Stuttering (alalia syllabaris), also known as stammering (alalia literalis or anarthria literalis), is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words or phrases, and involuntary silent pauses or blocks during which the person who stutters is unable to produce sounds. The exact etiology of stuttering is unknown; both genetics and neurophysiology are thought to contribute. There are many treatments and speech-language pathology techniques available that may help increase fluency in some people who stutter to the point where an untrained ear cannot perceive stuttering; however, there is essentially no cure for the disorder at present. Retrieved from Academic Research Library database, (Document ID: 1468009541).
People who stutter include British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, orator Demosthenes, King George VI, actor James Earl Jones, US President Joe Biden, and country singer Mel Tillis. Churchill, whose stutter was particularly apparent to 1920s writers, was one of the 30% of people who stutter who have an associated speech disorder—a lisp in his case—and led his nation through World War II. Demosthenes stammered and was inarticulate as a youth, and, through dedicated practice using methods such as placing pebbles in his mouth, became a great orator of Ancient Greece. King George VI hired speech therapist Lionel Logue to enable him to speak more easily to his Empire, and Logue effectively helped him accomplish this goal. This training and its results are the focus of the 2010 film The King's Speech. James Earl Jones has stated he was mute for many years of his youth, and he became an actor noted for the power of his voice. Mel Tillis stutters when talking but not when singing. Many people had their speech impairment only during childhood.
Actors
+ Actors with stutters Name Lifetime Comments 1955–present English comedian, screenwriter, and actor who incorporates his stuttering into his work by using over-articulation 1929–2015 English actor and dancer 1983–present English actress who won a Golden Globe Award in 2007 1938–present American actor and producer who played Jerry the orthodontist on The Bob Newhart Show 1972–present American actor, comedian, TV host, and singer 1971–2026 American actor 1973–present British comedian who won British Stammering Association Writing Award in 2006 1937–present English actor 1898–1978 American actor, provided the original voice of Porky Pig 1922–2007 American actor in British theater and television 1960–present English actor who won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe Award in 1995 Note: This annual was also published under the title The 2001 World Book Health & Medical Annual, United States of America: 2001 World Book, Inc. 1957–present American television and radio presenter, actor, author, businessman, and former stand-up comedian. 1937–2018 German actor and TV producer; started stuttering after being trapped under a staircase after a bombing raid in World War II 1917–1992 English actor and comedianHowerd mentioned his youthful stutter in a revealing BBC broadcast of Desert Island Discs, Jan. 1982, rebroadcast in April 2012 in the three-hour Howerd's Ways: the Radio Times of Frankie Howerd https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01gvwzhHowerd, Frankie (1976) On the Way I Lost It, W.H. Allen, 1948–present American actor who has appeared in over 100 films; active in Civil Rights Movement Javivi 1961–present Spanish actor who has appeared in films and TV series, usually in comical roles 1931–2024 American actor noted for his powerful voice 1887–1951 French actor, theatre director and filmmaker 1887–1969 English actor, voice of Grinch 1890–1932 German film actor and producer; died by suicide with the advent of sound films 1939–present American stage and movie actor 1967–present Australian actress and film producer 1977–present English comedian winner of the Perrier Comedy Award in 2002 1946–2019 American actress who played "Julie Barnes" on The Mod Squad 1938–2020 Australian entertainer, comedienne and television personality 1936–2025 English actor 1991–present American stand-up comedian (known as "the Stuttering Comedian") and actor; season 10 runner-up on America's Got Talent 1965–present American radio personality known as "Stuttering John" 1992–present American actor 1926–1962 American actress, singer, model, and sex symbol; Golden Globe Award nominee in 1956 1947–2026 New Zealand actor 1929–2024 American actor and comedian, known for his stammer 1940–present American actor, playwright, theatrical director, and instructor 1964–present Puerto Rican-American actress 1915–2001 Mexican-American actor, painter, and writer 1923–2020 English actor, and radio and television presenter 1889–1967 British actor whose career spanned nearly 7 decades, Tony Award winning actor 1956–present American actor, Golden Globe Award nominee in 1978; brother of actress Julia Roberts 1967–present One of the highest paid American actresses in terms of box office receipts; sister of actor Eric Roberts 1974–present Indian Bollywood actor who won numerous Best Actor awards 1961–2023 American actor and producer 1992–present American actor, twin of Dylan Sprouse 1908–1997American film and stage actor whose stutter was a signature trait of his work 1917–2000 English actor and comedian 1955–present American actor, producer, and musician
Athletes
