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20+ English Filler Words

“English is like, totally fun to learn, you know?”

Take out the words “like,” “totally” and “you know,” and you’re left with a perfectly understandable sentence: English is fun to learn .

The words we removed are called filler words.  These are words (and phrases) that are used to fill silence when you’re speaking, often to give you time to think.

Filler words don’t really add any meaning to the sentence. For example, when you can’t think of a word, you might say “umm.”

Native speakers use filler words often in casual English conversations . So here are 20+ English filler words to help you sound natural and more like a native speaker .

2. Um / Er / Uh

5. actually, 6. basically, 7. seriously, 8. literally, 10. clearly, 11. you see, 12. you know, 14. you know what i mean, 15. at the end of the day, 16. believe me, 17. i guess / i suppose, 18. or something, 19. okay / so, 20. right / mhm / uh huh, when are filler words used in english, use filler words in moderation, and one more thing....

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“Well” can be used in a few different ways. You can use it to show that you’re thinking”

“ Well , I guess $20 is a good price for a pair of jeans.”

You can also use it to put a pause in a sentence:

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“The apples and cinnamon go together like, well , apples and cinnamon.”

You can even use the word to stall (delay):

“ Well … fine, you can borrow my car.”

“Um,” “er” and “uh” are mostly used for hesitation, such as when you don’t know the answer or don’t want to answer.

“ Um , er , I uh thought the project was due tomorrow, not today.”

You can use any of the words at any time—they don’t all have to go together.

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“ Umm … I like the yellow dress better!”

“Hmm” is a thoughtful sound, and it shows that you’re thinking or trying to decide something.

“ Hmm , I like the red bag but I think I’ll buy the black one instead.”

“Like” is sometimes used to mean that something is not exact:

“My neighbor has like ten dogs.”

In the above example, the neighbor probably doesn’t have exactly ten dogs. Rather, the neighbor has a lot of dogs.

Usually, though, the word is used when you need a moment to figure out the next word to use.

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“My friend was like , completely ready to like kick me out of the car if I didn’t stop using the word ‘like’ .”

Keep in mind that the word “like” as a filler is seen as a negative thing. The word is often overused by young females, and can make you sound like you’re not sure what you’re talking about.

“Actually” is an adverb—a word that describes an action. Many English adverbs (though not all of them) have an “-ly” at the end of the word, which makes it easier to recognize them.

Some adverbs can be used as fillers to change the strength of a statement.

For example, the word “actually” is used to point out something you think is true, when others might not agree:

“ Actually , pugs  are really cute!”

“Basically” is also an adverb. It is used when you’re summarizing something, like a movie you saw:

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“ Basically , the last Batman movie was really exciting!”

The adverb “seriously” is used to show how strongly you take the statement.

“Wow… That roller coaster was seriously scary!”

“Literally” is another adverb. It really means “something that is true,” but many times in conversation it’s used with a different meaning: to express strong feelings.

These strong feelings aren’t always literal, though. For example:

“That’s so funny! I’m literally dying of laughter right now!”

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Our next adverb is “totally,” which means “completely.” It is used to show that you feel strongly about something or that something is important.

“You totally didn’t see me, even though I was right in front of you.”

The adverb “clearly” means the same as “obviously.” As a filler word, it is used to state something that is very obviously true.

“ Clearly you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You see” is used to share a fact that you assume the listener doesn’t know, like:

“I was going to try the app, but you see , I ran out of space on my phone.”

“You know” is used to share something that you assume the listener already knows.

“We stayed at that hotel, you know , the one down the street from Times Square.”

It can also be used instead of an explanation, in cases where we feel the listener just understands what we mean.

“When the elevator went down, I got that weird feeling in my ears, you know? ”

“I mean” is used to clarify or emphasize how you feel about something:

“ I mean , he’s a great guy, I’m just not sure if he’s a good doctor.”

It’s also used to make corrections when you misspeak:

“The duck and the tiger were awesome but scary. I mean , the tiger was scary, not the duck.”

“The cave is two thousand— I mean —twenty thousand years old!”

“You know what I mean?” is used to make sure the listener is following what you’re saying.

“I really like that girl, you know what I mean? ”

“At the end of the day” is a phrase that means “in the end” or “in conclusion.”

“ At the end of the day , we’re all just humans, and we all make mistakes.”

“Believe me” is a way of asking your listener to trust what you’re saying.

“ Believe me , I didn’t want this tiny house, but it was the only one I could afford.”

It’s also used to emphasize what you’re about to say, as in:

“ Believe me , this is the cheapest, tiniest house ever!”

“I guess” and “I suppose” are used to show that you’re hesitant, or not really sure about what you’re saying.

“I was going to eat dinner at home, but I guess I can go eat at a restaurant instead.”

“I guess” is used more often in speech, but “I suppose” can sound classier (a bit smarter).

“Or something” is a sentence ending that means you’re not being exact.

“The cake uses two sticks of butter and ten eggs, or something like that.”

“Okay” and “so” are usually used to start sentences, and can be a sign that a new topic is starting:

“ So what are you doing next weekend?”

They can also be used to introduce a summary:

“ Okay , so we’re going to need to buy supplies for our trip this weekend.”

“Right” and “uh huh” are affirmative responses—they both mean “yes.”

“ Right , so let’s prepare a list of all the things we’ll need.”

“ Mhm —I heard you.”

“ Uh huh , that’s exactly what he told me too.”

You only need to use filler words when you’re speaking out loud. Generally, you won’t use fillers when you’re writing. When you’re speaking out loud, though, you might need some extra time to figure out what to say. That’s when you can use filler words.

Sometimes people use certain filler words (“like,” “literally” or “believe me”) when they’re writing online in website comments, chats or social media. This is fine too, since conversations online are very similar to spoken conversations.

Filler words are used for a number of reasons:

For example: “It was a really big bear, you know ?”

Like with anything else, you can use filler words too much.

Overusing filler words (using too many, too often) can make it difficult to follow your sentences. They can also make you sound unprofessional—for example, don’t use a lot of filler words during job interviews or presentations.

But even native English speakers use fillers quite often. Learning to use them correctly will help you speak more fluently and confidently, and make you sound more like an advanced English learner .

To get a deeper sense of how to use filler words, you should watch English videos to see how native speakers use them. In general, videos made for English speakers are helpful in showing “real” speech. You also get to see and hear how filler words work in different sentences and different situations.

Movies and TV shows are great examples of videos you can watch. If you have any favorite English shows, watch them again and this time, really pay attention to how the characters talk. See how many filler words you can hear!

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So, basically, do use filler words when you speak, but don’t use them too much!

Now you’re an expert on filler words, right? Well, some of these words and phrases can be hard to use correctly, since the meanings are so flexible.

Filler words can require a lot of subtlety, but master them and you will sound like a native speaker in literally no time.

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

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15 Common English Filler Words You Should Know

What are filler words? They're everywhere in spoken English. Learn not only what English filler words are but how to use them in English conversation.

Ariel Craine

Have you ever noticed someone saying So or You know? many times in one conversation? What about Um or Alright ? These phrases are everywhere in spoken English, but you probably won't find them in your textbook.

Fear not! After reading this article, you'll know not only what English filler words are but how (and why!) to use them.

Filler words are some of the most commonly spoken words in any language . Fluent English speakers say these sounds so often in casual conversation that most of the time we don't even realize we're using them!

Let me give you an example:

" Okay so have you, like , heard of the "Valley Girl" accent? Well , it's also known as Uptalk and basically , it's, um , this accent known for, uh , using tons of filler words. I mean, actually, um ...what are filler words?"

Alright, alright. I'll stop. A less extreme example would be something like:

" Oh ...I forgot where I was going. Um, I think I'll leave now!"

Do you see what I mean? Great! Let's learn about English filler words and how they function in a conversation.

What Are Filler Words?

As the name suggests, filler words are short sounds used when people need to "fill" in the gaps between thoughts or sentences. Sometimes, these words even add a little extra attitude or emphasis. They're also known as discourse markers .

There are pros and cons to using them—and we'll get to that in a second—but in informal situations, using common filler words can make you sound more natural. They keep up the pace of English conversation without being distracting.

You almost certainly have filler words in your own native tongue. What sort of filler words you use depends on the language and sometimes on your region or age.

Spanish speakers might say este or pues . Italians are infamous for their use of allora . Living in South Korea, you'd be hard-pressed to find a Korean speaker who doesn't use eum or keu .

Why Do We Use Fillers Words?

Most people don't realize this when they're using them, but filler words have different purposes. It's not only to fill up space!

We use filler words to:

• Hesitate or pause
• Indicate mood or tone
• Be indirect as a form of politeness
• Express doubt
• Emphasize ideas

That's a lot of potential meanings, right? With that, let's see some of the most popular English filler words!

Common Filler Words

"Oh" is one of the most common filler words in the English language. People of every age and dialect say it. Oh almost always begins a sentence and it might indicate subtle surprise or disappointment.

Example: "Oh...I didn't know."

Love it or hate it, like has become incredibly common with young English speakers. This filler word started in California and, despite being irritating to some, you should know people say like all the time in many different ways. People pause by saying like but we also use it to add emphasis. Another reason we say like is when we're quoting a conversation.

Examples: "It's, like , not a big deal." "He's never even, like , been to a concert." "I was like , why didn't you want to go?"

3. You know

Do you know how to use you know ? It can start, finish, or interject a sentence. Native speakers might start with you know while we collect our thoughts. We also say it to check for agreement. It's important to note fluent English speakers use this when we assume the other person shares the same knowledge or opinion as us.

