Thank you for the long response, it is very helpful. 1. I do tend to speak quickly so I'll try to keep that in mind. 2. When I said "how can I help" I meant more of how can be I helpful to the situation more than a "how can I fix them" type of thing. I fully understand, I have had years of chronic pain and I hate telling someone because everyone turns into a doctor with solutions and suggestions. It ends up feeling less like empathy and more how can I fix this so we can move on and not talk about it anymore. I'm definitely not trying to fix anyone but myself. I appreciate the suggested method of broaching the subject. When I say I feel awkward it's because I don't want to do the wrong thing, not out of some fear/discomfort about talking to them. 3. I tend to be over protective of people being bullied because of my own personal issues. I don't want to insult anyone like they need a savior, so thanks again for the suggestions. I am also around some ruthless people and they tend to keep it to those who will play along. I may be projecting my own nightmare but I just don't want to see someone get made fun of for stuttering and feel like I could have prevented it. Again, that's my own savior complex speaking. It's hard to keep "doing the right thing" separate from being over protective. It's pretty text book for me, I didn't have protection from ridicule as a kid, now I'm over sensitive to myself and others sometimes. I like to get feedback from people so I can have a more balanced approach. I don't think I would ever tried to finish a word for someone, but it is a (probably natural) urge that has come up. I imagine it would feel demeaning but I just wanted to ask and threw out some examples just to see what people would say. Thanks again for the reply! Edited because I copy and pasted from somewhere else and destroyed my formatting.