Words and language matter. Yet what is hard to identify is when the everyday language used is so ingrained into the way we speak that we lose sight of when it helps create and perpetuate harmful stereotypes. 

Between 1-3% of adults stammer. Those that do are often perceived as ‘weaker’, ‘less confident’, and ‘less able’ according to the British Stammering Association (Stamma) charity. This bias, though often unconscious, infects the language used to describe the condition, and can profoundly affect the lives of people who stammer.

VMLY&R worked with Stamma and Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales to rewrite the language used on the platform around stammering. The team worked to edit pages including profiles of renowned artists known to stammer including Lewis Carroll, Charles Darwin, Ed Sheeran and Emily Blunt.

‘Find the Right Words’ aims to change public perception around stammering and to help people find the right words when it comes to speaking about it. This help comes in the form of a set of editorial guidelines which Stamma are publishing. These have been shared with key stakeholders in the publishing, creative, recruitment and education sectors, asking them to set an example.

Jane Powell, CEO at Stamma, explained: “We need to change the language used to describe stammering, remove the negativity, and create a culture of respect and acceptance. Stammering is just how some people talk.”

Whilst the characterisations around stammering are usually unconscious, they can have a lasting effect on people who stammer. Campaigns like this are essential tools when it comes to education and ultimately, shifting the narrative, helping to shine a spotlight on harmful language used and dismantle it in the process.