150px|thumb|right|alt= Man in robes with long brown hair against a background of waves reaching the shore|Greek orator [[Demosthenes practicing oratory at the beach with pebbles in his mouth]]
Stuttering (alalia syllabaris), also known as stammering (alalia literalis or anarthria literalis), is a speech disorder in which the flow of speech is disrupted by involuntary repetitions and prolongations of sounds, syllables, words or phrases, and involuntary silent pauses or blocks during which the person who stutters is unable to produce sounds. The exact etiology of stuttering is unknown; both genetics and neurophysiology are thought to contribute. There are many treatments and speech-language pathology techniques available that may help increase fluency in some people who stutter to the point where an untrained ear cannot perceive stuttering; however, there is essentially no cure for the disorder at present.
People who stutter include British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, orator Demosthenes, King George VI, actor James Earl Jones, US President Joe Biden, and country singer Mel Tillis. Churchill, whose stutter was particularly apparent to 1920s writers, was one of the 30% of people who stutter who have an associated speech disorder—a lisp in his case—and led his nation through World War II. Demosthenes stammered and was inarticulate as a youth, and, through dedicated practice using methods such as placing pebbles in his mouth, became a great orator of Ancient Greece. King George VI hired speech therapist Lionel Logue to enable him to speak more easily to his Empire, and Logue effectively helped him accomplish this goal. This training and its results are the focus of the 2010 film The King's Speech. James Earl Jones has stated he was mute for many years of his youth, and he became an actor noted for the power of his voice. Mel Tillis stutters when talking but not when singing. Many people had their speech impairment only during childhood.
<!-- Note: Please cite sources when adding entries to this list, unsourced entries will be removed -->
Actors
<!-- Note: Please cite sources when adding entries to this list, unsourced entries will be removed -->
110px|thumb|right|alt=Man looking at the camera|Actor James Earl Jones in 2013
110px|thumb|right|alt=Emily at the premiere of Edge of Tomorrow|Emily Blunt in 2014 110px|thumb|right|alt=Man in suit with left hand in pocket facing left|German silent film actor Bruno Kastner 110px|thumb|right|alt= Woman in hot pink dress dancing and singing with both arms raised|Actress Marilyn Monroe in 1953's [[Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953 film)|Gentlemen Prefer Blondes]]
{|class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Actors with stutters
! width="15%" scope="col"| Name
! width="12%" scope="col"| Lifetime
! class="unsortable" width="68%" scope="col"| Comments
! class="unsortable" width="5%" scope="col"|
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1955–present
| English comedian, screenwriter, and actor who incorporates his stuttering into his work by using over-articulation
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1983–present
| English actress who won a Golden Globe Award in 2007
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1938–present
| American actor and producer who played Jerry the orthodontist on The Bob Newhart Show
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1972–present
| American actor, comedian, TV host, and singer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1971–present
| American actor
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1973–present
| British comedian who won British Stammering Association Writing Award in 2006
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1960–present
| English actor who won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe Award in 1995
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1957–present
| American television and radio presenter, actor, author, businessman, and former stand-up comedian.
