Stammering Factsheet

Hopefully this page tells you all you need to know about stammering.

If you have any other queries, contact our free helpline on 0808 802 0002 or start a webchat. Or you can email us at hello@stamma.org

What is stammering?

Stammering is a difference in how speech flows. People who stammer might repeat, stretch or prolong sounds or words, or have a silent block where a sound gets stuck.
As they're working hard to get sound out, people might also appear tense, look away, breathe differently, or jerk their head or another body part to ease the tension.
No one stammers in the same way.
It can fluctuate from day to day.
Stammering isn't always obvious. Many people might avoid words or situations if they anticipate negative responses to their stammer.
'Stammering' and 'Stuttering' are the same thing. Some countries call it stuttering, but in the UK we call it stammering.
Stammering can be classed as a disability under the Equalities Act and the Disability Discrimination Act (NI).

We don't know exactly why people start stammering, but research is showing that there's a neurological and genetic link.
Stammering normally starts in early childhood, between the ages of 2 and 5. But it can start later, sometimes in adulthood.
You can't cure a stammer. But people can learn strategies to manage and perhaps reduce the stammer.

Around 8% of children — one in every 12 — start to stammer at some point. Around 1% will continue to stammer into adulthood.
More men than women stammer. Around 75% of adults who stammer are male.
Stammering affects all ethnicities in the same way.

Some people might work on increasing their fluency or easing the struggle to speak. Others are happy to stammer openly. Some might do both depending on the situation.
Negative reactions to stammering can naturally make people want to hide their stammer. This can affect self-confidence, social life and mental health.

People don't stammer because they're nervous. If they do appear nervous, it's likely because they've repeatedly been laughed at for how they talk.
People don't stammer because they're not breathing properly or doing anything wrong.
A stammer isn't a weakness or a defect. It is just a stammer.
People don't 'grow out of' their stammer. Some stammer throughout their lives, others don't.
Stammering doesn't tell you anything about how competent or intelligent someone is.
You can be disfluent and articulate. Some of our best orators, actors, writers and poets stammer.