# Real Speech Impediment (Not stutter)



## Withers (11 Sep 2011)

Hey guys, I've been thinking of joining the Forces for a long time now. I am 19 years old, work at Canadian Tire and really want to be SOMEBODY in life. I have always been physically fit, active, and get along with all kinds of people. When I came across the military through research and what not, I couldn't wait to enlist. It's literally all I've wanted to do. BUT, there's one problem with me. I have a very thick speech impediment, and it is not a stammer, it's a speech impediment where I cannot pronounce the letter "R". It really sucks, because i wanna join very badly, but my communication skills for radio would be useless IMO. I emailed forces.ca and got this back:

Good day,

 Thank you for your interest in the Canadian Forces (CF).

 During the application process, our recruiting medical personnel will assess your medical situation. A complete medical examination is necessary when assessing medical fitness for the CF. This is also important when restrictions may limit the career choices being considered.

 If you have specific medical questions you should contact the recruiting centre nearest you and ask to speak with a member of the medical staff directly.

Anyone have this speech impediment, OR seen anyone in the army with it?


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## Rabbit233224 (11 Sep 2011)

Hey man i'm not the best person to answer such a question so quite frankly I won't but I did notice how they have a very general answer but however I would suggest as they say and go down to the recruiting centre the guys and ladies are always extremely helpful in my experience ( just having gone through the whole application process myself)  and I tend to ask lots haha but to stop me from rambling on forever I wish you luck and if you need anything hit me up I may know the answer and if i don't i can find out you'll also find every one on this site is very helpful and the collective knowledge here is very high and it's likely some one will know and be able to help you find your answer


Rabbit


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## medicineman (11 Sep 2011)

Dude,

I've met alot of folks over the years that sound like they have a mouth full of marbles or have a tongue tie - I wouldn't fret over it.  Hell, I had a brigade commander that had a horrible stammer - took him almost an hour to get out something most of us would take 15 minutes to say, and he was an infantry officer. 

Cheers.

MM


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## SeaKingTacco (11 Sep 2011)

medicineman said:
			
		

> Dude,
> 
> I've met alot of folks over the years that sound like they have a mouth full of marbles or have a tongue tie - I wouldn't fret over it.  Hell, I had a brigade commander that had a horrible stammer - took him almost an hour to get out something most of us would take 15 minutes to say, and he was an infantry officer.
> 
> ...



Yeah, but he was a special case  >


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## medicineman (11 Sep 2011)

Special like the cereal...ooops, that might have been slander.  Oh well  ;D.

MM


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## Withers (11 Sep 2011)

medicineman said:
			
		

> Dude,
> 
> I've met alot of folks over the years that sound like they have a mouth full of marbles or have a tongue tie - I wouldn't fret over it.  Hell, I had a brigade commander that had a horrible stammer - took him almost an hour to get out something most of us would take 15 minutes to say, and he was an infantry officer.
> 
> ...




Really? Well this makes me feel 10x better. Like when I talk if I hide about not saying R they would think i didnt have any speech problems. But obviously it will come up, i just hope they dont make a huge deal about it. thank you for the responses guys!


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## Withers (11 Sep 2011)

any other experiences or stories?


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## ouyin2000 (11 Sep 2011)

I'd suggest you go in and talk to the recruiters/medical officer and see if they think it may limit your job choices.

Other than that, there should be no problem.

I work with a guy that has a pretty bad stutter. It takes him about 4 or 5 tries to get something out. And to top it off, he's hardcore french and doesn't know very much english at all, so that just makes it harder on him. He's a great guy other than that.


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## Sigger (12 Sep 2011)

I know of that impediment. 

I doubt you will have any issues what so ever.
I was on my QL3 Signal Operator course with a guy who sounded like he did not have a tongue. He still passed..

Best thing to do is go through all the motions of applying. Follow your heart. Or you will regret it. Forever.


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## Withers (12 Sep 2011)

This is really helping me gain confidence guys, I'm so glad I found this site. Thank you. Now the next step is telling my parents I am enlisting, especially my mom haha. I will try tonight, but it will be awkward as hell lol. Also, I live in Alliston which is 15 minutes away from Base Borden. Anyone in there I could talk to aboutv recruiting?


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## jmusic88 (12 Sep 2011)

Hey,

I don't really want to sound mean but are you saying that stuttering is not a "real" speech impediment?
And just by the sound of your 'speech impediment', it sounds like a type of a lisp which isn't bad whatsoever. If you can talk normally as you say with avoiding words with "r", then its barely a speech impediment.. if anything its a mild mild speech impediment.

What do you mean when you say you can't pronounce the word R by the way? If you try to say the word "Robot", do you say "Wobot" or something like that? Just curious actually... to me its sounds like  a type of lisp, which is better than some other conditions... 

