stammer

CEFRB2

/ˈstæmə/

verb · noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    verb

    To speak with repeated sounds or pauses.

  2. 02

    verb

    Extra detail

    The involuntary repetition of a sound in speech.

Examples

  • Please do not mock me for my stammer.

  • The new boy had a nervous stammer.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
1
Synonyms
5

Deep Dive

verb

Extra meanings

  1. To utter with a stammer, or with timid hesitancy.

  2. To keep repeating a particular sound involuntarily during speech.

noun

Extra meaning

  1. A speech defect whereby someone speaks with a stammer

More examples

In context

  • He blushed, and stammered a few words of apology.

  • Tom began to stammer.

  • She said goodbye in a stammer.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

Due to his anxiety, he would often blank and repeat syllables when talking to strangers.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

verb

From Middle English stameren, from Old English stamerian, from Proto-West Germanic *stamrōn, from Proto-Germanic *stamrōną (“to stammer”). Compare German stammeln, Dutch stameren, Old Norse stammr. Doublet of stumble.