Which word means to move or speak in an unsteady manner?

• A. Falter
• B. Waver
• C. Stumble
• D. Totter

Answer: (A)

Falter means to lose strength or momentum and, in speech, to speak hesitantly or with a wavering voice. This makes it the best fit for “move or speak in an unsteady manner” because it explicitly covers both kinds of unsteadiness. If someone walks and slows or hesitates, you’d say they falter; if they’re trying to speak and their voice wavers or they hesitate, they also falter.

Waver centers on indecision or swaying back and forth without a strong sense of physical unsteadiness or speech, totter focuses on unsteady movement (often balance) but doesn’t imply speaking, and stumble emphasizes a physical trip (though it can describe speaking as “stumble over words,” it isn’t as encompassing for both movement and speech). Thus falter is the most natural choice for both ideas.