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Stammering
- 1-5 Years
- 5-11 Years
- 11-19 Years
- SEND
- Speech, language and communication
Stammering (also known as stuttering) is a difference in how speech sounds and words flow. It can develop gradually or your child can suddenly start stammering.
Stammering often presents between 2 to 5 years old while your child is learning to speak. It is estimated that 8% of children will go through a stammering phase as they are developing their speech and language skills. Across the world, around 80 million people have a stammer.
Explore the topics on this page:
What stammering may look like
There are a number of different types of stammer:
- Repetition - repeating a certain sound like "a-a-a-a-apple" or repeating whole words "and and and I like apples"
- Stretching - making sounds longer like "mmmmmmmilk"
- Blocking - pauses where no sound comes out
- Fillers - adding extra words like "um" or "ah"
- Forcing - pushing sounds out forcefully
- Gestures - extra movements using their face or body
Sometimes children change how they speak and behave to hide their stammer. Some children may feel that it's safer to not talk than to sound different. This is why it is important to create a safe speaking environment both at home and at school. Therapy can help you to do this.
Helping your child with their stammer
It can be worrying if your child starts to stammer out of the blue. Some periods may seem harder than others and their stutter may come and go.
It's important that you support them through this period of development. Try to treat it like any other difficult like when they trip over or spill things. Make sure your child does not feel criticised for something they cannot control.
If your child gets upset about their speech, it can be helpful to reassure them. You can say something like "Don't worry, talking can be tricky sometimes when you're still learning."
You can try the following to help your child:
Show interest in what your child is saying, not how they're saying it.
Comment on what your child is doing. Instead of asking lots of questions, try commenting on what your child is doing. This lets them know that you're listening to what they're saying.
Reduce the number of questions you ask and give your child plenty of time to reply. This way they are less likely to feel under pressure.
Talk about stammering using neutral language. For example, try saying “he’s stammered more this week” rather than “his speech has been bad”.
Setting some special time aside to play or talk with your child. This helps build the relationship between you and your child. When they are younger you can play with toys and picture books. When they get older you can talk to them about their day or about their interests.
Ensure your child is well rested in a routine. Stammering can increase when your child is tired. Children who stammer often respond well to routine and structure at home and at nursery or playgroup.
Things to avoid
There are some things that you may want to do to help your child with their stammer. However, these can add to your child's anxiety and frustration.
Avoid finishing their sentences for them. It can be tempting to help them finish the word or sentence but this can cause more frustration for your child.
Avoid telling your child to slow down, start again or take a breath when they stutter. This is unhelpful. It can make your child feel more anxious about what they are saying.
Last reviewed: 11 November, 2025
