What is the cause of stammering in Adults?
What causes stammering?
Stammering does not have one single cause. Research shows it happens because of a combination of factors.
Stammering is:
Developmental (typically starts in early childhood)
Often genetic (can run in families)
Neurological (linked to how the brain processes speech)
It is not caused by personality, anxiety, or lack of confidence.
Is stammering neurological?
Yes. Stammering is a neurological difference – people who stammer have brains that are subtly different from the brains of people who don’t stammer in terms of speech production.
Speaking is a very complex process. The brain has to plan words, organise sounds, and coordinate breathing, voice, lips, and tongue within fractions of a second. In people who stammer, this system works slightly differently. This can cause sounds to repeat, stretch, or get stuck, even when the person knows exactly what they want to say.
Brain imaging studies show that people who stammer use their brain networks for speech in a different way, especially in areas involved in:
Speech timing
Rhythm
Coordination of movements
Nothing is damaged or broken and stammering is not your fault — the brain is simply organised differently for speech.
Does stammering run in families?
Yes, it often does. Many people who stammer have a family member who also stammer or stammered in the past.
This does not mean every child in the family will stammer, but it does increase the likelihood. Genetics play an important role in how speech and language develop.
Is stammering caused by anxiety or nerves?
No. Anxiety does not cause stammering.
Research shows that pre-school children who stammer are no more anxious or shy than children who do not stammer. People who stammer do not have different personalities.
However, older children and adults who stammer often experience higher levels of anxiety. This anxiety can develop over time because living with stammering can be difficult, particularly when people experience embarrassment, bullying, stigma, or negative reactions from others.
In other words, anxiety is usually the result of stammering, not the cause.
Why does stammering get worse when someone feels nervous?
When someone feels anxious or under pressure, they often stammer more.
This can happen because they may:
Worry about getting stuck
Fear how others will react
Try very hard to be fluent or to hide their stammer
Anxiety can lead to muscle tension and reduced focus on what you want to say, which can increase stammering in that moment. Even so, anxiety is not the cause of stammering — it simply affects the stammer itself.
Is stammering linked to intelligence?
No. Stammering has nothing to do with intelligence.
People who stammer are just as capable, intelligent, and able as people who do not stammer.
Why does stammering change from day to day?
Stammering is naturally variable.
It can change depending on:
Pressure to speak
Tiredness
Who you are talking to
How safe, relaxed, or rushed you feel
This variability is typical and is often described by people who stammer as one of the most challenging aspects of having a stammer.
Can you suddenly start stuttering or stammering as an adult?
Many people contact us to say that they feel they have suddenly started stuttering. In some cases, the person may have stammered as a child, but it either resolved or was not having a significant impact on their earlier life.
Rather than starting to stammer suddenly, it is often the case that earlier stammering has re-emerged, sometimes during periods of increased pressure, stress, or change.
However adult onset stammering can occur – this is referred to as acquired rather than developmental stammering- and can happen as a result of a stroke or head injury, as a side effect of certain medications or due to significant psychological trauma.
How can Speech and Language Therapy help with stammering?
Speech and language therapy can play a key role in supporting those who stammer. From a detailed assessment, we can develop an individualised therapy plan based on your particular needs. Therapy can help you understand the nature of stammering, its causes and what contributes to increased and reduced stammering. Stammering does not have to hold you back and we support you to build confidence as a communicator and feel more at ease when speaking in everyday situations. We work with others to create a more supportive communication environment and aim to reduce the impact that stammering is having on your day to day life.
Why Choose Online Stammering Therapy with The Speech Network?
Alison, (MSc, BA(Hons), BRIEF Cert. SF Practice) our UK based Clinical Specialist Speech Therapist in Stuttering has 28 years’ experience of working in the field of Stuttering. She has worked at the Michael Palin Centre in London (an International Centre of Excellence for the Treatment of Stuttering) and is one of the few Registered European Fluency Specialists in the UK.
Professional Memberships & Registrations
Alison is fully registered with leading professional organisations, including:
Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT)
The Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP)
She has outstanding 5 star ***** Google reviews.
We do not have a waiting list, and sessions are typically booked within one week of the consultation.
We are Clinical Specialists in Stuttering and are very happy provide you with more information regarding our reasonably priced fees via email.