Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get StartedDefinition
By Mayo Clinic staffStuttering — also called stammering — is a speech disorder that involves repeating or prolonging a word, syllable or phrase, or stopping during speech and making no sound for certain syllables.
Stress, fatigue and excitement can make stuttering worse. Situations in which you're self-conscious about speaking also can be difficult, such as giving a presentation or talking on the telephone. Stuttering usually decreases when you're relaxed.
Stuttering is common among young children when they're learning to speak. Most children outgrow stuttering on their own. For children whose stuttering is persistent, speech therapy can often help decrease stuttering. As a parent, you can help by not drawing attention to your child's stuttering and by providing a relaxed, calm atmosphere at home in which your child feels comfortable speaking freely.
Symptoms