Stuttering FAQ

In Good Company

Bertie struggled to overcome a speech impediment during his childhood. He was far from the only one. Throughout the course of history, there have been many famous people who shared his struggle.

Take a look at the list below:  U.S. President Joe Biden, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Hugh Grant, Steve Harvey, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, and James Earl Jones just to name a few!

Did any of these past stutterers surprise you?

Stuttering can be a frustrating thing to overcome, but it is possible. The Greek orator Demosthenes is said to have overcome a speech impediment by speaking over the roar of the ocean with pebbles in his mouth!

Stuttering is actually quite a common problem. It has been reported that stuttering affects about seventy million people and that men are four times more likely to suffer from stuttering than woman.  

The Stuttering Foundation of America states the following on their website:

What causes stuttering? There are four factors most likely to contribute to the development of stuttering:

• Genetics (approximately 60% of those who stutter have a family member who does also);
• Child Development (children with other speech and language problems or developmental delays are more likely to stutter);
• Neurophysiology (people who stutter process speech and language slightly differently than those who do not stutter); and
• Family Dynamics (high expectations and fast-paced lifestyles can contribute to stuttering).

Stuttering may occur when a combination of factors comes together and may have different causes in different people. It is probable that what causes stuttering differs from what makes it continue or get worse.

How many people stutter? More than 70 million people worldwide stutter, which is about 1% of the population. In the United States, that’s over 3 million Americans who stutter.

What is the ratio of males to females who stutter? Stuttering affects four times as many males as females.

How many children stutter? Approximately 5 percent of all children go through a period of stuttering that lasts six months or more. Three-quarters of those will recover by late childhood, leaving about 1% with a long-term problem. The best prevention tool is early intervention.

Is stuttering caused by emotional or psychological problems? Children and adults who stutter are no more likely to have psychological or emotional problems than children and adults who do not. There is no reason to believe that emotional trauma causes stuttering.

I think my child is beginning to stutter. Should I wait or seek help? It is best to seek ways that you, the parents, can help as soon as possible. (click on If You Think Your Child is Stuttering for ways to help immediately) If the stuttering persists beyond three to six months or is particularly severe, you may want to seek help from a speech-language pathologist who specializes in stuttering right away. (click on speech-language pathologists for listings by state or country.)

Can stuttering be treated? Yes, there are a variety of successful approaches for treating both children and adults (click on Why Speech Therapy? for some guidelines). In general, the earlier, the better is good advice.

Are there any famous people who stutter? Emily Blunt, James Earl Jones, John Stossel, Bill Walton, Mel Tillis, Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Carly Simon, Annie Glenn, Ken Venturi, Bob Love, John Updike, King George VI — all are famous people who stuttered and went on to have successful lives.

I read about a new cure for stuttering. Is there such a thing? There are no instant miracle cures for stuttering. Therapy, electronic devices, and even drugs are not an overnight process. However, a specialist in stuttering can help not only children but also teenagers, young adults and even older adults make significant progress toward fluency.

For more information and resources for stutterers and their families, check out: