Excellent question! ~~It's similar.~~ I'm guessing that the reason OP's technique works for the moment is humming is getting the exhale started. Moving air (breathing) is a key function required for speech. What I suspect will happen, based on my experiences (your mileage may vary), is that OP's stutterer's brain will adapt. The humming will become less effective, maybe last longer, and integrate into the stutter. Instead of "c...c...c...can i get this?” OP may end up with hummmmmmmmmmming sound and expend most or all of their air before they transition to their words. AND I COULD BE COMPLETELY WRONG. I'm just speaking from my own experience with avoidance, cluttering, etc. I used "ummm" to do the same thing OP is doing. See any similarity between humming and "umm?" ​ ***How is it different from speech therapy?*** In my experience, effective speech therapy isn't about learning singular techniques. It wasn't about avoiding blocks, or ways to get through blocks. It was learning fluency. All the proper mechanics to speak fluently. Practicing the mechanics. Getting adept at the mechanics. Building muscle memory. Practicing the skills daily. Not speaking to other people with these skills but practicing in private settings. Spending an hour or two a week in the therapist's office, progressing to new applications of the skills. Getting course corrections. Being fluent with the therapist, albeit not using normal speech. Transitioning the fluency into normal speech in the therapist office. Eventually speaking fluently in public. Practicing the skills. \------- ~~Easy onset and dragging the first syllable were components of learning fluency.~~ But they were part of a larger system. A therapist provides you with feedback to help refine your skills. They help you make minor adjustments before you integrate faulty or less than optimal mechanics. EDIT: Just read comment by u/WwwwilltheFarmer explaining what they mean by easy onset. Not the same as what I thought they meant. Now I am uncertain if I understand what their version of dragging the first syllable is. Speech therapy didn't have me introduce any extra sounds to my speech.