speech disfluency

noun

A part of speech usually expressed as a pause or hesitation; such as err, um, hmm.

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Meanings

nounspeech disfluency (plural speech disfluencies)

plural speech disfluencies

  1. A part of speech usually expressed as a pause or hesitation; such as err, um, hmm.

    To the long list of everyday afflictions that includes dry, itchy skin and restless leg syndrome, add another: speech disfluency.

    2007 August 24, William Grimes, “Uh, Lead My Rips: No More Bloopers”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 04 Jan 2013
Cite this entry
APA

speech disfluency. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/speech%20disfluency

MLA

“speech disfluency.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/speech%20disfluency. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “speech disfluency,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/speech%20disfluency.

Source: speech disfluency on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.