Written by: Roselyn Mathew / Treatment / December 21, 2022 / 8 minutes read

It is often seen that cluttering is often confused with a fast rate of speech and vice versa. Although the primary symptom of cluttering is fast rate of speech, both of these are different conditions and the underlying causes of these are different.

A person is said to have a fast rate of speech when the speed of speaking is faster than the average rate. It is calculated in words per minute which means, the number of words uttered in 1 minute or syllables per minute, which is the number of syllables uttered in a minute. The average speaking rate for an adult is between 180-220 syllables per minute or 140-160 words per minute.

The causes for a fast rate of speech are:

Cluttering

Cluttering results in a fast rate of speech, which is why people sometimes think they have cluttering when they have a fast rate of speech or vice versa.

Anxiety or stress

Stress and anxiety could result in fast rate of speech, especially when someone is speaking in front of strangers, a group or with higher authorities.

Low breath support

It is also seen that people who have a lesser breath support sometimes speak with a faster rate of speech especially when they are in the middle of a sentence, in order to complete the sentence in order to avoid taking a breath in between the sentence.

Neurological impairments

Certain neurological impairments like Dysarthria might result in a faster rate of speech.

Habitual

Some people have a fast rate of speech by habit. It might be due the environment that they were brought up, where their parents or caregivers had a fast rate of speech.

Cluttering is defined as “a perceived rapid and/or irregular speech rate, which results in breakdowns in speech clarity and/or fluency.”- St. Louis and Schulte (2011).

A person with cluttering might or might not be aware of their speaking rate and might say that “others keep asking me to repeat what I say” or “people say that I speak too fast”.

Although the primary symptom of cluttering is a fast rate of speech, cluttering also might have different other symptoms like:

· Disorganized speech

The speaker might not frame their sentences well and add points from their previous sentences in the next sentences or they might rapidly shift topics back and forth which often make the listeners confused.

· Dysfluencies

Dysfluencies like repetition of words, syllables and even phrases are observed in cluttering.

· Omission of syllables

Sometimes a person with cluttering would omit syllables in a word especially in longer words which makes it difficult for the listeners to understand what they say.

· Unexpected pauses

Due to the disorganization in sentences, a person with cluttering would make pauses that are unexpected by the listener.

Cluttering is thought to be caused due to some disturbances in the brain functioning. Some studies have found children or close relatives of people who have cluttering, also to develop cluttering which leads to speculations of cluttering to have an underlying cause that is genetic or hereditary. Cluttering is also thought to be due to lack of inhibition and is also associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The main similarity is rate of speech. People with fast rate of speech and cluttering have a rate of speech that is greater than 160 words per minute or 220 syllables per minute.

Another similarity could be omission of syllables, persons with extremely fast rate of speech might also omit syllables especially in stressful or anxious situations.

Some of the major differences between cluttering and fast rate of speech are:

- Awareness

Usually, people who have a fast rate of speech are aware of it whereas a person with cluttering are not aware of it and often report that others think they have a fast rate of speech or they report of having dysfluencies while speaking.   

- Organization and sentence structure

People who speak fast have an organized speech with a good sentence structure and do not have abrupt or unexpected pauses, whereas, person with cluttering have a disorganized speech and sentences. They might also have unexpected pauses while speaking.

- Speaking situations

If a person has a fast rate of speech during anxiety or stress, they would be speaking at a faster pace only in those situations. They have an average rate of speech when they are in a comfortable situation or when their mind is at ease. But a person with cluttering will always speak with a fast rate of speech even if they are in a comfortable situation.

- Dysfluencies

A person with a fast rate of speech rarely has dysfluencies and do not repeat syllables or words. A person with cluttering has dysfluencies and would often repeat syllables, words and even phrases when they speak.

* These differences are given to have a clear idea and should not be taken to differentially diagnose between these 2 conditions. There might be exceptions, for example, a person who has a fast rate of speech by habit will speak at a faster pace in uncomfortable situations and also in comfortable situations as well. A trained speech language pathologist will be able to understand whether someone has cluttering or a fast rate of speech.

The treatment varies depending on whether it is cluttering or fast rate of speech and also on the cause of the condition. Although the primary goal is to reduce the rate of speech, goals are also made to reduce other issues. For eg. in cluttering, goals to reduce dysfluencies and have an organized speech is also worked on by the speech language pathologist. Or if it a fast rate of speech due to anxiety, goals are made to reduce stress and anxiety, and to improve relaxation while speaking.

Cluttering and fast rate of speech are often confused and are even sometimes used synonymously. It is important to know the differences among these to and have it treated in the correct way with the help of a trained speech language pathologist in order to communicate effectively.

To speak with one of the speech-language pathologists at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, schedule an initial consultation by clicking the link below or calling (647) 795-5277.