The old man choked up several times as he brought up the past.
Tips
mistakes
The second character has three readings: yān for the throat, as in 咽喉; yàn for swallowing, as in 吞咽; and the yè used here, which turns up in almost nothing else except 呜咽.
usage
It names the catch in the throat, not the tears, so someone can 哽咽 without crying at all. It is often adverbial with 着: 哽咽着说, to speak through a choked voice. Written register, common in reporting.
