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.
to sputter
When an engine runs irregularly, misfires, and makes noises as if it were about to stop.
Der alte Motor stotterte ein paar Mal, bevor er endgültig verstummte.
The old engine sputtered a few times before it finally fell silent.
to pay off gradually
To pay off a debt or purchase price in small installments over a longer period of time. Often used in the phrase 'eine Schuld abstottern' (to pay off a debt gradually).
Er muss den Kredit für sein Auto noch zwei Jahre lang in Raten stottern.
He still has to pay off the loan for his car in installments for another two years.
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 falter / stall
When speaking, stocken and stottern can both indicate interruptions, but they do not mean the same thing. stocken usually means pausing or hesitating briefly, whereas stottern refers to repeated or clearly disrupted sounds and syllables. Use stocken for a single pause and stottern for a recurring speech pattern.
Vor der schwierigen Frage begann er zu stottern und wiederholte mehrere Silben.
He began to stutter when faced with the difficult question and repeated several syllables.
Vor der schwierigen Frage stockte ihre Stimme kurz, dann antwortete sie ruhig.
Her voice faltered briefly before the difficult question, and then she answered calmly.
