Wait for someone who stammers
Finishing the sentence of someone who stammers is meant to help and does the opposite every time.
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The BeingKind editorsPublished How this is written
Why it lands
People who stammer consistently report that completion is the worst response — it signals impatience, removes their agency and frequently gets the word wrong. The listener's discomfort is doing the work, not the speaker's need. Holding eye contact and waiting is uncomfortable for a few seconds and is what every stammering association asks for.
How
Keep normal eye contact, wait, and do not supply the word or nod them along. Do not tell them to slow down or relax. React to what they said rather than to how it came out.
Answer if you want. It changes which ideas are shown first.
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