List of stutterers

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Man in robes with long brown hair against a background of waves reaching the shore
Greek orator Demosthenes practicing oratory at the beach with pebbles in his mouth

Stuttering (alalia syllabaris), also known as stammering (alalia literalis or anarthria literalis), is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words or phrases, and involuntary silent pauses or blocks during which the person who stutters is unable to produce sounds.[1] The exact etiology of stuttering is unknown; both genetics and neurophysiology are thought to contribute.[2] There are many treatments and speech-language pathology techniques available that may help increase fluency in some people who stutter to the point where an untrained ear cannot perceive stuttering; however, there is essentially no cure for the disorder at present.[3][4]

People who stutter include British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, orator Demosthenes, King George VI, actor James Earl Jones, US President Joe Biden, and country singer Mel Tillis. Churchill, whose stutter was particularly apparent to 1920s writers,[5] was one of the 30% of people who stutter who have an associated speech disorder—a lisp in his case—and led his nation through World War II.[6][7] Demosthenes stammered and was inarticulate as a youth, and, through dedicated practice using methods such as placing pebbles in his mouth, became a great orator of Ancient Greece.[8] King George VI hired speech therapist Lionel Logue to enable him to speak more easily to his Empire, and Logue effectively helped him accomplish this goal.[9] This training and its results are the focus of the 2010 film The King's Speech.[10] James Earl Jones has stated he was mute for many years of his youth, and he became an actor noted for the power of his voice.[11][12] Mel Tillis stutters when talking but not when singing.[13] Many people had their speech impairment only during childhood.[14]

  1. ^ "ICD-10 F95.8 – Stuttering". World Health Organization. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  2. ^ Gordon, N. (2002). "Stuttering: incidence and causes". Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology. 44 (4): 278–281. doi:10.1111/j.1469-8749.2002.tb00806.x. PMID 11995897.
  3. ^ Prasse, Jane E.; Kikano, George E. (2008). "Stuttering: An Overview". American Family Physician. 77 (9): 1271–1276. PMID 18540491. Retrieved from Academic Research Library database, (Document ID: 1468009541).
  4. ^ "Therapy Outcomes". Stuttering Foundation. 6 May 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2011.
  5. ^ "Winston Churchill, Stutterer". University of Toronto. Archived from the original on 13 January 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  6. ^ "Experts Agree That Churchill Did Stutter". Stuttering Foundation. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  7. ^ Mather, M.D., John. "Churchill's speech impediment was stuttering". Winston Churchill.org. Archived from the original on 4 August 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  8. ^ "Demosthenes". Encyclopædia Britannica. 2002.
  9. ^ Rhodes James, Robert (1998). A Spirit Undaunted: The Political Role of George VI. London: Little, Brown, and Co. p. 98. ISBN 0-316-64765-9.
  10. ^ Reed, Rex (22 November 2010). "Did I Stutter? The King's Speech Is the Best Movie of the Year". New York Observer. London. Archived from the original on 25 November 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  11. ^ James Earl Jones (29 June 1996). "The Voice of Triumph" (Interview: Audio/Transcript). Interviewed by The American Academy of Achievement for the National Medal of Arts. Sun Valley, Idaho. Archived from the original on 6 September 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  12. ^ Flint Marx, Rebecca. "James Earl Jones Biography". All Movie Guide. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  13. ^ "Stammering Therapy -Does Analyzing Help Or Does It Make Stuttering Worse?". Stop Stuttering. 24 March 2010. Archived from the original on 30 April 2010. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
  14. ^ "Stuttering". National Institutes of Health – National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2011.