Why do people who stutter say “um” so much?
Individuals who stutter may use um often for several reasons. First, as um is a filler word, it is used to buy time when speaking. Individuals who stutter may need to buy time as they are searching for words with sounds that are easier to say. This is called avoidance; if an individual has a difficult time with the sound /p/, then rather than saying parent, they might buy time to replace it with an easier word mother. Another reason why stutterers may use um is because it has become a habit. Possibly due to negative experiences of not getting the sound out as intended, there may be some hesitation with speaking. This hesitation could have fostered a habit of saying um.
Samuel L. Jackson is a Black actor who stutters. He reports that he was able to overcome it through acting.
As airflow is the foundation of speech, when the airflow is obstructed due to tension and uncontrolled closing of oral muscles, the sound produced is compromised.
Craig Skistimas, also known as Stuttering Craig, the co-founder of ScrewAttack which is a production company for video games.
The adored pig from Looney Tunes, Porky Pig, has a stutter. It has been found that he stutters 23% of his spoken words and uses a wide variety of stuttering types.
Stuttering affects around 70 million people worldwide, so yes of course there is going to be a comedian who stutters.
The National Stuttering Association (https://westutter.org/) is a good website to find news about stuttering. The ‘Stuttering Foundation’ is another website that provides the most up to date news (https://www.stutteringhelp.org)
News reporter John Stossel is a news reporter who stuttered. News reporter and journalist Byron Pitts also stutter.
There are two general philosophies of stuttering treatment: Fluency shaping, and Stuttering acceptance
When an individual stutters, the voice may change as there is additional tension on the vocal folds and on the musculature surrounding it.