Examples : " You know , I never thought this would happen." "The book was sort of boring, you know ?" "He was, you know , always late."

Sometimes English speakers might start sentences with I mean when we want to clarify our point. It also adds emphasis or functions as a pause while thinking of what to say next.

Example: " I mean , that would be amazing!" " I mean, don't you want to see her show?" " I mean ...you never know."

5. Or something

Want to express your doubt or hesitancy? English speakers add ...or something to the end of an idea when we're unsure. This has the added effect of "softening" up a sentence if we're worried about seeming too direct.

Example : "I heard it's about whales or something ."

Well, well, well...what have we here? Well in English can be an adverb ("It's going well!)" but it also functions as a filler word. Speakers add this to the beginning of a sentence to transition between ideas.

Example: "You're sure? Well , just let me know!"

Just is a great word to use to add emphasis or, somewhat contradictorily, hedge your argument. Just can also express hesitancy and make your point more indirect (which, in some situations, may be more polite!).

Examples : "Well, that's just great." "It's just a bird!" " Just ...I don't know what to say." "I just thought it would be fine."

8. Basically

It's basic! Speakers use basically when we're summarizing our ideas or emphasizing our most important point.

Examples : " Basically all I did was call her." "It's basically about this superhero."

9. Actually

Actually is great for when you're trying to emphasize the truth of something. Sometimes, we say it to contradict someone else.

Examples: "That actually happened to me!" " Actually , I'm not sure if that's true."

English learners probably know so because it's often an intensifying adverb ("That's so nice!"). However, so is also used as a coordinating conjunction at the beginning of a sentence. It's a filler word that, like basically , is meant to indicate consequence or to wrap-up an idea.

Examples: " So that's how I got here." " So what's next?"

Right means "correct" in English, but English speakers use it for more than just an adjective: it can start a sentence, change the topic or check for agreement.

Examples: " Right , I'll see you tomorrow." "You live next door, right ?"

Okay is an English loan word heard all over the world. It's an adjective and adverb ( "It's okay." or "It went okay." ) but we also use it as a filler word! Much like right , okay can start a sentence, change topics or be an affirmative. Native speakers also use it to check for understanding.

Examples: " Okay , are you here yet?" " Okay , let's talk about next week's class." "I know you're tired so let's leave, okay ?

13. Alright

Alright is the informal (and sometimes considered incorrect!) spelling of all right . Just as with right , fluent speakers use it to agree and to transition between ideas. It can also check if someone is safe or good. In spoken English, it's a bit more formal than okay but, again, this spelling shouldn't be used in formal writing.

Example: " Alright , that makes sense." "The kids are alright ."

Um is another incredibly common (if not the most common) English filler word. This is the kind of filler word that people say all the time but usually don't even realize we're using. You use um as a pause or hesitation in between ideas. English speakers also say it when we're expressing uncertainty.

Example: "That would go between the, um , couch and the TV."

Yeah is usually a term of agreement, but we also say it to confirm or check for understanding. Examples: " Yeah , I feel the same way." "You know where the burger place is, yeah ?"

When Should You Use Filler Words?

If you don't often practice conversations with a native English speaker, you might not realize how common these words are in spoken English. Because TV shows and movies are written and rehearsed, their dialogue will be stripped of most of these words--unless they're trying to mimic a certain accent. Likewise, podcasters and youtubers will often edit out these little noises to make their content sound smoother.

Filler words are often considered unprofessional because they can make you sound unsure or unprepared. Specific words, such as like are associated with teenage girls (need an example? See Cher from Clueless).

Just like with contractions , you want to avoid using them in formal situations.

A teacher at my high school would take off points from our grade every time we started our presentations with the word So . Maybe this goes without saying, but she took off a lot of points.

This isn't to say you should never use them. Filler words are actually very important because they can make a sentence more indirect, which can be more polite. They can also help you sound less robotic. As I said above, these words are so natural, it'll be difficult to find a native speaker who doesn't say Oh or Um sometimes.

Rather, it's important to know when and how to use these discourse markers. A casual dinner out with friends? Sure, say like as much as you like! A high-stakes board meeting with your boss's boss? Maybe stay away from the Ums and You know -s.

Understanding these words and what they usually mean can help you better read someone's mood or subtle meaning. Now you can tell when someone might be trying to check for agreement, hedge their opinion or express doubt!

Conclusion: What's Next?

We've learned some of the most popular English filler words. What do you think? Will you start using these in casual conversation? Even if you don't, the next time someone starts throwing out words like So or Actually , you can better guess their tone and intention.

Okay, so, it's basically that easy, right?

Right! So now that you know about filler words, you can keep learning about other ways English speakers speak informally . If you want to learn more ways to sound like a native speaker, you can read about the best techniques to improve your English communication skills !

Well, that's all. Oh, and good luck on your language learning journey!

Speechling is a nonprofit app and website that combines human coaching with technology to improve your foreign language speaking.

What Are Filler Words? (and What to Use Instead!)

Learn how to reduce your use of filler words. We’ll give you the tips and information needed to bring your speaking clarity and confidence to the next level.

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The following sentence will be unbearably hard to read. That’s, um, because there will be, like, a bunch of uh, you know, filler words in it, you know? While that sentence was extreme, almost all of us used some filler words while talking.

We lean on these little phrases and noises to fill in the awkward conversation gaps. But they can also make us sound nervous, unprofessional, and unconfident. 

If you’d like to know how to use fewer filler words and make your speaking clearer and more confident, read on! 

What Are Filler Words?

Filler words are words or phrases we insert into speech, often unconsciously, which don’t add meaning to the sentence, like “um” or “you see.” They’re often used during pauses or to buy time when we’re unsure what to say next. Filler words can take away from the credibility of a speaker.

Filler words are everywhere

A group of researchers observed hundreds of conversations in person and over the phone and found that about 4% of our words 1 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/221480420_Gender_in_everyday_speech_and_language_a_corpus-based_study are filler words. Given the average speaking rate 2 https://virtualspeech.com/blog/average-speaking-rate-words-per-minute , that maps out to roughly one filler word every 10 seconds.

How filler words impact your communication

While some filler words are unavoidable, using them too often can hurt your communication in the following ways.

• Undermine credibility : Excessive use of filler words can make a speaker appear less knowledgeable or confident. This can undermine their credibility, especially in formal or professional settings. 
• Impede clarity: Filler words can clutter speech and make it harder for listeners to understand the key points. This can make your speaking less effective and memorable.
• Perceived lack of preparation: If you’re giving a speech, your filler words may convey nervousness and give your audience the impression that you are unprepared or haven’t thought through their ideas, even if that’s not the case.
• Decrease persuasiveness: In persuasive or motivational speaking, clear and concise language is crucial. Filler words can dilute the power of a speaker’s arguments and reduce their ability to influence others. A study of telemarketers 3 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291386326_First_Impressions_of_Telephone_Survey_Interviewers found that using filler words made them less effective at garnering survey participants. Even if you just want your friends to watch a movie with you, how you speak your perspective will make a difference.

Here’s a youtube clip where every “uh” and “um” from an 11-minute speech by Clint Eastwood is jam edited into a 1-minute filler word montage. While it’s obviously extreme, it does get the point across of how uncomfortable it can feel to hear other people using filler words.

The Most Common Filler Words

Here’s a list of the most common filler words and sounds. However, you might use filler words that aren’t on this list. Different regional slang can give rise to different filler words (think “eh” in Canada or “dude” on the West Coast of the US). Even friend groups can develop their own filler word slang.

These are probably the most common filler words. They are often used when the speaker is thinking or deciding what to say next.

Example: “I was thinking about going to eat, um, maybe Korean food. What do you think?”

Similar to “um” and “uh,” “er” is a sound people make when they are thinking about what to say next, expressing hesitation, or attempting to hold the listener’s attention during a pause in speech.

Example: “I’m, er, not quite sure how to proceed.”

“Like” Is often used when someone is making comparisons or trying to explain something but struggling to find the right words.

Example: “Well, it’s, like, way harder than I thought.” 

This is used to assert authority or make a point seem more important, but it’s often used excessively and unnecessarily. 

Example: “Did you know that it’s actually a full moon tonight?”

This is used when the speaker is trying to relate to the other person, confirm their understanding, or search for a word, but it can be overused and become disruptive to the message.

Example: “It’s not about fame or, you know, fortune. It’s about enjoying the ride.”

This is used when a speaker is considering their next point, to disagree politely, or to introduce a sentence, but it can be redundant or signal uncertainty when overused.

Example: When asked how the project was going, she said, “Well, it could be going worse.”

This phrase is often used when the speaker is trying to clarify or elaborate on a point. It can become a filler phrase when it’s used too frequently and without adding any real clarity.

Example: “Beyond Beef is so good. I mean, it’s probably the best meat substitute.”

This phrase is used when the speaker wants to explain or demonstrate something, but it can become a filler phrase when it’s overused and does not lead to further clarification or demonstration.

Example: “You see, people want to express themselves; it’s a natural aspect of being human.”

Totally / Definitely

You can use words like “totally” to express agreement or encourage another person to find their thoughts. But if it goes too far, you might use it where it doesn’t make sense and bog down the conversation with the word, making you come off as overly agreeable.

Example: “I totally know what you mean.”

3 Quick Tips To Reduce Your Filler Words

If you’d like to cut down on your use of filler words, try out the following tips.

