What is a defining feature of fluency disorders?

A defining feature of fluency disorders is an interruption in the flow of speaking. This interruption can manifest in various forms, such as repetitions, prolongations, or blocks, which disrupt the natural cadence of speech. Individuals with fluency disorders, such as stuttering, often experience difficulty in producing fluent, effortless speech, leading to noticeable breaks or disruptions that can impact communication and increase anxiety in social situations.

The other options, while they refer to aspects of speech or communication, do not capture the essence of fluency disorders. Uninterrupted fluency is the opposite of what characterizes these disorders. Pauses that align with syntactic expectations are typical in fluent speech and are not indicative of a fluency disorder. Increased repetition and rhythm could describe a component of certain speech patterns, but they do not encompass the broader interruption aspect central to fluency disorders.