stammer

/ˈstæmə/

//ˈstæmə// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"stammer" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“stammer” is uncommon English (frequency #53,874 among 6,566 “S” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#53,874
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To keep repeating a particular sound involuntarily during speech.

Corpus desk

Index EN-stammer · stammer · English

stammer · rank #53,874 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #53,874
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH Staines

Nearest frequency peer: Staines (-2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “stammer”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “stammer” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for stammer
PropertyValue
Headwordstammer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈstæmə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#53,874
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “stammer” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).stammerfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Staines” (#53,872), “stagnate” (#53,871), “Stavros” (#53,877). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “stammer” is #53,874. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

stammer is uncommon English at frequency #53,874 among 6,566 “S” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈstæmə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for stammer in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: 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. The correct English form is stammer, spelled S-T-A-M-M-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To keep repeating a particular sound involuntarily during speech.
  2. 2
    To utter with a stammer, or with timid hesitancy.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how stammer appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. He blushed, and stammered a few words of apology.
  2. 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.

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.

Synonyms

balbucinatebalbutiatecroakdrawlfaltergibberhackerhammerhawhesitatehum and hawjabbermincemouthmufflemumblemumpmutterspluttersputterstammerstutter

Antonyms

annunciatearticulate

This word in other languages

tartamudear(Español)balbutier(Français)stammeln(Deutsch)gaguejar(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "stammer"?
"stammer" is spelled S-T-A-M-M-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstæmə/.
What does "stammer" mean?
As a verb, "stammer" means: To keep repeating a particular sound involuntarily during speech.
How do you pronounce "stammer"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stammer" is /ˈstæmə/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "stammer"?
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. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "stammer", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Staines#53,872Stavros#53,877stiffen#53,879serfdom#53,847

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list