"Although not completely stutter free, I have full confidence to speak anywhere": Readers share how they beat their stutter

In a recent episode of his popular talk show, Steve Harvey was asked how he had worked through a debilitating stutter. We recently published the host's answer, with the reaction he received, as well as a few tips from the stuttering community. 

• Read the full story here: Steve Harvey shared how he overcame his childhood stutter, and the internet's reaction is mixed

A Parent24 reader related and sent a letter explaining an unorthodox method that could prove useful. 

• Also see: A stutterer speaks

"Never ever back down, If you let your stutter control you, you will live a very tough life"

I stuttered for many many years. Only when I was around 20 did things start changing. I am now 43 years old and although not completely stutter free, I have full confidence to speak anywhere. I frequently present to groups of people. The largest audience I presented to was over 300 people on an overseas seminar at age 26 and I was not scared at all.

I am successful in my job and able to care for my beautiful family. This would not have been possible without some very simple tricks and tips. I truly hope this can be of benefit to the fellow stutterers in our beautiful country.

The trick which was presented to me by a very good speech therapist (After countless useless ones) has 4 components:

1. Never ever back down, If you let your stutter control you, you will live a very tough life.

2. Technically the most important... stuttering happens mostly on consonants. Fact. Add a vowel before every consonant if required, or take the consonant out... a stutterer feels it coming. If you feel it coming and you are too close to the word, stop, breathe in, start over again if required (almost like a running start) add a consonant. Like "The bbbbbook has 300 ppppages" would be pronounced "The aahbook has 300 ... ages" (Very short and soft "P" or even "Ph") People will understand what you say and with time you can make it less obvious.

3. Read a lot to expand your vocabulary. This helps with synonyms for items and being descriptive. Instead of "The cccar is amazing" ... "The vehicle is amazing" The letter V although a consonant is easier as it does not have an abrupt start. 

4. A stutterer will never stutter while they sing. Think of it, have you ever, ever heard of a person stuttering while they sing, that would be a spectacle. Learn to use lots of tone in your voice. Not singing to people, as that would be just weird, just continuous vibration of the vocal cords with lots of tone in your voice. Think almost trance-like tone in your voice.

Having a stutter can be made better if not beaten. Do not ever, ever, ever back down!

 – Anonymous

• Also see: My child can’t talk properly 

"People joked that it took me 5 minutes to get to the next letter"

I used to stutter as a child and people joked that it took me 5 minutes to get to the next letter.

The speech therapy that I took for many years did not help either.

If you had to ask stutterers they will tell you they only stutter words which being with certain letters.

Mine were 'B' and 'D' – my name starting with a 'B' and street address starting with a 'D.'

So at the age of 14, I decided to add an 'I' to the words that start with a B or a D.  

The ‘I’ I would say softly to myself and found that once I got used to it, my stuttering was gone.

Only about a year later it dawned on me that I wasn't using the ‘I’ anymore.

 – BG

What personal method did you come up with to overcome a stutter? Tell us your tip by emailing to chatback@parent24.com and we could publish your letter. Do let us know if you'd like to stay anonymous. 

Read more: 

• A stutterer speaks
• Teased and bullied – the challenges of starting school with a stutter

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