to stutter
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to stutter
To speak involuntarily with interruptions or repetitions of sounds and syllables, often because of a speech disorder or great nervousness.
Als er vor der ganzen Klasse sprechen musste, begann er vor Aufregung zu stottern.
When he had to speak in front of the whole class, he began to stutter from excitement.
You can recognize the meaning of 'stottern' (to stutter / sputter / pay off gradually) from the subject: if a person is the subject, it is about speaking. If an engine or machine is the subject, it is about running irregularly. If there is an object such as 'Schulden' (debts) or 'Kredit' (loan), it is about paying something off.
Der Schüler stotterte bei seinem Vortrag.
The student stuttered during his presentation.
If you want to state the reason for stuttering while speaking, you often use the preposition 'vor' with the dative. Typical reasons are nervousness, fear, or excitement.
Er stotterte vor Angst, als er den großen Hund sah.
He stuttered with fear when he saw the big dog.
In the meaning 'in Raten zahlen' (to pay in installments), the separable verb variant 'abstottern' (to pay off gradually) is used very frequently. It emphasizes the process of gradually reducing a debt.
Er muss seinen Autokredit über fünf Jahre abstottern.
He has to pay off his car loan gradually over five years.
to abandon / suspend / expose
'aussetzen' and 'stottern' can seem similar with machines, especially with an engine. When an engine 'aussetzt', it briefly stops running or suddenly stops working for a moment. When an engine 'stottert', it runs irregularly and often makes jerky noises, as if it were about to stop. The words can be confused because both can be signs of a technical problem. 'aussetzen' emphasizes the brief interruption; 'stottern' emphasizes the rough, faltering operation.
Nach dem Start stotterte der alte Motor noch einige Minuten.
After starting, the old engine sputtered for a few more minutes.
Auf der Landstraße setzte der Motor plötzlich aus.
On the country road, the engine suddenly cut out.