How to Cure Stuttering

Stuttering is such a common problem that it is estimated that up to 1% of the world’s population is affected. This is a speech disorder that disrupts fluency when expressing and repeating certain words or sounds. ^{[1] X Research Sources} There is no definite cure for stuttering because everyone is different, but there are exercises that can help you improve it. Through anxiety-reducing measures, looking at pronunciation patterns, identifying commonly stuttered words, and practicing in real-life, you’ll make great strides in overcoming stuttering.

Table of Contents

Workout at home

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Take deep, controlled breaths as you prepare to speak. Stress can make stuttering worse. Before a workout or before talking to others, relax your body with a series of deep breathing exercises. This will help you reduce stress and prevent stuttering. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Do regular breathing exercises to reduce stress.
Especially remember to breathe deeply before communication situations to relax. Preventing social anxiety is a very effective way to limit stuttering.

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Practice speaking in front of the mirror. Watching yourself talk will help you analyze your speech. Pay close attention to any sounds or words that make you stutter. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Look into your own eyes in the mirror. This is important, as making eye contact with people can help you stutter less.
You can also picture another person in the mirror and imagine yourself talking to them. This is also a way to practice getting ready to talk to others.
You can practice alone at first, but then get family and friends involved. The idea of having others watch you speak in front of a mirror may seem odd, but people are less likely to stutter when alone, and the presence of other people in the room will stimulate your stutter, so you can analyze your speech pattern.

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Record the video you are talking about. This method allows you to analyze your speech more closely than just speaking in front of a mirror. Turn on the camera and talk in front of the camera. This time too, after talking to yourself for the first time, call others into the room to stimulate your stuttering. Review the video and analyze your speech pattern. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

You should also analyze the video with friends and family. They can spot points in your speech pattern that you didn’t notice and help you fix the problem.

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Make a list of obstructions and words that trigger stuttering. People with stuttering often have difficulty when certain things get in the way of them, including words, phrases, or sounds. These factors trigger stuttering. As you review the tapes, pay attention to find them. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Before you overcome your stutter, you can avoid provocative words when speaking in public. The hope is that with practice, you will gradually overcome these hindrances and be able to use them in everyday conversation. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Practice saying stimulating words. Once you have identified the factors that cause stuttering, focus on them during practice sessions. Repeat these words to desensitize them. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

First, focus on saying stimulating words or phrases slowly. Take a deep breath and try to speak as fluently as possible. If you stumble, don’t worry, that’s why you are working to overcome it.
Once you get used to saying each difficult word separately, you can begin to say the words together in sentences. Practice saying these sentences slowly and fluently.

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Extend the first syllable of each word. This method helps you focus and reduces the stress that causes stuttering. Speak as smoothly and calmly as possible while practicing this exercise, and focus on pronouncing each syllable clearly. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Special focus on stimulating words. Breaking down words will help you overcome the obstacles.
Don’t worry if you stutter when doing word stretching exercises. The goal here is not to speak perfectly, but to practice remaining calm when speaking.

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Practice speaking in rhythm. People rarely stutter when they sing, because a predictable rhythm keeps the brain from getting confused and stumbling over words as they speak. ^{[9] X Research Source}

For example, you can practice saying words to the tune of a favorite song. Not only will this make your stuttering less likely, but your practice sessions will also be more enjoyable.

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Read out loud. This exercise will help you familiarize yourself with the pronunciation of words. Focus on pronouncing each syllable of each word. Start with a passage you’re familiar with to get used to reading it out loud, then move on to a passage you’ve never read before to practice reading words that aren’t predicted. ^{[10] X Research Source}

Don’t worry if you stutter while reading. Let’s keep practicing.
Incorporate activities by reading to the rhythm. Choose the rhythm of a song or tap the beat while reading.
You can also use stretching techniques when reading. Focus on speaking as slowly and calmly as possible.

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Talking on the phone. If you want to practice but aren’t ready to talk face to face, then talking on the phone is a great exercise. Instead of texting, call relatives and friends to talk. Use techniques like stretching while speaking to reduce stuttering. ^{[11] X Research Source}

The customer service lines are also helpful. Instead of replying by email, you can call the customer service number for extra practice.

