noun
- a disruption in the smooth flow of speech, such as stuttering, stammering, or hesitation
Usage: commonly used in speech-language pathology and education; can refer to both developmental and acquired speech disorders
Examples
- The speech therapist worked with the child to reduce dysfluency during reading aloud.
- Dysfluency can include repetitions, prolongations, and blocks in speech.
- Many people experience occasional dysfluency when nervous or tired.
- The assessment measured the frequency and severity of dysfluency in the patient's conversation.
- With practice and therapy, some forms of dysfluency can be managed effectively.
- Dysfluency is different from normal speech hesitations that everyone experiences occasionally.