Identify your crutch words

Are you a “like” person or an “um” person? It’s difficult to know which filler words you rely on unless you record yourself or receive feedback. 

I used to host a podcast, and I remember the endless cringe I’d go through as I edited each episode and heard myself say “totally” over and over and over. I had no idea how aggressively I used that word until I listened to the episode recordings.

Want to clarify your crutch words? Here are three great ways to do just that.

• Record yourself for 3 minutes. Try reflecting on the prompt, “What is my relationship to my hobbies right now?” for three minutes. Once you finish, listen back to the recording, and notice which filler words you lean on. It might be interesting to count how often you use each word.
• Create a makeshift podcast episode. Ask a friend if they’d be interested in recording a podcast episode that will never be released. Put a ten-minute to hour-long conversation in the calendar with them, and when the time comes, record the conversation over Zoom. Filler words aside, you might find this activity interesting because it will give extra energy to your conversation. But you can also scan back through the recording to notice which filler words you rely on.
• Go to Toastmasters. Toastmasters is an international organization for folks who want to practice public speaking. There are multiple chapters in every city. If you attend a Toastmasters, you can give either a written or an impromptu speech, and someone at the event will record how often you use filler words in your speech.

Practice speaking mindfully

Once you’ve identified the main filler culprits in your speech, try one of these exercises to create new speaking habits. 

• Slow, mindful speech practice. Find a friend to help you with this one. Set a three-minute timer, and just share with your friend how your week has been. But here’s the kicker, try talking at 50% of your normal pace when you’re sharing and pause before you speak your following sentence. This way, you can practice biting your tongue when you feel tempted to say “well” or “you know.”
• Practice pausing in a voice memo. Record a three-minute voice memo either just for yourself or in a text message to a friend. You can try the 50% speed like above or go at full pace. But set a strong intention before replacing filler words with pauses. Pay special attention to the moments where you pause to think—let yourself sit in silence! If you need a prompt, try sharing what’s going well and what’s challenging in your career right now.

Find calm before a conversation

Many of us use filler words as an expression of our nervousness in a conversation. If you can find a way to get more calm and grounded in the conversation, you’ll be less likely to leak out filler words.

Here are two practices you can try for your next conversation

Box breathing. This is a simple tactic that Navy seals 4 https://www.forbes.com/sites/nomanazish/2019/05/30/how-to-de-stress-in-5-minutes-or-less-according-to-a-navy-seal/ use to find calm. Try it for a few minutes right before the next conversation you are nervous about.

• Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds. Imagine walking up the left side of a square.
• Hold your breath for 4 seconds. Image walking across the top of the square.
• Exhale for 4 seconds. Imagine walking down the right side of the square.
• Hold your breath for 4 seconds. Imagine walking across the bottom of the square.
• Repeat for a total of four repetitions.

Listen with slow breaths. When we are afraid, we naturally take quick and shallow breaths. But we can actively take long, slow breaths, which is linked to a myriad of respiratory and cardiovascular benefits 5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5709795/table/TB1/ , vagal nerve stimulation, and calmness. 

So here’s your action step: the next time you are in a conversation, make it your goal to breathe as slowly and deeply as possible when the other person is talking. You’ll likely forget mid-conversation, so you can set your phone to vibrate every 10 minutes as a reminder.

If you’d like more ideas on breathing exercises, check out this guide.

While nixing your filler words is a key part of communicating clearly, you might enjoy this free goodie if you want to take your conversational mastery to the next level.

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Why Do We Use Filler Words?

Sometimes, filler words happen due to nervousness or not knowing what to say. However, there are some not-so-well-known benefits of using them. Check out the reasons why we use them: Buy time while thinking

One of the most common reasons for using filler words is to give the speaker time to think. Often when someone is caught off guard in a conversation and needs time to get back on their feet and figure out what they’re going to say, they might drop a few “mums” until their thoughts are clear.

Fill uncomfortable silence

For many people, an awkward silence can generate anxiety that feels like it’s eating them from the inside out. When we feel this way, it’s natural to scramble to find filler words to plug into the silence void, hoping that with enough “mums,” we can find our way back into the conversation.

For most of us, speaking with filler words is simply a habit. “Likes” and “I mean” automatically fill the crevices of our verbal communication, especially if we spend time with others who also use filler words.

Holding the floor

Filler words are often used to indicate that the speaker hasn’t finished their point and isn’t ready to yield the floor to another speaker. These words help maintain the flow of the conversation and prevent others from interrupting. The thinking is something like: “I don’t yet have something else to say, but as long as noises are coming out of my mouth, it should indicate that I’m not done speaking quite yet.”

Softening statements

Filler words can also serve as linguistic cushions, softening the impact of what’s being said or helping to build rapport with the listener. If you’re sharing a hard conviction or a controversial opinion, words like “you know,” “I mean,” or “like” can make statements seem less abrupt or authoritative and more friendly or relatable, which can be especially useful in informal conversation.

Expressing uncertainty or hesitation

Sometimes, speakers use filler words like “um,” “uh,” or “well” to signal that they are uncertain or hesitant about what they are saying. It’s a non-verbal cue that they are in the process of formulating thoughts or making decisions. This can often happen during tense or difficult conversations as a way of dealing with their anxiety.

Facilitating a transition 

Filler words and phrases like “so,” “now,” or “anyway” are often used to facilitate a transition in thought or topic, helping to guide the listener through the speaker’s narrative.

When It’s Good to Use Filler Words

Filler words often get criticized in public speaking for undermining a speaker’s confidence and credibility. However, there is a place for them. Here are three good reasons to use filler words:

• To hold the floor in a fast-paced discussion. If you’re speaking with folks prone to interrupting, using filler words can signal that the speaking space is still yours.
• To break into a conversation. If you’re speaking with an endless rambler, a simple “um” can wedge yourself back into the conversation.
• When learning English. For folks learning English as a second language, learning filler words can be useful to make their speech sound more familiar to the listener.

Frequently Asked Questions About Filler Words

People use filler words to buy time while thinking about what to say next, to fill uncomfortable silences, and simply due to habit. They also use filler words to hold onto their speaking turn in a conversation or soften their statements, and often just as an unconscious expression of nervousness when they feel unconfident.

Some common examples of filler words include “um,” “uh,” “like,” “you know,” “so,” “actually,” and “totally.” However, the usage of filler words can vary regionally, with different areas or groups having their unique set of filler words or phrases.

Reducing the use of filler words in your speech starts with self-awareness. First, identify your go-to filler words by recording yourself and listening carefully. Then try to practice speaking in short time containers with slow pauses instead of filler words. Lastly, you can try calming techniques before a conversation to reduce your filler words that come from nervousness.

Filler words, in excess, can be considered unprofessional, especially in formal settings or during public speaking. They can undermine the speaker’s credibility, clutter speech, impede clarity, and decrease persuasiveness. They may also give an impression of a lack of preparation or uncertainty. However, the occasional use of filler words is natural and can help maintain conversational flow.

The best way to become more aware of your use of filler words is to record yourself speaking and then listen to the recording. You could also join a public speaking group like Toastmasters to help identify and monitor your use of filler words. Once you’ve identified your verbal crutches, you can work on strategies to reduce their frequency in your speech.

Using filler words can help maintain the flow of conversation. They can act as verbal signals that you’re not yet ready to yield to the speaking floor, preventing interruptions and ensuring the continuity of your speech. Especially in informal conversations or fast-paced discussions, filler words can help manage the exchange of speaking turns, ensuring the conversation doesn’t become disjointed or disrupted.

Changing Your Habits Around Filler Words

The use of filler words is a habit that you can reprogram.

First, identify which filler words you rely on. You can do this by:

• Recording yourself for 3 minutes speaking stream of consciousness, and listen to your recording.
• Create a makeshift podcast episode with a friend, where you record your entire conversation. Scan through to see which words and sounds you lean on.
• Go to Toastmasters, where you can give speeches and receive feedback from others on which filler words you use.

Once you’ve clarified your filler words, practice:

• Slow, mindful speech where you speak to a friend for three minutes straight, speaking at 50% speed without filler words .
• Filler-free voice memos where you record yourself speaking for a few minutes with the explicit intention of using zero filler words.

And sometimes, we use excessive filler words when we are nervous. So if you are about to enter into a conversation that is making you nervous, try:

• Box breathing right before the conversation to calm down. 
• Listen with slow breaths. While the other person is speaking, breathe as slowly as possible, using a vibrating alarm to remind you every few minutes.

Hopefully, this article will help you on your journey toward becoming an even more confident and clear communicator! And if you want to go deeper into practicing public speaking skills, you might enjoy this post that breaks down the most effective apps to help train the skillset.

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Filler Words: What Are They and Should You Use Them?

By: Author ESLBUZZ

Posted on Last updated: August 31, 2023

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Filler words are words or phrases that we use to fill the pauses or gaps in our speech or writing. They are often used subconsciously and can be distracting for the reader or listener. In this article, we will explore what filler words are, why they are used, and how to avoid them in your writing and speech.

Filler Words – Image

Understanding Filler Words

Definition of filler words.

Filler words are words or phrases that are used to fill pauses in conversation or writing. They are often used when the speaker or writer is searching for the right words or needs extra time to think. Some common filler words include “um,” “uh,” “like,” “you know,” “well,” and “so.”

Common Filler Words

Here are some common filler words and phrases, along with their meanings:

Filler Sounds vs. Filler Words

Filler sounds are sounds that are used to fill pauses in conversation or writing. They are often used when the speaker or writer is searching for the right words or needs extra time to think. Some common filler sounds include “um,” “uh,” “ah,” and “erm.”