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1937–2018
| German actor and TV producer; started stuttering after being trapped under a staircase after a bombing raid in World War II
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1931–2024
| American actor noted for his powerful voice
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1948–present
| American actor who has appeared in over 100 films; active in Civil Rights Movement
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1890–1932
| German film actor and producer; died by suicide with the advent of sound films
| align="center"|
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1939–present
| American stage and movie actor
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1967–present
| Australian actress and film producer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1977–present
| English comedian winner of the Perrier Comedy Award in 2002
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1946–2019
| American actress who played "Julie Barnes" on The Mod Squad
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1965–present
| American radio personality known as "Stuttering John"
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1992–present
| American actor
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1926–1962
| American actress, singer, model, and sex symbol; Golden Globe Award nominee in 1956
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1940–present
| American actor, playwright, theatrical director, and instructor
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1915–2001
| Mexican-American actor, painter, and writer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1956–present
| American actor, Golden Globe Award nominee in 1978; brother of actress Julia Roberts
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1961–2023
| American actor and producer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
|1908–1997
|American film and stage actor whose stutter was a signature trait of his work
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1955–present
| American actor, producer, and musician
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1929–2024
| American actor and comedian, known for his stammer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1938–2020
| Australian entertainer, comedienne and television personality
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1898–1978
| American actor, provided the original voice of Porky Pig
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1917–2000
| English actor and comedian
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1917–1992
| English actor and comedian
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1887–1951
| French actor, theatre director and filmmaker
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1923–2020
| English actor, and radio and television presenter
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1929–2015
| English actor and dancer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1887–1969
| English actor, voice of Grinch
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1936–present
| English actor
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1937–present
| English actor
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1922–2007
| American actor in British theater and television
| align="center" |
|}
Athletes
<!-- Note: Please cite sources when adding entries to this list, unsourced entries will be removed -->
110px|thumb|right|alt= Man in a Harlem Globetrotters uniform is on one knee and holding a basketball.|Basketball player Wilt Chamberlain in 1959 while a [[Harlem Globetrotter]] 110px|thumb|right|alt= Woman in peak cap and sunglasses is wearing a red T-shirt.|Golfer Sophie Gustafson in 2008
{|class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Athletes with stutters
! width="15%" scope="col"| Name
! width="12%" scope="col"| Lifetime
! class="unsortable" width="68%" scope="col"| Comments
! class="unsortable" width="5%" scope="col"|
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1982–present
| Scottish rugby union player
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
|Leo Carlsson
|2004–present
|Swedish ice hockey player
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1937–2014
| American boxer known as "The Hurricane"
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1973–present
| American baseball outfielder
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1973–present
| Swedish golfer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1961–present
| Canadian sprinter
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1943–present
| American baseball pitcher
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1993–present
| American basketball player
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1987–present
| American football cornerback
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1960–present
| American diver
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1997–present
| American racing driver
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1959–present
| Puerto Rican baseball player
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1977–present
| American basketball player
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1983–present
| American football running back
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1958–present
| American actor and fitness personality who had a fitness line "Body by Jake" and TV show called Body by Jake
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1947–2024
| American football running back
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1952–2024
| American Basketball Hall of Famer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1975–present
| American golfer, formerly ranked World No. 1 (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009)
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1991–present
| Colombian soccer player
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1958–present
| Australian rules footballer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1915–1981
| American track and field coach
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1997–present
| American football linebacker
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1916–2006
| American boxer
| align="center" |
|}
Politicians
<!-- Note: Please cite sources when adding entries to this list, unsourced entries will be removed -->
110px|thumb|right|alt= Churchill is wearing his trademark overcoat and top hat.|Prime Minister Winston Churchill in 1942
110px|thumb|right|alt= Biden standing with US flags behind him|President Joe Biden in 2021
{|class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Politicians with stutters
! width="15%" scope="col"| Name
! width="12%" scope="col"| Lifetime
! class="unsortable" width="68%" scope="col"| Comments
! class="unsortable" width="5%" scope="col"|
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1967–present
| British Labour politician; former Member of Parliament (2005–2015)
