Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense stammers, present participle stammering, past tense, past participle stammered
1. verb
If you stammer, you speak with difficulty, hesitating and repeating words or sounds.
Five per cent of children stammer at some point. [VERB]
'Forgive me,' I stammered. [VERB with quote]
People cursed and stammered apologies. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: stutter, falter, splutter, pause More Synonyms of stammer
stammeringuncountable noun
Stammering can be very difficult to cope with.
2. singular noun
Someone who has a stammer tends to stammer when they speak.
A speech-therapist cured his stammer.
Synonyms: speech impediment, stutter, speech defect More Synonyms of stammer
stammer in British English
(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
2.
a speech disorder characterized by involuntary repetitions and hesitations
Derived forms
stammerer (ˈstammerer)
noun
stammering (ˈstammering)
noun, adjective
stammeringly (ˈstammeringly)
adverb
Word origin
Old English stamerian; related to Old Saxon stamarōn, Old High German stamm
stammer in American English
(ˈstæmər)
verb transitive, verb intransitive
1.
to speak or say with involuntary pauses or blocks, often with rapid repetitions of syllables or initial sounds, as temporarily from excitement, embarrassment, etc. or chronically as a result of muscle spasms believed to result from mental conflicts; stutter
noun
2.
act, instance, or habit of stammering
Derived forms
stammerer (ˈstammerer)
noun
stammeringly (ˈstammeringly)
adverb
Word origin
ME stameren < OE stamerian, akin to Du stameren, freq. formation < IE base *stem-, to stumble in speech, halt > stem2, stumble, Ger stumm, dumb
Examples of 'stammer' in a sentence
stammer
She helped him to control his own temper and partly to overcome his disabling stammer.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
How can you give a rousing speech if you stammer?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
In my experience nine months of fluency must be maintained before one can say with confidence that the stammer has been overcome.
Irwin, Ann Stammering in Young Children (1988)
Meet other people who stammer: they can help and inspire you.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The "correction' stops and the stammer decreases and goes on decreasing.
Irwin, Ann Stammering in Young Children (1988)
If he has attempted speech he has probably got no further than an initial stammer that has gone unnoticed by the rest of the family.
Irwin, Ann Stammering in Young Children (1988)
People who stammer aren't ill.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The second was when he told us how he had overcome his stammer, saying he had received loads of help from a vet.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He had a very bad stammer and I think he felt angry about his lot in life.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Part of the problem is not that people stammer per se, but that other people treat them badly because they have trouble expressing themselves quickly.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Once the vicious circle is established - of anxiety about speech = stammer = anxiety about speech - the stammer feeds on itself.
Irwin, Ann Stammering in Young Children (1988)
I stammer something about the duty-free shops at Sydney airport.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
In other languages
stammer
British English: stammer /ˈstæmə/ VERB
If you stammer, you speak with difficulty, hesitating and repeating words or sounds.
Five per cent of children stammer at some point.
`Forgive me,' I stammered.
American English: stammer
Arabic: يَتَلْعَثَمُ
Brazilian Portuguese: gaguejar
Chinese: 口吃
Croatian: mucati
Czech: koktat
Danish: stamme
Dutch: stotteren
European Spanish: tartamudear
Finnish: änkyttää
French: bégayer
German: stottern
Greek: τραυλίζω
Italian: balbettare
Japanese: どもる
Korean: 말을 더듬다
Norwegian: stotre
Polish: jąkać się
European Portuguese: gaguejar
Romanian: a se bâlbâi
Russian: заикаться
Latin American Spanish: tartamudear
Swedish: stamning
Thai: พูดติดอ่าง
Turkish: kekelemek
Ukrainian: заїкатися
Vietnamese: nói lắp
British English: stammer NOUN
Someone who has a stammer tends to stammer when they speak.
A speech-therapist cured his stammer.
American English: stammer
Brazilian Portuguese: gagueira
Chinese: 口吃
European Spanish: tartamudeo
French: bégaiement
German: Stottern
Italian: balbuzie
Japanese: どもり
Korean: 말 더듬기
European Portuguese: gagueira
Latin American Spanish: tartamudeo
Chinese translation of 'stammer'
stammer
(ˈstæməʳ)
n(c)
结(結)巴 (jiēba)
vi
结(結)巴地说(說)话(話) (jiēbā de shuōhuà)
(verb)
Definition
to speak or say (something) with involuntary pauses or repetition, as a result of a speech disorder or through fear or nervousness
She stammered her way through an introduction.
Synonyms
stutter
I was trembling so hard, I thought I would stutter when I spoke.
falter
Her voice faltered and she had to stop a moment to control it.
splutter
pause
He paused briefly before answering.
hesitate
hem and haw
stumble over your words
(noun)
Definition
a speech disorder characterized by involuntary repetitions and pauses
A speech-therapist cured his stammer.
Synonyms
speech impediment
stutter
He spoke with a pronounced stutter.
speech defect
Additional synonyms
in the sense of falter
Definition
to speak nervously and without confidence
Her voice faltered and she had to stop a moment to control it.