And PS. don't ever think that you can't do something because you have some sort of speech impediment.. be what you want, and be your full potential. Don't even limit yourself because you are scared of what other people think or will tell you.. and if people don't like yourself for whatever reason so then **** them.. just remember do what you want and whatever speech impediment you got, it is NOT a disability. just a small bump on the road that is easily to go around it.



			
				Withers said:
			
		

> Hey guys, I've been thinking of joining the Forces for a long time now. I am 19 years old, work at Canadian Tire and really want to be SOMEBODY in life. I have always been physically fit, active, and get along with all kinds of people. When I came across the military through research and what not, I couldn't wait to enlist. It's literally all I've wanted to do. BUT, there's one problem with me. I have a very thick speech impediment, and it is not a stammer, it's a speech impediment where I cannot pronounce the letter "R". It really sucks, because i wanna join very badly, but my communication skills for radio would be useless IMO. I emailed forces.ca and got this back:
> 
> Good day,
> 
> ...


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## dimsum (12 Sep 2011)

On radio half the time, you can barely make out what people are saying anyway unless they spell it out.  That's what the phonetic alphabet is for   ;D


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## Withers (12 Sep 2011)

jmusic88 said:
			
		

> Hey,
> 
> I don't really want to sound mean but are you saying that stuttering is not a "real" speech impediment?
> And just by the sound of your 'speech impediment', it sounds like a type of a lisp which isn't bad whatsoever. If you can talk normally as you say with avoiding words with "r", then its barely a speech impediment.. if anything its a mild mild speech impediment.
> ...



No, sorry I didn't mean to make it sound like stuttering is not a real speech impediment. And yes, basically if I say Robot it sounds like Wobot. But some words with R not in the beginning just sound totally different. If I say R it sounds like I kinda. I'm so depressed right now. I told my mom i wanna join the military and basically she doesn't think it's a good idea. Said "why would you want to do that" and that they have a rough life. uhhhhg


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## ballz (13 Sep 2011)

Withers said:
			
		

> I'm so depressed right now. I told my mom i wanna join the military and basically she doesn't think it's a good idea. Said "why would you want to do that" and that they have a rough life. uhhhhg



Don't take it the wrong way, but if you're going to join the military, or be "SOMEBODY" in general like you aspire, it's time to be your own man. Your mom doesn't have to think it's a good idea, you do.

As for the speech impediment, your fears remind me of this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggbBg_UV86g
It's really all about your attitude.


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## jmusic88 (13 Sep 2011)

Ah... trust me it doesn't sound so bad man... I first gotta say that any speech impediment is not a problem, disease, sickness, or anything.... I have heard of stories with people with a VERY SEVERE speed impediment becoming lawyers, professors and basically professions that you have to use your mouth for living (stories of friends or friends. not "I heard")..

Now.. what I think.. is that you should do what YOU want to do with your life... I don't know the exact reasons why she is saying that.. but people in the military do not have a rough life at all (I don't know that for a FACT, but from talking to retired individuals.. they dont). especially in Canada. I got an advice from a just retired NCO and he said he loved it, every second of it. He loved the traveling, loved meeting people and now he is loving the pension.

Now if your mom is saying that because if your "speech impediment" and I hope not.. but either way if anybody is saying that, then honestly they don't know what they are talking about.. Your situation doesn't sound bad at all, but nonetheless you are healthy and this little problem doesn't limit you AT ALL. Never let people give you negative vibes, avoid that crap.. Always live up to your challanges, if you WANT IT and you CAN do it.. then DO it.. don't let people decide what you can or can not do. If you want it and you know you can do it, just go for it so you won't regret it in the future!

My advice.. if you want it, go for it. 



			
				Withers said:
			
		

> No, sorry I didn't mean to make it sound like stuttering is not a real speech impediment. And yes, basically if I say Robot it sounds like Wobot. But some words with R not in the beginning just sound totally different. If I say R it sounds like I kinda. I'm so depressed right now. I told my mom i wanna join the military and basically she doesn't think it's a good idea. Said "why would you want to do that" and that they have a rough life. uhhhhg


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## Withers (13 Sep 2011)

Thank you so much guys. It's just little things that get to me. This is gonna sound stupid, but will my instructors get frusterated at me if they cant understand me? It's not a normal R speech impediment, if its a word like "rob" people will not understand. I'm not trying to keep this thread dragging on. but its a fact. someone asked me what a persons name was, i said it 3 times. and i had to resort to a last name and finally the understood. it just really sucks that this little thing messes with me so bad. sorry for rambling, i never do this i just wanna be a member so bad. little things like calling out my own name in front of other recruits is embarrassing and scary as hell for someone with an impediment like mine. the guy wont understand, and ill be sitting there looking like an idiot. sorry for all this again guys.


