stutter

/ˈstʌtɚ/

//ˈstʌtɚ// verb

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

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

The verdict

“stutter” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #30,991. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#30,991
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To speak (words) with a spasmodic repetition of vocal sounds.

Corpus desk

Index EN-stutter · stutter · English

stutter · rank #30,991 · 8 variants · 11 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #30,991
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 11 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH stumped

Nearest frequency peer: stumped (-1 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “stutter”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “stutter” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

stutter vs Sutter
71% similar
stutter vs Sumter
57% similar
stutter vs sitter
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for stutter
PropertyValue
Headwordstutter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈstʌtɚ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#30,991
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “stutter”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “stumped” (#30,990), “subspecies” (#30,992), “subvert” (#30,993). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “stutter” is #30,991. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around stutter (IPA /ˈstʌtɚ/), averb. Corpus frequency is #30,991 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for stutter, with forms such as "sstutter", "sttuter", and "sttutter". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "Sutter", "Sumter", "sitter", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English stutten, stoten (“stutter”); cognate with Dutch stotteren (“stutter”). The correct English form is stutter, spelled S-T-U-T-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To speak (words) with a spasmodic repetition of vocal sounds.
  2. 2
    To expel a gas with difficulty.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He stuttered a few words of thanks.
  2. I was stuttering after the marathon.

Etymology

From Middle English stutten, stoten (“stutter”); cognate with Dutch stotteren (“stutter”).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • sstutter
  • sttuter
  • sttutter
  • stutetr
  • stutterr
  • stuttre
  • suttter
  • tsutter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of stutter - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

sstutter1sttuter2sttutter1stutetr2stutterr1stuttre2suttter2tsutter2
Edit distance from "stutter"

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 "stutter"?
"stutter" is spelled S-T-U-T-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈstʌtɚ/.
What does "stutter" mean?
As a verb, "stutter" means: To speak (words) with a spasmodic repetition of vocal sounds.
What words are commonly confused with "stutter"?
"stutter" is commonly confused with "Sutter", "Sumter", "sitter". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "stutter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "stutter" is /ˈstʌtɚ/. 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 "stutter"?
From Middle English stutten, stoten (“stutter”); cognate with Dutch stotteren (“stutter”). 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 "stutter", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

stumped#30,990subvert#30,993sunburn#30,994Taunton#31,000

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

slurry8 variantssexier8 variantsScottie8 variantsValium8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list