Craig Coffeehttps://usedtostutter.com/word-substitution-and-stuttering# Why would I choose another word when I expect a block? By [Craig Coffee](/craig-coffee) Because I would rather say a different word that I can get out than stand there forcing a word through a hard block. I’ve said that directly. One of my philosophies is fluency above all else. Fluency at any cost. That is how strongly I felt about wanting to be able to talk. So when somebody says word swapping is bad, I don’t agree. I would rather see someone word swap and not block than block. That is my preference when the other word preserves the meaning. I also want the person speaking to have a choice. ## I wanted to finish the thought In my dictated notes, I explained what I meant by saying what I wanted. It did not always have to be the exact word. I had to be able to express myself. I used an imagined phone call: pretend I'm twenty-two, testing things while my speech is still bad, and there's a word I expect to block on. I described choosing another word, finishing the sentence and getting the whole thought out. I said it could seem odd at first. What mattered in that example was that I could [say what I wanted to express](/what-fluency-means). That is the reason I gave for the choice. ## The name for an order was one example When I was buying food or coffee and the name did not matter, I would rather choose a name I could say. I wasn’t interested in forcing my way through my real name just to prove I could do it. I was thinking about carrying momentum through the day. That is the way I explained the choice. I wanted the best speech I could bring into the next conversation too. I’m also the same guy telling you to go and talk to strangers. In that group call, someone said a fake name would make him feel worse at night. [I explained my view and heard his objection.](/using-an-easier-name-when-you-stutter) ## What did someone tell me about avoiding words over time? In another conversation, someone told me his speech had been nearly flawless in his late teens apart from a few words. He could hide the problem as long as he didn't say those words. He said that turned into a mistake for him. He described constantly trying to hide it, becoming more anxious, and his speech getting worse. He said it kept sliding until he could hardly say a few words without stuttering badly. He wanted to get back the fluency he remembered having. I said, “I respect what you're saying and let's keep talking.” I told him I could share what worked for me. That was his account of what happened as he kept hiding words, and that was my response. ## I have also talked about words that do matter In the coffee-order explanation, I said that if you are dealing with a person in authority who needs your real name, you give your real name. I’ve also said I would drop a word unless I had to say it, like for a doctor. Those exceptions are part of the things I have actually said. In the book, I also made an exception for a true emergency where you had to tell the authorities something. My preference for another word is clear when it expresses the same thought. It gives me a way to keep speaking. An exact name or medical detail still needs to be accurate, and I respect a person who prefers to use the original word. [My explanation of an easier order name](/using-an-easier-name-when-you-stutter) describes that choice and the harsh judgment I have also made about myself. ## Related answers - [Why did I sometimes use an easier name for an order?](/using-an-easier-name-when-you-stutter) - [What did a stuttering block feel like for me?](/stuttering-blocks) - [What does fluency mean to me?](/what-fluency-means) [Find your question](/questions)

Because I would rather say a different word that I can get out than stand there forcing a word through a hard block. I’ve said that directly. One of my philosophies is fluency above all else. Fluency at any cost. That is how strongly I felt about wanting to be able to talk. So when somebody says word swapping is bad, I don’t agree. I would rather see someone word swap and not block than block. That is my preference when the other word preserves the meaning. I also want the person speaking to have a choice.

## I wanted to finish the thought In my dictated notes, I explained what I meant by saying what I wanted. It did not always have to be the exact word. I had to be able to express myself. I used an imagined phone call: pretend I'm twenty-two, testing things while my speech is still bad, and there's a word I expect to block on. I described choosing another word, finishing the sentence and getting the whole thought out. I said it could seem odd at first. What mattered in that example was that I could [say what I wanted to express](/what-fluency-means). That is the reason I gave for the choice.

## The name for an order was one example When I was buying food or coffee and the name did not matter, I would rather choose a name I could say. I wasn’t interested in forcing my way through my real name just to prove I could do it. I was thinking about carrying momentum through the day. That is the way I explained the choice. I wanted the best speech I could bring into the next conversation too. I’m also the same guy telling you to go and talk to strangers. In that group call, someone said a fake name would make him feel worse at night. [I explained my view and heard his objection.](/using-an-easier-name-when-you-stutter)

## What did someone tell me about avoiding words over time? In another conversation, someone told me his speech had been nearly flawless in his late teens apart from a few words. He could hide the problem as long as he didn't say those words. He said that turned into a mistake for him. He described constantly trying to hide it, becoming more anxious, and his speech getting worse. He said it kept sliding until he could hardly say a few words without stuttering badly. He wanted to get back the fluency he remembered having. I said, “I respect what you're saying and let's keep talking.” I told him I could share what worked for me. That was his account of what happened as he kept hiding words, and that was my response.

## I have also talked about words that do matter In the coffee-order explanation, I said that if you are dealing with a person in authority who needs your real name, you give your real name. I’ve also said I would drop a word unless I had to say it, like for a doctor. Those exceptions are part of the things I have actually said. In the book, I also made an exception for a true emergency where you had to tell the authorities something. My preference for another word is clear when it expresses the same thought. It gives me a way to keep speaking. An exact name or medical detail still needs to be accurate, and I respect a person who prefers to use the original word. [My explanation of an easier order name](/using-an-easier-name-when-you-stutter) describes that choice and the harsh judgment I have also made about myself.