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1947–present
| Mayor of Naples (1994–1998); President of Campania (2000–2010); member of Italian Communist Party
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1942–present
| United States Senator from Delaware (1973–2009), 47th Vice President of the United States (2009–2017), 46th President of the United States (2021–2025)
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1874–1965
| Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1940–1945, 1951–1955); Nobel Prize in Literature recipient in 1953
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
|384 – 322 BC
| Ancient Greek orator and politician
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1976–present
| Argentine Peronist politician; Minister of the Interior (2019–)
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1935–present
| American politician, 48th Governor of New Jersey (1982–1990)
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1982–present
| Portuguese politician, Member of the Assembly of the Republic (2019–)
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1909–1998
| Indian communist politician; Chief Minister of Kerala (1957–1959, 1967–1969)
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1955–present
| Prime Minister of Finland (2003–2010)
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1780–1857
| Anglo-Irish Member of Parliament
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1918–1989
| Romanian communist leader
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1905–1981
| Canadian politician and City of Toronto mayor
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1801–1856
| Brazilian politician, diplomat, judge, and monarchist
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1781–1847
| British Whig politician
| align="center" |
|}
Musicians
<!-- Note: Please cite sources when adding entries to this list, unsourced entries will be removed -->
110px|thumb|right|alt= Black man singing|Blues guitarist John Lee Hooker
110px|thumb|right|alt= Man in white slacks and black jacket standing singing on stage|Country singer Mel Tillis in 2007 at the [[Grand Ole Opry]]
{|class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Singers and musicians with stutters
! width="15%" scope="col"| Name
! width="12%" scope="col"| Lifetime
! class="unsortable" width="68%" scope="col"| Comments
! class="unsortable" width="5%" scope="col"|
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1957–present
| English singer and songwriter
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1917–1995
| English composer, cellist and music critic
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1937–2011
| Irish singer, who represented Ireland at the 1967 Eurovision song contest
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1967–present
| English singer, guitarist, and vocalist
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1984–present
| English singer and songwriter
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1912–2001
| American blues guitarist
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1942–1999
| American scat singer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1959–present
| Scottish singer and songwriter
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| – 912
| Frankish composer, poet and scholar
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1948–2025
| English singer, songwriter and television personality
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1935–1977
| American rock and roll singer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
|1938–1972
|English musician and vocalist
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1932–2017
| American country singer, spokesman and honorary chairman of the Stuttering Foundation of America in 1998
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1971–present
| American musician
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1984–present
| Chinese singer, songwriter, and musician
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1986–present
| Australian singer, songwriter and musician
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1942–2015
| American gospel singer, songwriter, record producer and pastor
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1991–present
| Pakistani rapper, songwriter, record producer and filmmaker
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1917–2001
| American operatic baritone and actor
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1946–2015
| Scottish pop rock singer and musician
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1947–present
| Reggae and rocksteady singer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1945–2007
| American folk singer-songwriter, comedian
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| present
| Israeli multi-disciplinary artist, singer and musician
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1994–present
| Australian singer who won the second series of The Voice
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1950–present
| American singer and songwriter, lead singer of Heart (band)
| align="center" |
|}
Writers
<!-- Note: Please cite sources when adding entries to this list, unsourced entries will be removed -->
110px|thumb|right|alt= Man with moustache standing in suit|Writer W. Somerset Maugham in 1934 110px|thumb|right|alt= Man with moustache standing in suit and facing right|Writer Machado de Assis c. 1896 110px|thumb|right|alt= Black woman with head covering, close up, smiling and looking to the right|Sonia Sanchez in 1998
{|class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Writers with stutters
! width="15%" scope="col"| Name
! width="12%" scope="col"| Lifetime
! class="unsortable" width="68%" scope="col"| Comments
! class="unsortable" width="5%" scope="col"|
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1867–1931
| English journalist and novelist
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1838–1908
| Brazilian novelist, short story writer, poet, and literary critic
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1939–present
| English novelist, biographer, and literary critic
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"| <span style="display:none;">Han, Fei</span>Han Fei
| 280 BC – 233 BC
| Chinese philosopher and writer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1843–1916
| American-born writer and critic who spent most of his life in England
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1874–1965
| English novelist, playwright, and short story writer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1929–2016
| Irish poet
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1956–present
| American writer of fiction and nonfiction
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1978-
| Canadian poet
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1965–present
| German poet, novelist, writer, literary editor, and musician
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1934–1992
| American author, poet, professor, activist