+ Athletes with stutters Name Lifetime Comments 1982–present Scottish rugby union player 2004–presentSwedish ice hockey player 1937–2014 American boxer known as "The Hurricane" 1936–1999 American basketball player, holds numerous official NBA all-time records 1973–present American baseball outfielder 1958–present Australian rules footballer 1915–1981 American track and field coach 1973–present Swedish golfer 1964–present American basketball player 1955–present American football cornerback 1916–2006 American boxer 1961–present Canadian sprinter 1962–present American baseball and football player, 1985 Heisman Trophy winner 1943–2026 American baseball pitcher 1979–present Croatian tennis player 1993–present American basketball player 1997–present American football linebacker 1987–present American football cornerback 1960–present American diver 1942–2024 American basketball player 1997–present American racing driver 1959–present Puerto Rican baseball player 1977–present American basketball player 1987–present Canadian hockey player 1979–present American football running back 1969–present Puerto Rican boxer 1991–present Colombian soccer player 1956–present American boxer who was a world champion in the light-heavyweight and heavyweight divisions (1981–1988) 1989–present American baseball outfielder 1983–present American football running back 1958–present American actor and fitness personality who had a fitness line "Body by Jake" and TV show called Body by Jake 1947–2024 American football running back 1955–present American ice hockey player 1931–2013 American golfer and golf broadcaster 1952–2024 American Basketball Hall of Famer 1975–present American golfer, formerly ranked World No. 1 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
Politicians
+ Politicians with stutters Name Lifetime Comments 1967–present British Labour politician; former Member of Parliament (2005–2015) 1947–present Mayor of Naples (1994–1998); President of Campania (2000–2010); member of Italian Communist Party 1951–present French politician; Prime Minister of France (2024–2025) 1942–present United States Senator from Delaware (1973–2009), 47th Vice President of the United States (2009–2017), 46th President of the United States (2021–2025) 1918–1989 Romanian communist leader 1874–1965 Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1940–1945, 1951–1955); Nobel Prize in Literature recipient in 1953 – 54 AD Emperor of Rome (41–54), exaggerated his ailment in youth amid fratricidal dynastic conflicts 1780–1857 Anglo-Irish Member of Parliament 384 – 322 BC Ancient Greek orator and politician 1905–1981 Canadian politician and City of Toronto mayor 1940–present Irish Labour Party politician; Member of the European Parliament (1989–1992, 1999–) 1976–present Argentine Peronist politician; Minister of the Interior (2019–) 1935–present American politician, 48th Governor of New Jersey (1982–1990) 1801–1856 Brazilian politician, diplomat, judge, and monarchist 1982–present Portuguese politician, Member of the Assembly of the Republic (2019–) 1909–1998 Indian communist politician; Chief Minister of Kerala (1957–1959, 1967–1969) 1781–1847 British Whig politician 1955–present Prime Minister of Finland (2003–2010)
Musicians
+ Singers and musicians with stutters Name Lifetime Comments 1957–present English singer and songwriter 1947–present Reggae and rocksteady singerKatz, David (2000), People Funny Boy - The Genius of Lee "Scratch" Perry, Payback Press, 1917–1995 English composer, cellist and music critic 1994–present Australian singer who won the second series of The Voice 1942–2015 American gospel singer, songwriter, record producer and pastor 1937–2011 Irish singer, who represented Ireland at the 1967 Eurovision song contest 1945–2007 American folk singer-songwriter, comedian 1967–present English singer, guitarist, and vocalist 1984–present English singer and songwriter present Israeli multi-disciplinary artist, singer and musician 1918–1970 English pianist'Mr Eric Harrison: A versatile pianist', in The Times, 29 August 1070, p. 12 1912–2001 American blues guitarist 1984–present Chinese singer, songwriter, and musician 1942–1999 American scat singer 1959–present Scottish singer and songwriter 1931–2021 American music professor and composer of experimental music 1977–present English singer, songwriter, and pianist 1917–2001 American operatic baritone and actor 1968–present Australian singer, songwriter, and actress 1957–present English singer, songwriter, and actor – 912 Frankish composer, poet and scholar 1991–present Pakistani rapper, songwriter, record producer and filmmaker 1948–2025 English singer, songwriter and television personality 1935–1977 American rock and roll singer 1946–2015 Scottish pop rock singer and musicianTerence Dackomb, "Chris Rainbow" , The Rocking Vicar, 2 July 2012, accessed 17 March 2015; Tobe Richards, "Chris Rainbow", Stuttering Didn't Stop Them! Famous People Who Stutter From Around The World, accessed 17 March 2015. 1945–present American singer, songwriter, musician, and children's author; recipient of two Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award; member of Grammy Hall of Fame 1938–1972English musician and vocalist 1932–2017 American country singer, spokesman and honorary chairman of the Stuttering Foundation of America in 1998 1971–present American musician 1986–present Australian singer, songwriter and musician 1950–present American singer and songwriter, lead singer of Heart (band) 1938–2020 American singer, songwriter, and musician
Writers