Filler words, on the other hand, are actual words or phrases that are used to fill pauses in conversation or writing. They can be used for the same reasons as filler sounds, but they are more specific in their meaning and usage.

Role of Filler Words in English Conversation

Filler words in native speaker conversation.

Native speakers of English use filler words in their conversation to help them think, to signal hesitation or uncertainty, to emphasize a point, or simply to fill a pause. Some common filler words used by native speakers include:

For example, a native speaker might say, “Well, I guess we could go to the movies tonight, but I’m not sure what’s playing,” or “I mean, I don’t really like spicy food, so I’ll just have the mild curry.”

Filler Words in Non-Native Speaker Conversation

Non-native speakers of English may also use filler words in their conversation, but they may use them differently or less frequently than native speakers. They may rely more on repetition or incomplete words to fill gaps in their speech. Some common filler words used by non-native speakers include:

For example, a non-native speaker might say, “So, I think we should go to the restaurant, er, the one we went to last week,” or “Ah, I’m not sure if I can make it to the party, but I’ll try.”

Impact of Filler Words on Communication

Positive impact.

Filler words can have a positive impact on communication in the following ways:

• To signal a pause or hesitation: Filler words such as “um” and “ah” can signal to the listener that the speaker is taking a moment to collect their thoughts. This can be helpful in situations where the speaker needs to choose their words carefully, such as in a job interview or a presentation.
• To emphasize a point: Filler words can be used to emphasize a point and add emphasis to a sentence. For example, “I am so, so happy to be here today!” The use of “so” twice emphasizes the speaker’s enthusiasm.
• To show empathy: Filler words such as “like” and “you know” can be used to show empathy and understanding. For example, “I know what you mean, it’s like when I went through the same thing.”

Negative Impact

Filler words can also have a negative impact on communication in the following ways:

• To distract from the message: Filler words can distract from the message and make it harder for the listener to understand what the speaker is trying to say. For example, “Um, so, like, I was thinking that maybe we could, you know, go to the movies tonight?”
• To show nervousness or lack of confidence: Filler words can be a sign of nervousness or lack of confidence, which can make the speaker appear less credible. For example, “Um, I’m not sure, but I think that maybe the answer is…”
• To sound unprofessional: Filler words can make the speaker sound unprofessional and less articulate, which can be a problem in professional settings. For example, “Like, I don’t know, but I think that maybe we should, you know, try a different approach?”

Example Sentences:

• Positive impact: “I just wanted to say, um, thank you all for coming today. It means a lot to me.”
• Negative impact: “Like, I don’t know, but I think that maybe we should, you know, try a different approach?”

Recognizing Filler Words

Methods to learn filler words.

There are several methods you can use to learn filler words:

• Listen to native speakers: Pay attention to how native speakers use filler words in conversation. This can help you recognize them and learn how to use them appropriately.
• Watch TV shows and movies: Watching TV shows and movies in English can also help you recognize filler words. Pay attention to how characters use them in different situations.
• Read books and articles: Reading books and articles in English can help you recognize filler words in writing. This can also help you learn how to use them appropriately in your own writing.

Examples of Filler Words in Sentences

Here are some common filler words in English, along with examples of how they are used in sentences:

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some common filler words to avoid in writing?

When it comes to writing, filler words can make your writing seem unprofessional and can distract readers from your message. Some common filler words to avoid in writing include:

What are some examples of filler phrases in English?

Filler phrases are common in spoken English and can be used to give the speaker time to think or to fill a pause in conversation. Some examples of filler phrases in English include:

• “um, I’m not sure”
• “like, you know what I mean?”
• “well, I think that…”
• “actually, I have a question”
• “you know, I was thinking…”

How can I improve my vocabulary to reduce the use of filler words?

Expanding your vocabulary can help you reduce the use of filler words in both writing and speaking. One effective way to improve your vocabulary is to read widely and regularly. You can also use a dictionary or thesaurus to look up unfamiliar words and learn their meanings.

What are some effective ways to avoid using filler words when speaking?

To avoid using filler words when speaking, try to pause and take a breath instead. This will give you time to gather your thoughts and speak more clearly. You can also practice speaking more slowly and deliberately to reduce the use of filler words.

What are some common conversation fillers and how can I use them appropriately?

Common conversation fillers include words and phrases like “uh-huh,” “yeah,” and “okay.” These fillers can be used to show that you are listening and engaged in the conversation. However, it’s important to use them appropriately and not overuse them.

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• \"um, I'm not sure\"
• \"like, you know what I mean?\"
• \"well, I think that...\"
• \"actually, I have a question\"
• \"you know, I was thinking...\"

"}},{"@type":"Question","name":"How can I improve my vocabulary to reduce the use of filler words?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"

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Common conversation fillers include words and phrases like \"uh-huh,\" \"yeah,\" and \"okay.\" These fillers can be used to show that you are listening and engaged in the conversation. However, it's important to use them appropriately and not overuse them.

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To write more concisely and avoid filler sentences, try to focus on your main point and eliminate unnecessary words and phrases. Use active voice instead of passive voice, and vary your sentence structure to keep your writing interesting. It can also be helpful to have someone else read your writing and provide feedback on areas where you can improve.

In this article, we covered common filler words and phrases to avoid in both writing and speaking, as well as tips for improving your vocabulary and writing more concisely. By practicing these techniques, you can communicate more effectively and make a stronger impression on your readers and listeners.

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Definitions and Examples of Filler Words

• An Introduction to Punctuation

Examples and Observations

• Shirley's Use of Filler Words in Community

Safire on Hesitation Forms

Filler words across disciplines, syntax, morphology, and fillers.

• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

"A filler word is an apparently meaningless word, phrase, or sound that marks a pause or hesitation in speech . Also known as a pause filler or hesitation form .

Some of the common filler words in English are um, uh, er, ah, like, okay, right, and you know .

Although filler words "may have fairly minimal lexical content," notes linguist Barbara A. Fox, "they can play a strategic syntactic role in an unfolding utterance " (in Fillers, Pauses and Placeholders , 2010). What appears to be a filler word may also be a holophrase depending on the context.

"Hey, hey, shh, shh, shh. Come on. Be sensitive to the fact that other people are not comfortable talking about emotional disturbances. Um, you know, I am, I'm fine with that, but . . . other people." (Owen Wilson as Dignan in Bottle Rocket , 1996)

Shirley's Use of Filler Words in Community

Pierce: About those filler words of yours. I mean, nobody wants to buy brownies from somebody who says "um" and "like." I have a method for fixing that. Start from the top. Shirley: Okay. These brownies are, uh— Pierce: Uh! Shirley: They, um— Pierce: Um! Shirley: These brownies are delicious. They taste like— Pierce: Like! Shirley: That's not a filler word. Pierce: Whatever, valley girl. (Chevy Chase and Yvette Nicole Brown in "Environmental Science." Community , Nov. 19, 2009)

"Modern  linguists  led by Leonard Bloomfield in 1933 call these 'hesitation forms'—the sounds of stammering ( uh ), stuttering ( um, um ), throat-clearing ( ahem! ), stalling ( well, um, that is ), interjected when the speaker is groping for words or at a loss for the next thought.

"You know that y'know is among the most common of these hesitation forms. Its meaning is not the imperious 'you understand' or even the old interrogatory 'do you get it?' It is given as, and taken to be, merely a filler phrase, intended to fill a beat in the flow of sound, not unlike like , in its new sense of, like, a filler word . . .

[T]hese staples of modern filler communication— I mean, y'know, like— can also be used as 'tee-up words.' In olden times, pointer phrases or tee-up words were get this, would you believe? and are you ready? The function of these rib-nudging phrases was—are you ready?—to make the point, to focus the listener's attention on what was to follow. . . 

If the purpose is to tee up a point, we should accept y'know and its friends as a mildly annoying spoken punctuation , the articulated colon that signals 'focus on this.' . . . If the purpose is to grab a moment to think, we should allow ourselves to wonder: Why are filler phrases needed at all? What motivates the speaker to fill the moment of silence with any sound at all?" (William Safire, Watching My Language: Adventures in the Word Trade . Random House, 1997)

"Why do some people fill the air with non-words and sounds? For some, it is a sign of nervousness; they fear silence and experience speaker anxiety. Recent research at Columbia University suggests another reason. Columbia psychologists speculated that speakers fill pauses when searching for the next word. To investigate this idea, they counted the use of filler words used by lecturers in biology, chemistry, and mathematics, where the subject matter uses scientific definitions that limit the variety of word choices available to the speaker. They then compared the number of filler words used by teachers in English, art history, and philosophy, where the subject matter is less well-defined and more open to word choices. . . 

Twenty science lecturers used an average of 1.39 uh 's a minute, compared with 4.85 uh 's a minute by 13 humanities teachers. Their conclusion: subject matter and breadth of vocabulary may determine the use of filler words more than habit or anxiety. . . .

Whatever the reason, the cure for filler words is preparation. You reduce nervousness and pre-select the right ways to say ideas through preparation and practice." (Paul R. Timm and Sherron Bienvenu, Straight Talk: Oral Communication for Career Success . Routledge, 2011)

"Perhaps no profession has uttered more 'ums' or 'uhs' than the legal profession. Such words are a clear indication that the speaker's style is halting and uncertain. Eliminate these filler words. The lack of 'ums' and 'uhs' alone can make you sound more confident."

