Stumbling Over Words? Here’s What You Should Do

Every learner trying to speak a new language knows the struggle of stumbling over words. This process is stressful and sometimes humiliating.

The stumbling typically worsens when we are outside our comfort zone. However, stuttering can also occur in informal chats due to social anxiety. This impediment can affect your professional life and limit growth opportunities.

Why am I suddenly stumbling over my words? Common reasons

You are not alone when it comes to stumbling over words. This issue is not just due to a speech impediment. Many other factors can contribute, such as anxiety or a limited vocabulary.

Below are some other common causes for stumbling.

• Nervousness: Nerves can make every person experience difficulties when speaking. Learners often stumble due to the fear of saying something wrong, making mistakes with specific verbs, or not being understood at all.
• Lack of practice: Communication skills, like muscles, require consistent exercise to improve. Stumble blocks can make it easy to give up on practicing, but this decision has consequences. Consistent practice is essential to speak fluently.
• Overthinking: As mentioned previously, nerves and anxiety can greatly contribute to mumbling. Learners often overthink and focus so much on using the correct verbs that this obsession disrupts the flow of communication.
• Limited vocabulary: It’s difficult to find the right words if your vocabulary is limited. As a result, it’s easy to lose track of your thoughts, leading to stumbling.

All of the above-mentioned factors can cause stumbling blocks when speaking English. If you can relate to them, we’ll help you find a way to overcome them.

7 common mispronunciations and how to stop stumbling

If you are worried about why you are suddenly stumbling over words, the reason can hide behind the word disparity that exists in the English language. The way we write words differs from the way we pronounce them.

In addition to that, some English words have weird phonetics, like Queue or Squirrel. You shouldn’t pronounce the vowels in the word “queue,” for instance. This can confuse people who learn English as a second language.

Another example of a discrepancy between words is how you pronounce Wednesday. The word has a silent “d” in it. Likewise, the word comfortable, where the “o” is silent, should be pronounced “comf-ter-ble.”

Below are some techniques that can help you stop stumbling over words and avoid mispronunciation.

Shadowing technique

The shadowing technique is an imitation exercise that is ideal for learners to master how English words sound. Ideally, you would have a 1-on-1 conversational lesson with a native speaker and mimic their speech patterns. This is different from when you practice alone. When you practice with an English teacher, you will receive constructive criticism of your progress.

Private lessons

If you are a student who wants to improve your English pronunciation, having private lessons with an English teacher on LiveXP is an excellent optional way to do that. With private lessons, you will learn at your own pace. You will also have individual feedback and guidance from your teacher, and because of that, your progress can be faster when compared to group lessons.

Consequences of stumbling over words

Did you know that stumbling over words can have consequences beyond the momentary awkwardness it brings?

These consequences include miscommunication and social withdrawal. It may also cause social disengagement as people attempt to avoid criticism. On top of that, it can reduce your credibility, especially when you’re not speaking in your mother tongue language.

More consequences are listed below.

• Decrease in confidence: Stumbling can damage your confidence, leading to hesitation in public speaking or informal conversations. This may lead to social withdrawal to prevent feeling ashamed.
• Miscommunication: If your message isn’t clear, others might misinterpret what you’re trying to say, leading to confusion and frustration.
• Professional impact: Struggling to communicate your needs will impact the way people perceive you at work. Stuttering while expressing ourselves may give the impression that we are not skilled or ready for bigger chances.
• Social withdrawal: When we are humiliated by anything we have said aloud, we often feel unsure about ourselves. After stumbling over our words, we may be hesitant to speak up again, which might limit our personal growth.
• Credibility: When speaking a second language, hesitancy, and errors might damage your credibility. They could give others the impression of unreliability, which may raise questions regarding your knowledge of what you’re expressing.

7 ways that will help you stop stumbling over words

Use exercises that relax you, including deep breathing, to avoid stumbling. Fluency is increased by practicing challenging words. Moreover, having conversational lessons with native English-speaking tutors on LiveXP makes you express yourself better because you get used to the way English words are pronounced.

Practice with native speakers

One of the most effective ways to improve your fluency is to have conversational lessons with native speakers on LiveXP. It can be nerve-racking to start, but in this way, you will get real-time feedback without judgment and learn to speak English fluently without stumbling. The process gets better with the time!

LiveXP’s Word Trainer

Using flexible mobile apps like LiveXP will help you improve your language skills and avoid stumbling. The Word Trainer feature uses the spaced-repetition algorithm to help you develop a rich vocabulary and correct pronunciation.

Focus on fluency, not perfection

Prioritize verbal fluency with English tutors above faultless grammar and rich vocabulary. Know that good communication is about delivering your message, not polishing every detail.

Accept the idea that the more you practice speaking without worrying about mistakes, the better your fluency will become.

“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.”

― Elbert Hubbard

Take your time before speaking

When we speak too quickly, it may become impossible to articulate what we want to say. Take time as you speak so that your mind is organized and has room for processing information needed for the next sentence.

Use relaxation techniques

If anxiety makes you stumble in your speech, consider adding some relaxation techniques to your daily routine. Deep breathing and visualization can help calm you down before speaking.

Record and review your speech

This technique should be used by everyone who is stumbling with words and has trouble expressing themselves with clarity. When listening back to your recording, you will be able to find useful information like speech patterns and be able to act on the areas that need improving.

Have fun and practice tongue twisters

Start slow by saying the below tongue twisters. Read it aloud slowly and increase the speed as you are comfortable. This exercise will help you gain control of your speaking rhythm. Don’t worry if you start to stumble. It takes time to build your confidence.

3 famous tongue twisters:

1. Four furious friends fought for the phone.
2. A snake sneaks to seek a snack.
3. She sells seashells by the seashore.

Clarity, pace, and confidence are key, and tongue twisters are a fun and effective way to work on all three!

Stumbling over words [final thoughts]

Stumbling over words when speaking English is common among learners. You are not helpless. With practice and effective strategies, it can be avoided.

You can increase your fluency by participating in conversational lessons with native speakers on LiveXP and practicing relaxation techniques.

Today is the day. Identify and address the causes of your stumbles. This will help you become a confident speaker!