What does stutterer mean?
A stutterer is a person who stutters, meaning that their speech is intermittently disrupted by repetitions of sounds or syllables, prolonged sounds, or involuntary blocks. The condition is not defined by any one particular symptom: some people repeat initial consonants, while others pause silently or struggle to begin certain words. Stutterer can also be used figuratively for someone who hesitates or falters, as when a speaker becomes a nervous stutterer or an actor's movements are described as stuttering. The word is understood in British and American English, and it is related to the alternative term stammerer, although the latter may sound more old-fashioned in some contexts. In respectful modern usage, “person who stutters” or “person with a stutter” is often preferred when describing an individual directly. The distinction between the person and the speech pattern is important: a stutterer is the person, while a stutter is the pattern of speech.
nounA person who stutters, especially someone whose speech is repeatedly interrupted by prolongations, repetitions, or blocks of sound. The term is also used figuratively for someone who hesitates or falters in speech or action.
- A person who stutters, especially a person whose speech is marked by repeated sounds, prolonged syllables, or involuntary pauses.
- A person who hesitates or falters in speaking or acting, especially through nervousness or excitement.
"The young stutterer found it easier to communicate once he began using a stutterer support group."
"As a stutterer, she had learned that patience and attentive listeners made conversations less difficult."
"The coach's brief stutterer barely interrupted the team's confident response."
The regular plural is stutterers, though “people who stutter” may be preferred in respectful contemporary prose.
"The film portrays two stutterers who become friends at a speech-support group."
A stutterer is a person; a stutter is the pattern of speech that person experiences.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stutterer come from?
The noun stutterer is an English agent noun formed from stutter by adding the suffix -er, meaning “one who” performs the action described by the verb. Stutter is recorded in Middle English in the sense of stammering, faltering, or repeating syllables in speech. Its deeper origin is uncertain, and historical etymologies have sometimes regarded the word as imitative. The related form stammer and its derivative stammerer belong to a parallel word family describing the same general speech phenomenon.
How stutterer is actually used
In contemporary sensitive usage, many people prefer phrases such as “person who stutters” or “person with a stutter.” The noun can sound clinical or outdated when used as the sole label for someone's speech, though it remains a standard dictionary word.
Easily confused with stutterer
A stutter is a speech pattern or condition involving interruptions, repetitions, or prolongations, whereas a stutterer is the person who experiences it.