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1916–1991
| Australian author, screenwriter, and fighter pilot
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1923–1917
| English author
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1871–1914
| English Catholic priest and writer, popular preacher
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1930–2023
| British author, mostly science fiction, but including a nonfiction book about stuttering
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1923–1983
| English journalist and thriller novelist whose stutter initially exempted him from military conscription
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1966–present
| English author
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1775–1834
| English essayist and poet
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1895–1962
| American physiologist and science writer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1949–present
| English screenwriter and producer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1934–present
| American poet, writer, and professor
| align="center" |
|}
Others
<!-- Note: Please cite sources when adding entries to this list, unsourced entries will be removed -->
110px|thumb|right|Charles Darwin 110px|thumb|right|alt= Man standing in royal regalia|King George VI of the United Kingdom c. 1940–1946 110px|thumb|right|alt= Man in beige shirt standing and talking, with finger pointed|Zoologist Alan Rabinowitz 110px|thumb|right|alt= Woodcut of man facing left with cloth hat and robe|Mathematician Niccolò Tartaglia later in life 110px|thumb|right|Alan Turing at age 16
{|class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+ Other people with stutters
! width="15%" scope="col"| Name
! width="12%" scope="col"| Lifetime
! class="unsortable" width="68%" scope="col"| Comments
! class="unsortable" width="5%" scope="col"|
|-
! scope="row" |
| 197–264
| Three Kingdoms period general, Grand Commandant
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
! scope="row" |
| 1958–present
| Prince of Monaco
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
! scope="row" |
| 1888–1969
|United States Army Major General during World War II
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
! scope="row" |
| 1908–2002
| Publisher, philanthropist, and diplomat
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 384 BC – 322 BC
| Greek philosopher and writer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1939–2016
| American photographer and biographer of Muhammad Ali
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1913–1980
| 3rd Baron Glenavy, Irish-born British journalist, humorist and television personality
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1902–1986
| British biographer, historian and professor
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1809–1882
| English naturalist
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
! scope="row" |
|1494–1547
|King of France (1515–1547)
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1903–1994
| American philanthropist and businessman
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1933–2015
| Film critic and BBC radio producer
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1895–1952
| King of the United Kingdom (1936–1952)
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1975–present
| Navy SEAL, athlete, and motivational speaker
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1918–1999
| American chemist who worked with the Central Intelligence Agency
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1906–1965
| American psychologist, stutter research
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 846–879
| King of Aquitaine and West Francia
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 770–829
| Byzantine emperor, founder of the Amorian (Phrygian) dynasty
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1946–present
| Polish editor, historian, essayist, and political commentator
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1320–1367
| King of Portugal (1357–1367)
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1953–2018
| American zoologist, conservationist, field biologist, and President and CEO of Panthera
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1863–1949
| German-American botanist, Harvard professor
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1499–1557
| Italian mathematician, engineer, and surveyor
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1905–1994
| American speech pathologist
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1911–1944
| American Women Airforce Service Pilots member, disappeared during World War II
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1831–1902
| Irish-American industrialist
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1906–2001
| English ophthalmologist who invented the introcular lens
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1896–1972
| Professional soldier in New Zealand Military Forces
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
|1904-1938
| Mexican integrist
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1856–1941
| German linguist, ethnographer, and archeologist
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1933–present
| British barrister and judge
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1766–1828
| Queen of Württemberg
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row" |
| 12th or 15th Century
| Founder of the Iroquois Confederacy, also known as Great Peacemaker
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row" |
| 1901–1987
| Australian botanical artist
| align="center"|
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1819–1887
| American lawyer and socialite. Called "the most popular man of New York"
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1812–1886
| American fur trapper and explorer known as the leader "Ezekiel 'Stuttering Zeke' Merritt"
| align="center" |
|- valign="top"
!scope="row"|
| 1825–1883
| Warrior and a leader of the Nednhi band of the Chiricahua Apache
| align="center" |
|}
Fictional characters
Some notable fictional characters do stutter.
Literature
- Bill Denbrough – the main protagonist of Stephen King's 1986 novel It. Bill has a stutter, due to being hit by a car at the age of three, which leads to him being outcast. He outgrows his stutter as an adult; however, it comes back when he learns of It's return and returns to Derry.
Film
- Marie-Sophie, female lead in Attention bandits! (1987). The movie received recognition for its positive portrayal of stuttering, as Marie-Sophie's speech impediment is depicted as just a distinctive trait of hers, rather than as a detraction or a source of humor.
- Ken Pile, one of the main characters in A Fish Called Wanda (1988), a gangster and an animal lover with a stutter. Mel Blanc replaced Dougherty in 1937. Blanc continued the stutter; however, it was harnessed for a more precise comedic effect (such as stumbling over a simple word only to substitute a longer word without difficulty, or vice versa).