> What I am wondering is how someone would like this to be handled if it were them in the situation. Should I say anything to reassure him when he starts to stutter, and if so what would be a kind thing to hear that wouldn't make him feel bad about it? Is it better to ignore it (although admittedly I feel like its the elephant in the room that I am refusing to acknowledge)? ​ Ignore it if you are with other people. If you are alone, speak with him about him and tell him that you understand that he is struggling. Don't listen to him as if you are "trying" to listen, it makes you feel retarded when someone treats you like a child, for me that is worse than someone not really being attentive. ​ >I was also wondering if anyone has noticed their stutter to be tied to a lack of self confidence? He has been dealing with some self-esteem issues and I am not sure if it is due to the stutter or a possible cause for it. ​ This depends on what kind of stutter he has, there are many kinds. Some are caused by being nervous but chronic stutter is a kind of tics. Not sure if low self-esteem can cause / worsen a stutter, but stress and depression can, and those two are also a cause for low self-esteem. ​ ​