Public speaking

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Acknowledge your stutter when talking to people. People with stuttering are often ashamed of their disability and sometimes want to hide it. However, the more you try to hide it, the more stressed you become, and the worse it turns out in the end. Overcome this fear by having the courage to let people know that you have a stutter. This way, you will get rid of your fear of being discovered and regain your self-control. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Just saying a simple sentence like “Please forgive me if I speak slowly, because I have a stutter” is enough. You will find that most people happily accept.

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Imagine and plan communication situations. During your efforts to overcome stuttering, you should plan ahead for interactive situations. This can help you get over your fear of public speaking and allow you to practice your words before you speak. ^{[13] X Research Source}

For example, if there is a meeting at work tomorrow, carefully review the agenda first. Anticipate questions and think about how you would respond. Research the answers in advance. You will be less stressed when you have prepared answers and talk topics.
Understand that you can’t always plan for social situations, and that you may stumble when the conversation takes a turn. If this is the case, slow down and visualize the words before you speak to stay calm.
Remember, if you encounter an obstacle and start stuttering, simply admit you have a stutter and ask permission to pause for a moment to refocus.

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Avoid distractions and words that trigger stuttering. During the practice sessions, you probably identified the words and factors that caused you to stutter. With practice, you will gradually be able to use these words without stumbling. However, from now until then, you should try to avoid these words when communicating to limit stuttering. ^{[14] X Research Source}

List synonyms of the words stimulant. There may be words that mean the same thing as words that make you stutter. Use a large dictionary to find their synonyms to avoid stuttering and still express the same idea.

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Maintain eye contact while talking. When stuttering, people often avoid looking the other person in the eye. This stems from the anxiety associated with stuttering in public. So even if you start stuttering, try to maintain eye contact. This will help you appear more confident, and confidence-building will gradually help you to stutter less. ^{[15] X Research Source}

When eye contact is interrupted, simply resume while trying to stop stuttering.

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Make hand gestures. Stuttering is sometimes the result of nervous energy that your body doesn’t know how to handle. Hand gestures are a channel to redirect this energy. That way, you can distract your brain to stop stuttering, so you’ll speak more fluently. ^{[16] X Research Source}

This technique is especially useful when you are giving a public presentation. When preparing a presentation, you should also include hand gestures to reduce stuttering. Specify where you will use hand gestures.

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Chat with random strangers. This is a great test to test the effectiveness of the exercises. Random conversations are unpredictable, so use all the exercises and speak as fluently as possible. ^{[17] X Research Source}

Start the conversation by introducing yourself and saying, “I have a stutter and am working on getting better.” You will find many people willing to help you.
Asking for directions is a quick and effective exercise. Even if you know the way, you can still ask to interact with the other person without having to involve them in the whole conversation.

Get expert help

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Consult a speech therapist if your stuttering is not improving. If you’ve been trying to cure your stutter for several months and you’re not getting better, you should see a speech therapist. A specialist will analyze your problem and recommend treatment. ^{[18] X Trusted Source Understood Go to Source}

If you need help finding a speech-language pathologist in the US, you can find a list of resources from the American Society of Speech-Language and Audiology (ASHA). For more information, visit https://www.asha.org/public/Help-Finding-a-Professional/.
You can also call the ASHA hotline at 800-638-8255.

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Follow the instructions of the therapist. Speech therapy requires a lot of work outside of the clinic. Professionals will often give you a series of exercises for you to practice at home. Follow all the experts recommend. ^{[19] X Trusted Source Understood Go to Source}

Remember that speech therapy is a long process. You may need to work with a therapist for several months. Be patient and trusting throughout the process.

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Meet a support group for stutterers. You may feel alone when you stutter. Actually that’s not the case. An estimated 3 million Americans and 70 million people worldwide have this condition. There is an active community of stutterers to help each other, and joining this community can give you the confidence to overcome stuttering. ^{[20] X Research Source}

If you’re in the US, the National Stuttering Association has local support groups. To find a group near you, go to https://westutter.org/chapters/.
In the UK, the Stuttering Association also sets up support groups. For information, you can go to https://stamma.org/connect/local-groups.
If you are in another country, you can go online to find local support groups and don’t hesitate to reach out to them for help.

Steps

Workout at home

Public speaking

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