"And it's not hard to do. Just pause. Every time you feel that you're about to use a filler word, pause instead." (Joey Asher, Selling and Communication Skills for Lawyers . ALM Publishing, 2005)

"Perhaps because English and other western European languages tend to use fillers lacking morphology and syntax (preferring instead pause vowels), linguists have tended to ignore the significance of these forms for syntax. However, . . . we can see that some fillers, especially those known as placeholders, may carry a range of morphological marking, including prototypical nominal marking (gender, case, number) and prototypical verbal marking (person, number, TAM [tense-aspect-mood]). They may also take the morphology appropriate for adjectives and adverbs. In addition, they may occupy precisely the syntactic slot normally occupied by a regular noun or verb . . .." (Barbara A. Fox, Introduction. Fillers, Pauses and Placeholders , ed. by Nino Amiridze, Boyd H. Davis, and Margaret Maclagan, John Benjamins, 2010

• A List of Exclamations and Interjections in English
• Embolalia in Speech
• Conversation Openers and Fillers in Japanese
• Placeholders in Writing
• What Are Phonological Words?
• What Are Utterances in English (Speech)?
• What Is the Definition of Word?
• Filler Words and Vocal Pauses
• Pause (Speech and Writing)
• Foreigner Talk
• Talking Together: An Introduction to Conversation Analysis
• Intonation Definition and Examples in Speech
• The Punctuation Effect: Definition and Examples
• Definition and Examples of Speakers in Language Studies
• Substitution in English Grammar
• Alternation (Language)

To Cut or Not to Cut: Filler Words in Your Speech & Writing

Have you ever muttered something like “em” or “uh” while you paused to think of what to say next? We know you have. This article is about how those interjections detract from the quality of your speech or writing. In fact, they rob your listener or reader of their time. There are two main categories of interjections:

• Crutch words or gap fillers . We use these in our speech to avoid silence or to link different ideas. You’ll find better ways to reach these objectives below.
• Filler words . These are used in writing to make the text more fluent and coherent. They are often helpful, but when used in excess, they can clutter your piece of writing. Read on to learn the difference between the two.
• Top 13 Crutch Words
• Overcoming Crutch Words
• 48 Fillers You Should Drop

Bad & Better Examples

🗣️ crutch words that spoil your speech.

Everybody uses them, even Joe Biden . As a Vice President, he misused the word “literally.” Crutch words are more addictive than cigarettes. Unnecessary gap fillers can ruin your public speaking and business communication.

Top 13 Crutch Words & What They Say About You

• Honestly is used to emphasize your truthfulness. But why do you need it? This word indicates your self-doubt. Some people use it to hide a lie, so this crutch word generally makes your message less trustworthy.
• Actually is the most popular gap filler. It contains no information but tries (in vain) to intensify your statement. This word shows that you like to control everything and that you double-check every fact before believing it.
• Basically adds authority to a poorly conveyed statement. If this is your favorite crutch word, you prefer to make a long story short and summarize, emphasizing what matters the most. After talking for a long time, you sum up your message with this word. Basically, that’s it.
• Like is a meaningful word when used to compare two objects or people. But when used as a filler word, it sounds “teenagish.” If you often turn to this crutch word, you have the spirit of a child, and you like to be expressive.
• At the end of the day. In The English Language Laid Bare , Damp Squid says this is the most irritating phrase out of the two-billion words of the Oxford Corpus. Its synonym, “ultimately,” is also needlessly inserted in conversation. If this empty phrase is your favorite, you enjoy having a backstory even when there is nothing to add.
• Literally usually describes an action or fact that cannot be perceived literally. The speaker’s intention is to be understood in a strict sense. However, in most cases, this word is used with a symbolic statement or exaggeration. If you tend to say this filler word, you like to control how your listeners perceive your message.
• So is painfully close to “well.” When it does not indicate a cause-and-effect relationship, this word just steals your audience’s time. If this is your go-to word, you hesitate too much before starting anything new and take a lot of time to make a decision.
• Well . This crutch word shows that you don’t have much to say or struggle to express yourself. Most likely, public speaking is not one of your strengths. Unlike the other gap fillers, this one does not have an emotional component.
• Look invites the listener to see and understand your point of view. We mostly use it when we feel our listener is not paying attention or is opposed to what we are saying. It is an attempt to reach an agreement. If you use “look” often, you probably try to avoid conflicts and prefer to settle any issues peacefully.
• Awesome is similar to a “like” on Facebook. We answer with this single word to many things that are anything but awesome. If it is your common word, you keep your distance from people and try not to show your emotions. This crutch word often hides a lack of creative thinking.
• Really is equivalent to an extra exclamation point. When used sparingly, it draws the listener’s attention by making a pause in the intonation. If it is your favorite word, you enjoy irony and have a good sense of humor.
• Totally is very similar to “really,” but with a slight difference. Both intend to highlight your credibility (the result is quite the opposite) but “totally” underlines the superiority of your knowledge (not really).
• Great is a milder variant of “awesome.” It indicates your remoteness and lack of interest. Find a more original way to give praise or compliments.

Overcoming Crutch Words: Best Tips

Crutch words irritate listeners. Surprisingly, they irritate speakers as well, as soon as they start paying attention to them. But human communication is a complicated system with multiple factors, which makes it difficult to completely cut out these words. Still, here are four possible ways of reducing the number of times you rely on them.

What is the speed of thought? It takes 50 to 150 milliseconds for our brain to react to simple stimuli. When talking, we sometimes need to formulate our ideas in our mind before saying them. This “let me think” time is often filled with crutch words. If you slow down, you will have more time to come up with the right phrases. Listen to popular public speakers. They pause after each sentence. By the way, such pauses help the audience to analyze what has been said.

• Take a deep breath.

This is another way to slow down. When we speak, we exhale. Our body needs oxygen, so we need to inhale once in a while. Perceive commas and full stops as signs to breathe. Oxygen saturation influences our mental productivity and will help you think faster. With some practice, you can incorporate this method naturally without anyone noticing.

• Know what to say.

Have you noticed that the more nervous you get, the more crutch words you use? When our ideas are disorganized, we are ignorant of where our trail of thought will lead us. This confusion makes us stress out. Try instead to prepare a plan for your speech. That way, if you forget something and start getting nervous, you can review your plan and move to the next point. This strategy isn’t only useful for making your presentation structured; it is also a potent stress-reliever, and all public speakers use it.

Everything gets easier with practice. Many people are afraid of silence and try to avoid it using crutch words, but practice will make you more comfortable speaking. You can train at any public event. For example, you can congratulate someone during a special occasion by saying something more elaborate than just “Wishing you love and health.” Think about what else you can say, and avoid your usual crutch words.

We tend to use crutch words instead of saying, “let me think.” They give us a feeling of security, like a favorite teacup or slippers. The more we get nervous, the more often we employ crutch words. So is it worth it to eliminate them completely?

Our answer is no . Impeccable speech without gap fillers is lifeless and lacks rhythm. However, using these words wisely adds emphasis to specific points and emotionally influences the listener. They make us sound “natural” and relaxed. Plus, it might just be too hard to get rid of them completely.

✍️ Are Fillers Interest Killers? Filler Words in Writing

Fillers are not as harmful as crutch words. We control our writing more effectively than our speech because we can stop to think as long as we need. Still, you should omit some phrases to make your writing more engaging.

Some academic sources insist on using linking phrases, such as “moreover,” “however,” or even “having considered everything mentioned above.” Modern blogging and academia are moving away from this tradition and prefer the concept of concise writing. Fillers distract the reader from the main idea, often wasting their time.

Concise Writing: Why Does It Matter?

Post-modern society has witnessed a tendency to simplify everything it can. We are lost in a sea of unnecessary information. Research has found that we use only 37% of the information taught at school. Of course, there’s also the continuous flow of advertisement and social media updates that inundate us.

That is why information overload is the problem of the 21st century. Some years from now, scientists will probably find a way to decrease its effect, but for now we have only one option – to communicate more concisely. The definition of concise writing is simple: use as few words as possible to convey your message. You can check out a wide variety of free college essay samples in our database to see how a well-written paper without any fillers looks like. Below you will find some advice on how to slim down your word count.

48 Fillers You Should Drop to Write Concisely

If you intend to make your writing concise, avoid these words. We have grouped them into four categories for your convenience. In most cases, these English fillers are superfluous. Sometimes, however, fillers create a necessary rhythm or make the text sound “natural,” so you’ll need to review them on a case-by-case basis.

Redundant Words

Redundant words repeat the meaning of other words in the sentence. If it is possible to say the same thing in fewer words, always do so.

• Absolutely + necessary or essential:

Example: Love was absolutely essential to her happiness.

Revision : Love was essential for her happiness.

Example: The virus will be entirely eliminated.

Revision : The virus will be eliminated.

• Completely:

Example: He was completely sure the girl would say “yes.”

Revision : He was sure the girl would say “yes.”

Example: He could possibly become the next president.

Revision : He could become the next president.

• Brief + moment:

Example: For a brief moment, he remained speechless.

Revision : For a moment, he remained speechless.

• Ask + the question:

Example: I asked her a question about our plans.

Revision : I asked her about our plans.

• Actual + facts:

Example: The policeman submitted the actual facts about the case.

Revision : The policeman submitted the facts about the case.

• Accordingly:

Example: Accordingly, ask before making changes next time.

Revision : Ask before making changes next time.

• ATM machine: (The abbreviation “ATM” stands for “automated teller machine.”)

Example: The ATM machine is around the corner.

Revision : The ATM is around the corner.

