5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Stuttering

Monday, May 8, marks the beginning of National Stuttering Awareness Week, a weeklong spotlight on the condition affecting more than 80 million people worldwide. During this year’s observance, the Stuttering Foundation, the world’s oldest and largest organization dedicated to helping those who stutter, is sharing a list of “5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Stuttering” to raise awareness and promote understanding for people who stutter.

5 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Stuttering

1. Singing and Stuttering: People don’t stutter when they sing! In fact, there are contestants that have appeared on American Idol and America’s Got Talent who have shared their personal experience with stuttering. Check out our list of Famous People Who Stutter for several world-renowned singers who also stutter.

2. Male vs. Female: Stuttering affects three to four times as many males as females. Our own data on phone calls received from concerned parents supports this finding.

3. 80 Million People Stutter: More than 80 million people worldwide stutter, which is about 1% of the global population. That’s more than the population of the France! In the U.S. alone, there are more than 3 million people who stutter.

4. 5% of Children Stutter: Approximately 5% of all children go through a period of stuttering that lasts six months or more. Three-quarters of those will recover by late childhood, leaving about 1% with a long-term stutter. The best prevention tool is early intervention.

5. People Who Stutter Are Smart: People who stutter are as smart and capable as anyone else. Many exceptionally smart, talented, and successful people struggle with stuttering. Check out our list of Famous People Who Stutter for several examples of smart and talented people!

For more than 75 years, the Stuttering Foundation has served as a trusted resource for the stuttering community, offering brochures, e-books, podcasts, videos, a magazine, virtual learning sessions and multiple social media channels to spread timely and accurate information about stuttering.

Posted May 3, 2023

CELEBRITY FOCUS

Frank Wolf

This Virginian congressman has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1981. The longtime supporter of the Stuttering Foundation drew national attention to childhood stuttering in 2006 when he submitted an article about Tiger Woods from the SFA newsletter to the Congressional Record. The congressman is featured in the Stuttering Foundation's Famous People Who Stutter brochure.

Lewis Carroll

The recent Disney version of Lewis Carroll’s classic, Alice in Wonderland, garnered a great deal of media hype. Even though the mainstream media has not made mention that Carroll was a person who stuttered, his family history gives credence to the discovery of the genetic link to stuttering. Carroll was born to parents who were first cousins; almost all of their eleven children, three girls and seven boys, struggled with stuttering past childhood.

Jack Paar

While Jack Paar is among the most prominent of the entertainers on the Stuttering Foundation’s list of Famous People Who Stutter, he deserves special recognition as he was among the first to openly address his stuttering in public. As host of The Tonight Show from 1957-1962, he spoke of his difficulties as a stuttering child and teenager, giving hope to young people.

Winston Churchill

Seeking to "remove Winston Churchill's stutter by second guessing the diagnosis" indicates neither a truthful retelling of history nor an informed opinion about a complex speech disorder, say experts in the field of speech-language pathology.

Recent news reports that quote Dr. John Mather, a Washington physician, as saying that Churchill's stutter "is a lie" brought adamant critical response from specialists in the field of stuttering and fluency disorders.

Ken Venturi

As much of the nation watches the U.S. Open Golf Championship, it is impossible not to think about our late friend Ken Venturi. Ken overcame many challenges to win the Open at Congressional in 1964 and go on to become the voice of golf for more than three decades.

However, Ken faced no bigger obstacle than stuttering. Ken Venturi was a champion to those who stutter, going out of his way to share his personal experience when consulted by a colleague, friend, or child who stutters.