# Stuttering or stammering: what do I mean?

By [Craig Coffee](/craig-coffee)

I use both words for the same speaking problem. In one conversation I said I grew up stammering, or what we call stuttering here in the States.

I was talking about [my name](/stutter-saying-your-name), introducing myself, and [being called on to read aloud at school](/reading-aloud-in-front-of-people). Those were some of the situations that were so hard for me.

In another conversation, I said “my stammer or my stutter.” I was explaining the same part of my life: how much I wanted to speak, how I felt before an introduction, and what I kept working on.

So when you hear either word in my recordings, that's what I'm talking about.

I've also talked about [the label I used for myself](/stuttering-and-identity). I wanted to think of myself as a person working on his fluency. I knew I was stuttering. I just didn't want it to be the defining characteristic of who I was.

I'm a person with a life, interests, things I want to do, and people I want to talk to. That's the life behind either word when I use it.

## Related answers

- [How did I start working on my stuttering?](/how-to-stop-stuttering)

[Find your question](/questions)