stammer
/ˈstæmɚ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.49 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
7
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The involuntary repetition of a sound in speech.
noun
A speech defect whereby someone speaks with a stammer
Example Sentences
- "He blushed, and stammered a few words of apology."
- "The high school had a send-off in my honour. It was an uncommon thing for a young man of Rajkot to go to England. I had written out a few words of thanks. But I could scarcely stammer them out. I remember how my head reeled and how my whole frame shook as I stood up to read them."
- "She said goodbye in a stammer."
Etymology
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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: stameren, stamerian, *stamrōn, *stamrōną, Stammer
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈstæmɚ/
- British English: /ˈstæmə/