How to Treat Stuttering

Stuttering is a common issue, affecting approximately 1% of the world's population. It is a speech disorder that disrupts the natural flow of speech, causing repetition of certain words or sounds. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for stuttering, there are exercises that can help improve this condition. By practicing anxiety-reducing techniques, refining pronunciation habits, identifying frequent stuttering words, and engaging in real-life exercises, you can make significant progress in overcoming stuttering.

Take deep, controlled breaths before speaking. Stress can worsen stuttering. Before a practice session or engaging in conversation, relax your body with a series of deep-breathing exercises. This will help reduce stress and prevent stuttering.

• Practice deep-breathing exercises regularly to manage stress.
• Be sure to take deep breaths before social interactions to relax. Managing social anxiety is an effective strategy to minimize stuttering.

Practice speaking in front of a mirror. Observing yourself while speaking helps you analyze your speech patterns. Pay close attention to the sounds or words that cause you to stutter.

• Look into your own eyes in the mirror. This is crucial, as making eye contact with others can help reduce stuttering.
• You can also imagine another person in the mirror and pretend you are speaking to them. This is a great way to practice for real conversations with others.
• Initially, you can practice alone, but later invite family and friends to join in. The idea of having others watch you speak in front of the mirror may seem odd, but people often stutter less when alone, and the presence of others in the room can trigger stuttering, allowing you to analyze your speech style.

Record yourself speaking. This method allows you to analyze your speaking style more closely than simply speaking in front of a mirror. Turn on the camera and speak into the lens. As before, start by practicing alone, but then invite others into the room to encourage stuttering. Review the video and analyze your speech patterns.

• You should also review the video with friends and family. They can identify aspects of your speech style that you might not notice and help you correct any issues.

Make a list of trigger factors and stuttering-inducing words. Those who stutter often face difficulty when certain factors are present, including specific words, phrases, or sounds. These triggers can provoke stuttering. While reviewing your recording, pay attention to these triggers.

• Before addressing stuttering, you might want to avoid these trigger words in public speaking situations. With practice, you can gradually overcome these barriers and use them confidently in daily conversations.

Practice saying trigger words. Once you've identified the words that cause stuttering, focus on them during practice sessions. Repeat these words to desensitize yourself to them.

• Start by slowly pronouncing the troublesome words or phrases. Take a deep breath and try to speak as smoothly as possible. If you stumble, don't worry—this is part of the process.
• Once you’re comfortable pronouncing individual words, begin combining them into sentences. Practice saying these sentences slowly and smoothly.

Extend the first syllable of each word. This technique helps you focus and reduces the tension that causes stuttering. Speak slowly and calmly while practicing this exercise, concentrating on clear pronunciation of each syllable.

• Pay extra attention to the trigger words. Breaking down the words will help you overcome the barriers.
• Don't worry if you stutter while practicing the syllable extension exercise. The goal is not to speak perfectly, but to stay calm and composed while speaking.

Practice speaking to a rhythm. People rarely stutter when singing because the predictable rhythm helps the brain avoid confusion and stumbling over words.

• For example, try speaking words in the rhythm of a favorite song. This technique not only reduces stuttering but also makes practice sessions more enjoyable.

Read aloud. This exercise will help you become familiar with pronouncing words. Focus on articulating each syllable of every word. Start with a passage you're familiar with to ease into reading aloud, then move on to unfamiliar texts to practice pronouncing new words.

• Don't worry if you stutter while reading. Keep practicing.
• Combine reading with rhythm. Choose the rhythm of a song or tap a beat while reading.
• You can also use the technique of extending syllables when reading. Try to speak as slowly and calmly as possible.

Talk on the phone. If you're not yet ready for face-to-face conversations, talking on the phone is a great practice exercise. Instead of texting, call friends and family to talk. Use techniques like elongating sounds while speaking to minimize stuttering.

• Customer service lines are also useful. Instead of replying by email, call customer service numbers to practice more.