Example: He entered in his childhood room.

Revision : He entered his childhood room.

• So or very:

Example: I was so glad to see him.

Revision : I was glad to see him.

• Still remains:

Example: The author still remains the most prominent figure of the 19th century.

Revision : The author remains the most prominent figure of the 19th century.

Nominalizations

Nominalization is when you use a noun instead of a verb or adjective. This practice usually slows the reader down. Since action words – like verbs – are more dynamic, you should try to avoid unnecessary nominalizations. Here are some examples:

• Definition:

Example: Her definition of self-care was getting enough sleep and eating well.

Revision : She defined self-care as getting enough sleep and eating well.

Example: The accuracy of our study was insufficient.

Revision : Our study was inaccurate.

• Description:

Example: Provide a description of the design you prefer.

Revision : Please describe the design you prefer.

• Had a discussion concerning:

Example: They had a discussion concerning the business perspectives.

Revision : They discussed the business perspectives.

• Had a conversation about:

Example: They had a conversation about their relationships.

Revision : They discussed their relationships.

• Have a need for:

Example: I have a need for a day off.

Revision : I need a day off.

• Increase in strength:

Example: Their love increased in strength.

Revision : Their love grew stronger.

• Is aware of:

Example: He was aware of her hatred.

Revision : He realized she hated him.

• Is in love with:

Example: They are in love with each other.

Revision : They love each other.

• Lack the ability to:

Example: I lack the ability to wake up early in the morning.

Revision : I cannot wake up early in the morning.

• Make a decision to:

Example: I couldn’t make a decision to end our communication.

Revision : I couldn’t decide to end our communication.

Example: His reaction offended me.

Revision : The way he reacted offended me.

Vague Words

Vague language is common in colloquial speech, but in writing, it looks unprofessional. Vague words lack solid definitions. Avoid the words below or replace them, following the instructions.

Example: About 100 visitors left reviews.

Revision : Approximately 100 visitors left reviews.

Example: It was almost time to leave.

Revision : They left a few minutes later.

Example: You need to get stronger.

Revision : You need to become stronger.

• Get out of:

Example: The building is on fire; get out of it.

Revision : You need to exit the building because it’s on fire.

• Individual:

Example: Any individual shall have a place of residence.

Revision : Any person shall have a place of residence.

Example: My initial thought was to leave.

Revision : At first, I thought to leave.

• You’re going to have to:

Example: You’re going to have to finish this at home.

Revision : You must finish this at home.

• Make available:

Example: Our service makes available multiple useful features.

Revision : Our service presents multiple useful features.

Example: We left the area.

Revision : We left the country.

Example: Planning is my least favorite aspect of traveling.

Revision : I like to travel, but I do not like to plan.

Example: The situation grew dangerous.

Revision : The uprising grew dangerous.

• Small, big, good, or bad:

Example: He was a good person.

Revision : He was a kind and caring person.

Empty Phrases

Empty phrases mean nothing in the literal sense. By the way, “in the literal sense” is also a meaningless phrase. These words distract the reader from your message and can sound colloquial. In many cases, you can do without them or replace them with a more meaningful construction.

All things being equal:

Example: All things being equal, we will earn twice as much next year.

Revision : If all goes well, we will earn twice as much next year.

• Due to the fact that:

Example: Due to the fact that he is a doctor, he minds his health.

Revision : Since he is a doctor, he minds his health.

• For all intents and purposes:

Example: For all intents and purposes, the protagonist will die in the end.

Revision : In the end, the protagonist will die.

• For the most part:

Example: For the most part, I like Chinese food.

Revision : I like Chinese food.

• For the purpose of:

Example: I go in for sport for the purpose of keeping in shape.

Revision : I go in for sport to keep in shape.

Example: Go ahead and kill that bug.

Revision : Kill that bug.

• Harder than it has to be:

Example: The woman made their relationship harder than it had to be.

Revision : The woman made their relationship harder than necessary.

• Here’s the thing:

Example: I’ll tell you the story. Here’s the thing.

Revision : I’ll tell you the story. Once upon a time…

• I feel/believe that:

Example: I believe that I am capable of doing it.

Revision : I am capable of doing it.

• I might add:

Example: He is handsome, I might add.

Revision : He is handsome.

• Integrate with each other:

Example: The devices must integrate with each other to function correctly.

Revision : The devices must integrate to function correctly.

• In terms of:

Example: His new position was perfect in terms of salary.

Revision : The salary was perfect in his new position.

Example #1: A Bad Cover Letter

In the follow-up to my job application, please kindly consider this cover letter.

First of all, I have been working as a teacher for multiple years. My initial experience started at the nursery school in the local area. However, I also tutored several classes in Junior School. Secondly, during the vacations, I arranged outdoor events for pupils who stayed at home and did not have a chance to travel. Thirdly, my passion to communicate with children is the definition of my work.

In terms of in-class atmosphere, I created a nurturing and friendly environment where all the children felt comfortable. In addition, I rigorously prepared the plans for each day, week, and term. Furthermore, I established strict rules of behavior in the classroom and outdoors and entirely ensured their observance.

I might add that I do my best for the purpose of comprehensive development of children and their successful integration into adult life. I possibly try to integrate contemporary teaching methods with each other to generate my own teaching style.

To conclude, I believe that my skills and knowledge are completely sufficient for the position of Junior School teacher. I feel that my experience will make a good contribution to the tutoring process.

Example #2: A Better Cover Letter

I have been working as a teacher for five years. My working experience started at Dallas Nursery School. I also tutored several classes in Junior School. During the vacations, I arranged outdoor events for pupils who stayed at home. My work is centered around my passion to communicate with children.

I created a nurturing and friendly environment where the children felt comfortable. I prepared specific plans for each day, week, and term. I established rules of behavior in the classroom and outdoors and ensured their strict observance.

I do my best to support the children’s comprehensive development and their successful integration into adult life. I try to incorporate contemporary teaching methods and generate my own personal teaching style.

My skills and knowledge make me a perfect fit for the position of Junior School teacher. My experience will tangibly contribute to the tutoring process.

In the above example, all the filler words were deleted to illustrate how informative and concise your writing can look without them. But you can still use them on occasion to sound natural and spontaneous. The principal criterion here is to write or say every word consciously. Excessive wordiness can hide the meaning you intend to convey. Besides, lengthy texts are read less attentively.

If you can say a phrase with fewer words, be sure to do so. Avoid filler and crutch words as much as possible. Please share your “favorite” words and phrases in the comments below. Which linguistic habit would you like to get rid of?

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Filler Words in English - What Are They and How Do You Use Them?

Published on, march 16, 2022, november 15, 2022, this article may contain affiliate links.

Is your goal to speak fluently with no hesitation? Perhaps that shouldn’t be your goal at all. This article shows how filler words can actually help you to express yourself more clearly.

Table of contents

Here is an example of a typical dialogue found in a school book for learning English:

Amelia: Hi, George. How are you? George: I’m fine, Amelia. And you? Amelia: I’m fine, too. Would you like to visit me tomorrow for lunch? George: Sure. I would like that very much. What time should I come? Amelia: Twelve o’clock. George: Great. I will see you tomorrow.

Look carefully at the dialogue. Can you see anything which is not natural?

In fact, there is much in the conversation which is not natural. Even in a short, simple conversation like this, people do not really speak smoothly and perfectly, word for word.

Here is a more realistic conversation:

Amelia: Hey, George. George: Hey, Amelia. What’s up? Amelia: Well… I don’t know. Actually, I was just thinking… how about if you come over for lunch tomorrow? George: Uh… yeah, sure. That’d be cool, I guess. Um…like what time? Amelia: I’m not sure. I guess… twelve o’clock? George: Twelve…uh…let me think…Sure, that works for me. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.

Can you see how the second conversation is different from the first? It’s a bit longer and it’s full of extra words and phrases. Sometimes, these phrases seem to have no linguistic purpose.

These words are called filler words .

Let’s see a list of filler words (and phrases) used in our short example:

• I don’t know
• I was just thinking
• Yeah, sure.
• That’d be cool
• I’m not sure
• Let me think…

We call them filler words because they fill in the natural spaces in our conversation. Like Sentence Starters , they are how natives actually speak in English

Why do people use filler words?

There are several reasons that people use filler words. Let’s examine some of them.

1 We use filler words to make a conversation friendlier

Filler words are a part of informal speech. Informal speech is seen as friendlier than formal speech. 

Let’s see an example:

Alexander: Fred, do you like hockey? Formal Fred: No, I do not like hockey.

Alexander: Charlie, do you like hockey? Chill Charlie: Um, well…not really, y’know?

Charlie’s answer, using filler words, sounds friendlier. On the other hand, this way of speaking would not be suitable in a formal situation, such as a job interview.

2 We use filler words to make a statement gentler

As a general rule in English, to be more indirect is to be more polite. Hence, we may wish to use filler words to make a harsh statement sound gentle.

George:  Veronica, would you like to go out to dinner with me sometime? Clarissa: Uh, well, I don’t know, George. I’m kinda busy at the moment. Sorry. George: I understand.

Did you notice that Clarissa used filler words to say ‘no’ to George without actually using the word ‘no’?

3 We use filler words to “buy time”

This is the most important reason that we use filler words. Studies show that we speak at around 120 words per minute, but we can think at 800 words per minute or more .

What does this mean for our speech? It means that if we can pause or hesitate even for a few seconds, it gives us the ‘bandwidth’ to think about what we are going to say next.

