Stuttering and Cluttering

Talking to people can be hard if you stutter. You may get stuck on certain words or sounds, feel tense or uncomfortable, or even change words to avoid stuttering.

Talking can also be hard if you clutter. You may talk fast, use lots of “uhs” and “ums,” change what you’re saying mid-sentence, and pause a lot.

Speech-language pathologists, or SLPs, can help. Visit ASHA ProFind to locate a professional in your area.

On this page:

About Stuttering and Cluttering
Signs and Symptoms of Stuttering and Cluttering
Causes of Stuttering and Cluttering
Seeing a Professional
Resources

About Stuttering and Cluttering

We all have times when we do not speak smoothly. This may look like saying "uh" or "you know," mispronouncing words that we know how to say, or repeating words. These experiences are called typical disfluencies.

Stuttering

People who stutter usually have more—and different types of—disfluencies than other people. They may repeat parts of words, stretch a sound out for a long time, or get stuck before starting a word or in the middle of saying a word.

Stuttering also may include tension and negative feelings about talking. People who stutter may try to hide their stuttering because they are worried about what others may think. They may avoid certain words or situations—like talking on the phone.

Stuttering can change from day to day. At times, you may be more fluent; at other times, you may stutter more. Stress or excitement can lead to more stuttering.

Cluttering

People who clutter may speak very quickly and be difficult to understand. They may also have disfluencies that are like those that everyone experiences—not just the disfluencies that people who stutter tend to have.

Some people who clutter have anxiety, and they avoid situations where they might have to speak. This can cause isolation and can reduce their quality of life.

Signs and Symptoms of Stuttering and Cluttering

The following typical disfluencies happen to many of us and are not considered stuttering:

Adding a sound or word, called an interjection — "I um need to go home."
Repeating whole words — "Cookies cookies and milk."
Repeating phrases — "He is–he is 4 years old."
Changing the words in a sentence (called revision) — "I had–I lost my tooth."
Not finishing a thought — "His name is...I can't remember."

When children are learning a lot of words or new speech sounds, you may notice some of these typical disfluencies.

Stuttering

The following types of disfluencies happen when someone stutters:

Part-word repetitions — "I w-w-w-want a drink."
One-syllable word repetitions — "Go-go-go away."
Long, held-out sounds — "Ssssssssam is nice."
Blocks or stops — "I want a (pause) cookie."

You may also notice other behaviors like head-nodding or eye-blinking. Sometimes, people who stutter feel like these behaviors help them stop stuttering. They may also avoid using certain words, or they may use different words to keep from stuttering.

Personal feelings, situations, and the actions of others can affect the amount a person stutters. Here are some examples of things that may cause more stuttering:

Personal feelings
- Frustration
- Excitement
- Nervousness
- Feeling rushed
Situations
- Holidays
- Crowded areas
- Speaking on the phone
The actions of others, such as
- Making fun of the person who stutters
- Appearing impatient with the person who stutters
- Bringing attention to the speech of a person who stutters
- Trying to "help" by finishing words for the person who stutters

Cluttering

People who clutter have the following speech patterns:

Fast Speech
A lot of non-stuttering disfluencies—like saying “uh” and “um” and changing what they say
Unexpected pauses during speech
Saying sounds in a word in a very exaggerated way.

Causes of Stuttering and Cluttering

Stuttering

Stuttering usually starts between 2 and 6 years of age. Many children go through normal periods of disfluency lasting less than 6 months.

There is no "one cause" of stuttering. Possible causes include the following:

Family history — Many people who stutter have a family member who also stutters.
Brain differences — A person who stutters may have small differences in the way that their brain works during speech, compared with people who do not stutter.

Some factors make it more likely that someone will have an ongoing stutter:

Gender — Boys are more likely to continue stuttering than girls. Data are currently limited to individuals who identify as male or as female.
Age when stuttering began — Children who start stuttering at age 3½ years or later are more likely to continue stuttering.
Family recovery patterns — Children with family members who continue to stutter are also more likely to continue stuttering.

Cluttering

The causes of cluttering aren’t clear. Researchers are working hard to find out more about causes.

Seeing a Professional

If you think your child stutters, get help from an SLP as early as possible. Early help can reduce the chances that your child will keep stuttering. Contact an SLP if any of the following things happen:

Your child's stuttering has lasted for 6–12 months or more.
Your child starts to stutter late (after 3½ years old).
Your child starts to stutter more often.
Your child tenses up or struggles when talking.
Your child avoids talking or says it is too hard to talk.
There is a family history of stuttering.

Testing Your Child for Stuttering and Cluttering

It’s important to see an SLP for testing. But it’s not always easy to tell if a child stutters and/or clutters, so the SLP will check

the types of disfluencies (typical and stutter-like);
the number of stutter-like disfluencies;
how your child reacts when they stutter; and
how your child tries to “fix” or change their speech rate.

The SLP will ask if your child’s speech affects the way they play with others—or if it’s hard for them to speak in school. The SLP will use all of this information to decide if your child stutters, clutters, or neither.

The SLP will also test your child's speech and language. This includes how your child says sounds and words, how well they understand what others say, and how well they use words to talk.

Support For Stuttering and Cluttering

There are different ways that you can help your child with stuttering and cluttering. A typical care team usually includes you, your child, other family members, an SLP, and your child's teacher.

Treatment often focuses on helping someone speak more comfortably and freely in school, at work, and in different social settings. The SLP will also help the person face speaking situations that make them fearful or anxious. This might include speaking on the phone or ordering food at a restaurant.

Children and adults who stutter and/or clutter may want to join local support groups, where they can talk with others who stutter and/or clutter and learn about other helpful resources.

See ASHA’s information for professionals on the Practice Portal's Stuttering, Cluttering, and Fluency page.