?
• Where can I get more information about stuttering?

What is a stutter?

Stuttering is a communication disorder characterized by disruptions in the natural flow of speech. Everyone in the world will experience a stutter at some point in their lives; we all occasionally flub a word or repeat ourselves mid-sentence while collecting our thoughts. 

For stuttering to qualify for a medical diagnosis, these speech difficulties must last for six months or more. Alternatively, a stutter that quickly impacts someone’s daily life (constant communication difficulties, trouble at school or at work, social isolation, etc.) may also require a diagnosis and treatment.

Speech disruptions, also called speech disfluencies or speech dysfluencies, may include:

• Repetitions of sounds, syllables, or words (“I-I-I'm happy to see you.”)
• Prolonged sounds (“I’m hhhappy to see you.”)
• Blocks where speech temporarily stops (“I’m [long pause] happy to see you.”)

A stutter often begins in childhood and may persist into adulthood. About 5% of school-aged children will experience a stutter lasting six months or longer. However, 75% of children who stutter outgrow it, especially with early intervention from a speech language pathologist (SLP).

While stuttering’s exact cause is not fully understood, genetic and environmental factors may play a role. Stuttering can lead to social and emotional challenges, but with appropriate support and therapy, people who stutter can improve their communication skills. 

There is also a large push in the mental health and wellness world to “destigmatize” stuttering. Stuttering is not a sign of low intelligence or poor concentration; in fact, the average person who stutters has an IQ 14 points higher than the national average. And yet, people who stutter are often unfairly discriminated against at school, in the workplace, and in social situations simply because they process language differently than their peers.  

What is the difference between a stutter and a stammer?

A stutter and a stammer are different names for the same language disorder. American English uses stutter or stuttering disorder, while British English uses stammer. The medical term in American English is disfluent speech; in British English, it is called dysfluent speech.

What causes stuttering?

Research has not yet found concrete causes for stuttering. In fact, modern medicine still classifies stuttering as a psychiatric condition, rather than neurological or physiological. In some cases, this classification can cause a stigma toward people who stutter; the misconception that someone who stutters can “control” their speech or that “it’s all in their head” only adds to the complicated social and communication effects of stuttering.

Over time, researchers have identified four potential links to the development of a stutter. These four factors include: 

• Genetics. About 60% of people who stutter have a family member who stutters, too.
• Childhood development. Children with other developmental delays or speech and language problems are more likely to stutter.
• Neurophysiology. People who stutter process speech and language differently than their peers, suggesting a link between the brain’s structure and speech disfluencies.
• Family dynamics. Research shows that high expectations and fast-paced living can contribute to stuttering.

In addition, males are four times more likely to stutter than females, although more research is needed to find out why.

What are the different types of stuttering?

There are as many patterns of stuttering as there are people who stutter. There are also many degrees of stuttering. Depending upon the level of challenge, some stutters may not be noticeable, while others are incapacitating.

Stuttering is categorized by when it starts and how it starts. There are three subtypes of stuttering:

• Developmental stuttering, also called childhood-onset stuttering. This fluency disorder is the most common type of stuttering in children. This is a neurodevelopmental disorder, which means it originates during brain development. This kind of stuttering is often first noticed between the ages of two and five.
• Persistent stuttering is a developmental stutter that starts in childhood and continues into adulthood. If a child is still stuttering at age seven, it is less likely that the stutter will completely disappear. About 1% of people have persistent stuttering.
• Acquired stuttering is a fluency impairment that arises after an illness or brain injury like a stroke, head trauma, or neurodegenerative disease. Certain extreme psychoemotional events can also lead to acquired stuttering, but this is rare. 

What are the day-to-day challenges of living with a stutter?

In addition to producing disfluencies, people who stutter often experience:

• Physical tension in their speech muscles
• Embarrassment, anxiety, and fear about speaking
• Rapid eye blinks 
• Lip tremors

The social impact is often the most complicated for people who stutter. People who stutter are no more anxious or shy than their peers; however, stuttering can make people worry about how others view them. Stuttering can lead to lowered self-esteem and a fear of speaking, such as raising one’s hand in class or giving a presentation at work. 

Many people with a stutter also avoid things like phone calls, job interviews, or social meetups with people they don’t know very well. Anxiety and depression often accompany a severe stutter, and it’s a vicious cycle: anxiety and depression caused by a stutter can make that stutter worse, bringing about even more negative feelings.

Often, people who stutter prefer written communication where possible. When a phone call is required, however, there are many devices and apps that can help. See Ability Central’s full database of mobile devices for accessibility information that can assist in communication. 

See Stuttering: Planning for Long-term Care for more information.

What are the other types of speech disorders?

Stuttering is just one speech disorder or speech impediment that can affect a person’s ability to form sounds and words. Other speech impediment types and conditions related to speech disfluencies include:

• Alalia
• Aphasia/dysphasia
• Apraxia of Speech (AOS) 
• Autism
• Cluttering
• Dysarthria
• Dyspraxia
• Echolalia
• Lisping
• Muteness – Selective Mutism
• Spasmodic Dysphonia

Where can I get more information about stuttering?

Ability Central maintains a searchable database of nonprofits and providers who specialize in communication disorders like stuttering. These organizations offer everything from diagnosis assistance to medical intervention to legal services. To connect with a nonprofit in your area, try out Ability Central’s Service Locator.

In addition, check out our other guides and resources for more information:

• How To Recognize the Early Symptoms of Stuttering
• What Happens After a Stuttering Diagnosis?
• Long-Term Planning: The Key to Success with a Stutter