Just saying ‘uh…’ or ‘um…’ gives us time to carefully construct our next sentence. As such, it is a very important communication skill.

Is it good to use filler words?

First of all, everyone uses filler words in their native language. Whether good or bad, it is a natural part of communication.

Some people use ‘uh’ and ‘um’ too much, and it can certainly be annoying. Because of this, there are videos encouraging people to stop using filler words .

Filler words can also be considered lazy and even rude:

Dad: What did you learn at school today? Did you do history? Teen: Uh, yeah, something like that. Dad: [angry] Don’t answer me like that. Did you or did you not do history?

But remember, the main purpose of filler words is to give us time to think. This is an excellent skill for an English learner to have.

If we can avoid ‘lazy’ filler words, like ‘uh’ and ‘um’, and use more precise filler words, it will improve the way we speak and so filler words are certainly a good thing!

What are some filler words that can help you when you speak?

Let’s have a look at ten filler words and phrases that you can use right away:

‘So’ is a filler word that we can use to begin a conversation. When we approach a person and open with ‘so’, it shows that we are friendly and want to have a chat.

Example: So , Sandra, how was your weekend?

That’s a good question

Have you ever heard someone on TV say, “That’s a good question”?

Usually, what they mean is that they have been asked a difficult question and they need a filler sentence to “buy time” and think of an answer!

Perhaps you could use this phrase too:

Teacher: Billy, why haven’t you done your homework? Billy: That’s a good question ! Okay, it’s like this…

What I want to talk about next is…

This is an example of a filler phrase that we use in a presentation. After all, giving a presentation is hard - we have to talk and think at the same time!

Using filler words and phrases can help us to think about the next point we wish to make:

What I want to talk about next is… My next major point is … Now, I’m going to move on to my next topic…

Here is a filler word that we can use when giving explanations or instructions:

Joe: So, how do I connect to the printer from here? Brad: Okay, basically , you just need to click on FILE…

This is a great word to use when we wish to clarify something or disagree with a person. We can use it to avoid saying “you’re wrong”, which is too direct.

Frank: Everyone says that Jake is a real jerk. ( a jerk = a horrible person ) Harold: Actually , I think you’ll find that Jake is one of the sweetest people you’ll ever meet.

‘Well’ is a simple and straightforward way of showing that you are thinking about what to say next. It is a way of ‘buying time’ without using lazy-sounding words like ‘uh’ or ‘um’.

Paula: George texted to ask me out. Should I say yes? Jane: Well … it depends. I mean, do you really like him?

Note the three-in-a-row combo of filler phrases here: (1) well (2) it depends (3) I mean.

‘Okay’ is perhaps the world’s most popular word .

Just like ‘well’, we can use it to show that we are considering a response. One advantage is that you probably use this word in your own language, so it may feel more natural.

Paula: George texted me again. Look, he sent a heart emoji! Jane: Okay , so… just because he sent a cute message doesn’t mean you should go out with him.

We can use the word ‘right’ when another person is speaking at length. It shows that we are following the conversation even if we are not taking part.

Pete: You know how I got home late last night? Steve: Yeah. Pete: My wife was terribly angry with me. You know how women are. Steve: Right . Pete: Anyway, so, she picked up a frying pan…

‘Sure’ is another word that we can use to keep a conversation going without interrupting the speaker. Just like ‘right’, it has the advantage that it sounds positive.

Stan: So, Pete went home late and got into trouble with his wife. You know how he is. Dave: Sure . Stan: Anyway, it turns out that she hit him with a frying pan…

It’s easy to agree and it’s easy to disagree. But what if you only partly agree?

The filler phrases ‘I guess’ and ‘I guess so’ are useful for when we want to agree…reluctantly.

Boss: I’m afraid I have to cut your pay by 10%. But you won’t quit, right? You’ll still work here? George: I guess so .

Use good filler words. Don’t use bad filler words.

Well, so…, I guess that’s the end of our list of filler words.

My parting advice is simple: don’t use filler words that make you sound lazy or confused ( uh, um, something like that ). Instead use filler words that have a precise meaning and help you to communicate.

And now that we have learned a list of ‘good’ filler words, listen out for them when you hear people speaking English and try to use some of them yourself!

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What Are Filler Words? When You Should—And Shouldn’t—Avoid Them

• What Are Filler Words?
• Filler Words In Speech
• When To Use Them
• When And How To Avoid Them

You know, sometimes, like, we really really use some words too much, right? So, um, maybe we can, I don’t know, learn about filler words . Filler words definitely appear in, like, literally all of our sentences when we talk to our, you know, friends. So, I guess it is okay to, well, basically use filler words sometimes. … I mean, is it?

People often use filler words, many of which are featured above, without even thinking about it. A friendly conversation might even sound weird without a single “um” or a “well.” However, filler words have a bad reputation, and many people think they have no place in formal writing and speech. Why? Before we can answer that, we need to learn what filler words are and why people tend to use them so much.

Learn how filler words impact public speaking, and other dos and don’ts to follow.

What are filler words?

In general, the term filler words refers to short words or phrases that are used in speech or writing for reasons beyond what the words themselves mean, such as to create a pause or to indicate someone isn’t finished speaking. There are many other terms used to refer to these words and phrases, such as filled pauses , hesitation markers , discourse markers , vocal disfluencies , and crutch words . As these names might suggest, filler words are commonly used in public speaking, typically as associated with (or feared by) inexperienced speakers. (Read: most of us.) However, the term filler words is often used to also refer to popular overused adverbs , adjectives , phrases, and other parts of speech that don’t add anything (besides length) to a person’s writing.

Filler words in speech

Often, it is assumed that we only use filler words in speech due to nervousness, lack of eloquence, lack of preparation, or even laziness. However, filler words are a natural part of our speech and are widely used even by native speakers. Filler words have meaningful purposes, such as making a statement sound less impolitely blunt or to give a listener time to digest the information we have provided to them. Taking a more psychological approach, a listener might unconsciously use filler words to stall for time while they think of something to say or their brain processes what they heard.

Examples of filler words in speech

Here some examples of common filler words that sneak into our speech all of the time:

Here is an example of a sentence that is … filled with filler words:

• Well, I, um, was waiting at the, uh, bus stop for, like, literally five hours, right, before the bus came.

Example of filler words in writing

There are some filler words that are particularly common in writing. The following list gives a few examples, a couple of which you’ll recognize as being common in speech, too:

When to use filler words

In casual or informal speech and writing, the occasional use of filler words is common and sounds natural to most people. For many people, it would probably even sound odd to talk to someone who didn’t use any filler words at all. In fact, students are often taught filler words when learning a new language—not just English!—because using them will make someone sound more like a natural speaker.

But what about consciously choosing to use filler words? In speech, you might prefer to use a sentence with filler words as an alternative to awkward silences. Giving your sentences time to breathe with filler words will help a listener digest what you’re saying and give them time to think of their response. Younger people are more likely to use filler words, so a speaker may decide to use them to sound more relatable and connect better with a younger audience. In writing, filler words are often used to make dialogue sound more natural or to give an article a casual tone.

When and how to avoid filler words

In formal writing, speeches, and presentations, filler words are widely viewed as being completely unacceptable, unless used for rhetorical effect. There are many reasons for this, with some of the more commonly cited being that they make a speaker/writer sound unprepared, unprofessional, uninformed, or lacking in confidence.

It can be difficult to cut filler words from speech, especially since public speaking makes many people nervous. For this reason, it is a good idea to practice a speech ahead of time and try to memorize it completely. If that isn’t enough, you could record your own speeches and listen to them again to learn which filler words you tend to use.

In writing, most people tend to have certain adverbs that they overuse, such as very , really , and seriously . It’s often advised not to overuse words like these because it makes a piece of writing seem weaker or less effective than writing that instead uses stronger verbs and nouns. Most of the time, words like very , really , or seriously can be easily removed. If you don’t want to get rid of the adverbs completely, you can also use our fantastic thesaurus to find synonyms of your favorite adverbs to add some variety.

Refresh your writing with these extended tips on how to avoid overusing very .

You have another great tool you can use to fix up your writing: Grammar Coach ™. Not only will Grammar Coach get rid of those pesky filler words, but it can handle all sorts of common writing missteps such as misspellings and punctuation problems!

Are you guilty of turning to these overused words? Learn which words are frequently used and what to try instead.

Ways To Say

Synonym of the day

What Are Filler Words? (11 Super Common Words)

Filler words are words such as "um," "ah," "hmm," "like," "you know," and "alright" that are used to give the speaker time to think, express uncertainty or make something awkward feel less awkward, or as a verbal tick. Filler words are also known as vocal disfluencies or hesitations. 

The most common filler words in speech are like "um", "ah," "like", and "you know." 

The most common filler phrases in writing are "Needless to say," "in my humble opinion," "for what it's worth," "basically," and "simply." 

Filler words are a global phenomenon, and most languages have their own form of the word "um" or "ah." 

What you’ll learn in this blog: 

Why Do We Use Filler Words?

• 8 of the Most Common Filler Words 

When Should You Use Filler Words?

• When Should You Not Use Filler Words? 

How Do You Remove Filler Words from Audio? 

There are several different reasons (both good and bad) that people use filler words. 

Out of Habit: We're all heavily influenced by the world surrounding us. Americans are particularly used to hearing "um", "uh," and "like" at home, at school, and work, and in the media (TV, YouTube, podcasts, etc). These words are so common that it's easy to start using them and build a habit of dependency on the words in our everyday life. In other words, we use them because we"re not thinking about it. 

