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'Typical' forms of stuttering
At the Del Ferro Institute, we distinguish eight different forms of stuttering. The most recognisable forms for outsiders include blocking or repeating letters, words and phrases, lengthening letters and making grimaces.
Repeating or blocking on letters, words and phrases often occurs with the so-called ‘hard’ letters, such as ‘d’, ‘k’ and ‘b’. These letters may be repeated several times as a form of stuttering, or a complete block may occur. Sometimes parts of a sentence are repeated as a way of pronouncing the word in question, for example, “my name is B-b-b…, my name is B- b- b-…, my name is B- b- b- Bernard.” This type of stuttering is also known as stammering.
Lengthening of letters occurs for ‘soft’ letters such as ‘s’ and ‘f’, where the letter is stretched before the rest of the word follows. No blockage usually occurs with these letters.
Another form of stuttering that is visible to the outside world, but not audible, involves making grimaces. While stuttering, a person may show certain facial expressions or body movements, such as pulling their head, shaking or making other movements in an attempt to pronounce the word or letter. Sometimes this involves jumping, tapping or hitting objects as a way to help get the word out.
Invisible stutter forms
Besides the well-known forms of stuttering, there are also less visible forms of stuttering. These are often hardly noticed by others. It includes situations where someone chooses to remain silent despite wanting to say something, or when they use tricks and synonyms to avoid stuttering.
Many who stutter have sometimes decided not to speak for fear that stuttering will occur. For example, a teacher asks a question in class, and although the person knows the answer, they choose to remain silent because they feel they cannot speak fluently. It is also common for someone to point at a menu or order the same as someone else to avoid speaking.
Using tricks and synonyms is also a common strategy. People choose to say something other than what they actually want to express, or they order something else to get around difficult words. These are forms of stuttering that remain invisible to many.
Other stutter forms
The last three forms of stuttering include speaking while inhaling, talking on the last bit of air, and inserting unnatural pauses in sentences.
Stuttering can be compared to the reaction to being startled. When startled, the diaphragm lowers and the vocal cords open, making it physically impossible to speak while breathing in. Nevertheless, many people who stutter try to speak in this very way, despite the fact that they have been unable to do so for years.
When someone stutters severely and cannot get the words out, it seems impossible to speak. But suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, it is still possible to speak, only then there is no air left in the lungs to power the words. Speech then comes out very forced on the last vestige of air.
The third form involves speaking with inappropriate pauses in the sentence, such as: “My name is…Bernard and I work at the fire…-department.” This involves pauses that do not feel natural within the context of the sentence.
Difference between stammering and stuttering
Stammering is considered a specific form of stuttering, namely blocking or repeating letters. This makes it one of the forms of stuttering and also the most recognisable.
