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Basic information on stammering Therapy Cure Research What is stammering? Stammering is typically recognised by a tense struggle to get words out. This makes it different from the normal non-fluency we all experience which includes hesitations and repetitions. Commonly it involves repeating or prolonging sounds or words, or getting stuck without any sound (silent blocking). Sometimes people put in extra sounds or words. Often people lose eye contact. Some people who stammer talk their way round difficult words so that you may not realise they stammer at all. This avoidance of words, and avoidance of speaking in some or many situations, is an important aspect of stammering. Stammering varies tremendously from person to person and is highly variable for the person who stammers who may be fluent one minute and struggling to speak the next. 'Stammering is like an Iceberg' Most people who stammer agree that there is much more going on "under the surface" for them than other people realise. An American speech therapist called Sheehan, who himself stammered, described stammering as being like an iceberg. Only the tip of the iceberg shows above the surface while the bulk of it is hidden under the water. The hidden aspects of the stammer include avoidances such as those mentioned above, fear and anticipation of stammering, and other difficult - often strong - feelings about stammering such as frustration, anger, sadness, embarrassment, and shame. There is more on this in our interiorised stammering leaflet. Terminology ‘Stammering and ‘stuttering’ "Stammering" is the same as "stuttering". "Stammering" is more often used in the UK, Ireland and India. "Stuttering" is usual in the North America or Australia. ‘Stammerer’ or ‘person who stammers’ Some people consider the phrase "person who stammers" (or PWS) or "child who stammers" to be preferable to "stammerer". Stammering is something a person does. It not the most important thing about the person, let alone who he or she is. How does stammering affect people? Stammering affects people in different ways and can vary according to the situation in which the person finds themselves: to whom the person is talking; how they are feeling about themselves and their speech; and what they want to say. Stammering can vary from adult to adult and child to child in its manner, frequency and severity - but is also highly variable for the person who stammers. Stammering is not simply a speech difficulty but is a serious communication problem. For the child or adult who stammers it can undermine their confidence and self-esteem, and affect their interactions with others as well as their education and employment prospects. Schoolchildren who stammer are more likely to be bullied. Various factors have an effect on the ease or difficulty with which people who stammer can speak. which ones ?