Syllable repetitions occur when a speaker repeats a whole or partial syllable, such as "ba-ba-banana." They are common in both typically developing speech and in fluency disorders, particularly during early language acquisition. Persistent or frequent syllable repetitions beyond early childhood may signal stuttering. SLPs evaluate the frequency, type, and impact of these disfluencies on communication effectiveness. Intervention targets reducing repetitions and increasing fluency through strategies like slowed speech, easy onsets, and phonemic awareness tasks.
Yairi, E., and Ambrose, N. G. Early Childhood Stuttering for Clinicians by Clinicians. Pro-Ed, (2005).
Bernstein Ratner, N. "Evidence-Based Practice in Stuttering: Some Questions to Consider." Journal of Fluency Disorders 31, no. 2 (2006).