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## aesop081 (13 Sep 2011)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> On radio half the time, you can barely make out what people are saying anyway unless they spell it out.



Newbie.


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## ballz (13 Sep 2011)

Withers said:
			
		

> This is gonna sound stupid, but will my instructors get frusterated at me if they cant understand me?



Your instructors will be professionals, plus they will have lots of other stuff to "get frustrated at you" for, they won't need to use your speech impediment as an excuse to yell. 



			
				Withers said:
			
		

> It's not a normal R speech impediment, if its a word like "rob" people will not understand. I'm not trying to keep this thread dragging on. but its a fact. someone asked me what a persons name was, i said it 3 times. and i had to resort to a last name and finally the understood. it just really sucks that this little thing messes with me so bad. sorry for rambling, i never do this i just wanna be a member so bad. little things like calling out my own name in front of other recruits is embarrassing and scary as hell for someone with an impediment like mine. the guy wont understand, and ill be sitting there looking like an idiot. sorry for all this again guys.



Your coursemates won't care that you have a speech impediment as long as you can pull your own weight and work hard and are a good team player. There will be people screwing things up that cause them a lot more grief than you screwing up the pronounciation of the letter "R," and they (and you) will be more focussed on that stuff. They'll become your family, and you'll probably feel less embarrassed around them about it than you ever have around anybody else...


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## aesop081 (13 Sep 2011)

Withers said:
			
		

> little things like calling out my own name in front of other recruits is embarrassing and scary as hell for someone with an impediment like mine.



You're gonna have to get over it and get over it fast.


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## Withers (13 Sep 2011)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> You're gonna have to get over it and get over it fast.



i understand that i just dont know whats going to happen when they suddenly find out i cant even pronounce my own name.


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## aesop081 (13 Sep 2011)

There will be time where you will be asked what your name is and you will not know, nevermind how to say it properly.


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## Withers (13 Sep 2011)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> There will be time where you will be asked what your name is and you will not know, nevermind how to say it properly.



not sure exactly what you mean by that, but i think i need to just suck it up. ultimately, the staff is trying to help me, so they won't pick on me or make a deal out of my speech.


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## Journeyman (13 Sep 2011)

If you're the Marching NCO and need to give a "*R*ight turn," just give three "Left turns" and you'll be fine.


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## aesop081 (13 Sep 2011)

Withers said:
			
		

> not sure exactly what you mean by that,



That you will have much bigger things to worry about than what anyone might say about your speech patterns.


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## Sigger (13 Sep 2011)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> There will be time where you will be asked what your name is and you will not know, nevermind how to say it properly.


Ha ha! So true!



			
				Withers said:
			
		

> i understand that i just dont know whats going to happen when they suddenly find out i cant even pronounce my own name.


You will likely have a newfie on your crs who can not pronounce ANYTHING, let alone his own name.. Seriously, stop fretting. 





			
				Withers said:
			
		

> ... but i think i need to just suck it up. ultimately, the staff is trying to help me, so they won't pick on me or make a deal out of my speech.


 Finally..


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## Withers (13 Sep 2011)

still having mixed thoughts but i for sure want to enlist.


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## Maxadia (14 Sep 2011)

Withers said:
			
		

> still having mixed thoughts but i for sure want to enlist.



Trust me, you won't be having second thoughts 20 years from now if you don't enlist.  The only recurring thoughts you will have?

- Could I have done it?
- Why didn't I just do it?
- Why didn't I at least try it?

etc. etc. etc.

YOU want to do it, so YOU make the choice.

Now....as for your speech impediment.  If you're really concerned  about it, possibly book a consultation with a speech therapist.  You might be like my youngest daughter.....you know what word you are trying to say, you know what it should sound like, but your brain tells the wrong muscles to move to make that sound.  Know what that means?  Retraining....practicing exercises and retraining your body to do what YOU want it to do.  Perhaps your parents might even have some kind of medical benefits through work that you might be able to access for this.

Regardless....you'll be able to do this.  Trust us....speech will not be your weakness.

Here's some inspiration for you:

http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Entertainment/20021003/james_earl_jones_021003/

You'd never know otherwise unless someone told you this about him.  Good luck.


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## Withers (14 Sep 2011)

thank you for the reply. i dont think speech therapy will help, i wonder if it would, though? when i was little i was tongue tied, and they basically had to snip a bit of my tongue off. im no doctor, but do you think that could contribute to the speech impediment? i also took school speech sessions in public school.


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## X Royal (15 Sep 2011)

Sigger said:
			
		

> You will likely have a newfie on your crs who can not pronounce ANYTHING, let alone his own name..


Come on now.  
Once you understand that "H" is a silent  letter things are much easier to understand.


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## Sigger (15 Sep 2011)

;D


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