commentr/StutterSeptember 7, 2025

Content

First, none of this is your fault and you can’t blame yourself. We think we’re just going to wake up and be fluent tomorrow and we beat ourselves up when we aren’t. You don’t need to carry that burden. Second, just tell people at the outset that you stutter. It will take so much pressure off of you. Just saying something like, “Before we get to [topic of presentation], I just wanted to let you know that I have a stutter. So everything’s normal if you hear some pauses or repetitions.” (Don’t apologize because you have nothing to apologize for.) My dad was a stutterer, like me. When he died, many people told me what a powerful public speaker he was. Yes, they all knew he stuttered. But they were moved by what he had to say. So, I guess what I’m saying this: just mention that you stutter and then let go and let the content of your presentation be your yardstick. Because what you say matters more than how you say it. You’re going to be great.

Themes

Social & RelationshipsAnticipation & AvoidanceCauses & VariabilityEmotional Experience

Subthemes

Disclosure & Telling OthersAnticipating StutteringPropositionality & WeightHope & Motivation