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What are signs and symptoms of stuttering?

Characteristics of stuttered speech often include repetition of words or parts of words, as well as prolongations of speech sounds. These disfluencies occur most often in individuals who stutter than in the general population. Some people who stutter appear very tense or “out of breath” when talking. Speech may become completely stopped or blocked. Blocked is when the mouth is positioned to say a sound, sometimes for several seconds, with little or no sound coming out. After some effort, the person may complete the word. Interjections such as “um” or “like” can occur.  These interjections or “filler words” are used intentionally to delay the initiation of a word the speaker expects to “get stuck on.”