Acknowledge your stutter when speaking to others. People who stutter often feel embarrassed about their condition and may try to hide it. However, the more you try to conceal it, the more anxious you become, making the situation worse. Overcome this fear by courageously admitting to others that you stutter. This will help you overcome the fear of being discovered and regain control.

• Simply say something like, “Please bear with me if I speak slowly, as I have a stutter.” You’ll find that most people will respond with understanding.

Visualize and plan for communication situations. While working to overcome your stutter, it's helpful to plan ahead for interactive situations. This can help you eliminate the fear of speaking in public and give you a chance to rehearse the words before speaking.

• For instance, if there's a meeting at work tomorrow, review the agenda carefully. Anticipate questions and think about how you'll respond. Prepare your answers ahead of time. You’ll feel less anxious once you’ve prepared responses and discussion topics.
• Understand that not all social situations can be planned, and you might stumble when a conversation takes an unexpected turn. In these cases, slow down and visualize the words before speaking to maintain calm.
• Remember, if you encounter a stuttering trigger, simply acknowledge it and ask for a moment to refocus.

Avoid stuttering triggers and problem words. Through practice, you may have identified the words and factors that cause you to stutter. With more practice, you will gradually be able to use these words without stumbling. However, until that happens, try to avoid these words in conversations to minimize stuttering.

• List synonyms for the words that trigger your stutter. There may be words with similar meanings that don’t cause you to stutter. Use a thesaurus to find these alternatives and express the same ideas without stumbling.

Maintain eye contact while speaking. People who stutter often avoid looking into the eyes of others due to anxiety related to stuttering in front of an audience. Even if you begin to stutter, make a conscious effort to maintain eye contact. This will help you appear more confident, and gradually building this confidence will reduce your stuttering.

• If your eye contact is broken, simply re-establish it while trying to control your stuttering.

Use hand gestures. Stuttering can sometimes result from pent-up nervous energy that the body doesn’t know how to handle. Hand gestures can redirect this energy, distracting your brain from the stutter and helping you speak more fluently.

• This technique is especially useful when giving presentations. When preparing your speech, plan out hand gestures to reduce stuttering. Clearly mark where in your speech you will use these gestures.

Strike up conversations with strangers. This is a great way to test the effectiveness of your exercises. Random conversations are unpredictable, so it's an opportunity to apply all your techniques and try to speak as smoothly as possible.

• Start the conversation by introducing yourself and saying, “I have a stutter, and I’m working on improving my speech.” You’ll find that most people are willing to help.
• Asking for directions is a quick and effective exercise. Even if you know the way, ask someone for directions as a way to interact without involving them in a full conversation.

Consult a speech-language therapist if you haven't seen improvement in your stuttering. If you’ve been working on overcoming your stuttering for several months without success, it might be time to consult a speech-language therapist. They will assess your situation and recommend a treatment plan.

• If you need assistance finding a speech therapist in the U.S., the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) provides a list of resources. For more information, visit https://www.asha.org/public/Help-Finding-a-Professional/.
• You can also call ASHA's helpline at 800-638-8255.

Follow the speech therapist’s instructions. Language therapy often requires a lot of work outside of the therapy room. Your therapist will give you a series of exercises to practice at home. Be sure to follow all their recommendations.

• Keep in mind that speech therapy is a lengthy process. You may need to work with the therapist for several months. Be patient and trust the process.

Join a support group for people who stutter. You might feel alone in your struggle with stuttering, but you’re not. It’s estimated that 3 million Americans and 70 million people worldwide stutter. There is a strong community of people who stutter who support one another, and joining this community can help you gain the confidence needed to overcome your stutter.

• If you’re in the U.S., the National Stuttering Association has local support groups. To find a group near you, visit https://westutter.org/chapters/.
• In the U.K., the British Stammering Association also has local support groups. For more information, visit https://stamma.org/connect/local-groups.
• If you’re in another country, you can search online for local support groups and feel free to reach out to them for help.