To Show That We’re Still Thinking: "Ums" and "ahs" are not all useless. A well-placed "um" can tell your listener that you are gathering your thoughts and that they should wait for you to finish speaking before they interject. 

‍ To Ease the Tension in a Conversation: Whenever we have to confront our friend, speak about a delicate subject, or say something awkward it’s natural to lean on filler words or verbal ticks to ease the tension. For example, you might say, “So, have you heard, um, about what they said about you in that Tweet?”  

"Um, "uh," and "ah,"  are grouped as one example because these words can be used interchangeably. In essence, these words mean either “I’m still thinking or “Please give me more time.” But they can also be used to help tell people that you are still talking and want to finish your thought (if used between 2 sentences). 

Example Sentences

“ Hey, um, have you heard about the new story, uh, they’re pitching to Sarah?” 

“To err is human,” and so is saying "er." "Er" is a word that indicates hesitation, doubt, concern, or potentially even alarm. It’s very similar to um/uh/ah, but it indicates a stronger concern or negative energy. 

Example sentences 

“Have you seen the movie? Err, I don’t think I want to go see it, it looks too scary for me.” 

Like is one of the more confusing filler words. It technically means “such as” or “similar to” (ex: “This movie is like Star Wars”) but it is often used as a filler word that can be removed from the sentence without changing its meaning (ex: “Like, I don’t know if I want to go to that school”). 

“Like, the podcast is great but I don’t know, like, if I should be a guest for them or not.” 

You know can be used as a rhetorical question, in order to fill space in a sentence, or just because simply out of habit as a verbal tick.  

“I think politics are confusing, you know?”

“She's very inspiring to me, you know, because she spent 40 weeks just researching the book.” 

Right is a very common verbal tick that people use to start or end their sentences. It might be used to ease the tension in a conversation, to ask a rhetorical question, to seek the agreement of your listener, or to even (ironically enough) politely disagree with your listener. 

“Right, so then I went to the store and bought everything on my list.” 

“It's not easy being an adult, right?” 

“Right, but it's not such a simple issue and I’ve had a different experience myself.” 

Alright is originally derived from the words “all right” and is most commonly used as a transitional word in a sentence. Similarly to "right," it is often used as a rhetorical question at the end of a sentence. 

“Alright, now that we got that over with, we can get on to the good stuff”

“We've worked hard today, but we’re not done yet, alright?”

Hmm is a sound used to express that you are thinking, or that you are hesitant about something. It can be used in a helpful way to show your listener that you need a moment to gather your thoughts, but it can also be distracting if used in the wrong context or if you develop a verbal tick where you say it too often.

“Hmmm, I think your idea is interesting, but i’m concerned that it doesn’t align with our main business KPIs.” “Hmmm, are you sure that's the best offer you can give me on the car?” 

Oh is a filler word often used at the beginning of a sentence, or as a standalone word, to show a reaction of surprise, whether that’s positive (feeling thrilled) or negative (feeling alarmed or disappointed). 

Thrill: “Oh, no way! We just broke 100,000 subs on the channel!” 

Terror: “Oh no, the ship is sinking.” 

Disappointment: “Oh, I guess I failed the test again, I guess it's just not meant to be.” 

So is another incredibly common verbal tick. It’s often used to start or end the sentence, as a way to bridge the gap between two sentences or thoughts, or to break the awkward silence in a conversation. So is often used to imply a certain meaning or help finish a thought. By saying “so” you can lead your listener to make an assumption or fill in a gap of your thought. “My friend is very intelligent, beautiful and single, so…” (you should ask her out).

“So, I think, therefore I am.” 

“Then she told me that she wanted him to leave, so.” 

According to one study by J Mem Lang from 2012 , filler words can 1) help listeners predict what you’ll say next, bring attention to the stream of speech, and give listeners time to process what has been said. In other words, there’s clear evidence that not all filler words are bad. But when should you use filler words? 

In Casual Conversations: Filler words are fine when you’re chopping it up with some friends in a casual conversation. 

When the Word Conveys Valuable Meaning: Filler words aren’t all bad. Don"t be afraid to keep using filler words when they convey valuable meaning. “Oh” is a valuable way to express excitement. “Hmm” is a great way to tell someone “I'm thinking, give me a second.” And 

To Make Awkward Conversations Easier: Sometimes dropping an intentional “so” or “um” into a sentence can ease the tension when you're bringing up an awkward topic or asking a hard question. Sometimes the most considerate thing for you to do is drop a simple filler word into your conversation to break the ice. 

When Should You *Not* Use Filler Words? 

As we’ve seen, there are times when using filler words is helpful, and times when they’re harmful. Here’s when you should not use filler words, or when you should try to remove filler words. 

In Public Speaking: It’s natural to drop a few “ums” when you’re presenting that deck to investors, speaking in front of a captive collegiate audience, or in your all team huddle on Zoom. But if you’re too casual, and fill every silent space with an “um,” “so,” or “alright” then you’ll start to lose people’s attention, appear frazzled and anxious, and may lose some of your credibility. 

Try to be mindful of your filler words when you’re speaking publicly, and don’t be afraid to pause between sentences to take a breath. This will give your listeners time to think on what you’ve already said. 

‍ In Podcasting: You don’t want your podcast to be littered with dozens of “ums” and “ahs”. It sounds less professional, distracts your audience, and may diminish your credibility.  

In the Media (YouTube, TV, etc): Similarly to podcasting, you don’t want to use these verbal crutches when you’re appearing on TV, speaking as a guest on someone’s YouTube channel, or making video content online. A lot of YouTube channels are very casual, so you’ll definitely get away with it, but reducing the number of filler words in your speech will help clarify your message and streamline things. 

In Formal Writing: Whenever you’re writing something formal, whether it’s a white paper, blog, college essay, or update for shareholders you don’t want to use casual fillers or phrases. Write directly and cut the fluff from your sentences. 

If you’ve ever tried editing a podcast, audiobook, or a video then you know the struggle is real. Editing all the “ums” out of your 30-minute podcast takes on average 1.5 hrs for a professional Audio Engineer, and even longer if you’re just getting started. Resound (disclaimer: this is our tool!) is a new AI podcast editing tool that automatically finds ums and ahs, long silences, and enhances your audio.

Want to learn more about editing?  Read our comprehensive guide on podcast editing (30k foot view to 100 ft view.

How to automatically remove filler sounds

• Create a free Resound account
• Upload audio or video
• Start AI processing
• Review edits to ensure they are accurate (or cut all in one click) 
• Export your edited file!

It's that easy! Create a free account to start automatically editing your podcast today.

3+ years as a lead marketer in the podcast industry. 6+ years experience in Audio Engineering and Music Production.

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Filler Words: What Are They and How to Avoid Them?

Filler words are discourse markers often used to fill speech or writing gaps. They might seem harmless, but they can make you sound uncertain, unprepared, or both. Luckily, there are tricks to reduce word stuffing. 

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the most common filler terms, why you should stop using them, and some no-fuss tricks for avoiding them in formal writing and speech. 

Table of Contents

What Are Filler Words?

English filler words are also known as discourse markers . Native English speakers unintentionally use these words when they need help finding the right word or they’re still thinking about what to say next. 

In public speaking, filler terms can be a problem because they can make you appear uncertain or unprepared. They can also distract the audience and make your message less effective.

Using filler terms, however, is not limited to public speaking or conversations. You can also spot them in written text like essays or articles. 

In writing, you can use these words to emphasize a point or make a sentence sound more conversational. However, it can make your writing seem unclear and distract readers from the main issues you’re trying to convey.

What Are the Most Common Filler Phrases?

There are many filler phrases that people use in daily conversations and writing. However, these words add no value to your statement and only help bridge the gap between your thoughts. Below are the most common filler words that people use often. 

These are among the most popular verbal fillers you often use when you are hesitant or uncertain about something. 

When you use “um” or “uh,” it indicates that you are pausing to think of something or unsure what to say. “Um” shows that you are searching for the right word to use, while “uh” indicates that you’re having trouble expressing an idea or concept. 

 “Ah” is also a common filler word when you have just had an idea or have realized something. It expresses surprise or realization and relays a sense of pleasure or satisfaction in something. 

This is a filler word that is similar to “um,” “uh,” and “ah.” However, it indicates a more negative concern regarding something. People use “er” in a sentence to show doubt or a potentially even alarm concerning an action, statement, or thought. You can also use this word when unsure of the best course of action or decision to make. 

Very, Really, Highly

The words “very,” “really,” and “highly” are also words that fill gaps or pauses in a conversation. You can use it to emphasize a statement or express your emotions or feelings about something. 

The word “very” indicates a high degree of intensity, while “really” emphasizes a statement or expresses surprise or disbelief. On the other hand, the word “highly” indicates that something is of very high quality or worth. 

“Hmm” is another filler word used when thinking or considering something. It can pause a conversation or show that you are considering a question or comment. 

Overall, “Hmm” is a way to express uncertainty or hesitation in a conversation. Sometimes, people use it as a polite way to disagree with something or express skepticism. This word can also indicate that you are unsure of how to respond.

The word “like” is a commonly used stuffing phrase in speech and writing. It often shows that you are thinking or considering what to say. Using this word helps make a statement more tentative or less direct.

Unlike others, “just” is not always a filler word. People use it to indicate an action that occurred recently and as a synonym for merely. However, it qualifies as a filler word, particularly when overused in a sentence. In most cases, using too much of this word can also change the meaning of a sentence. 

The phrase “you know” is commonly used to fill pauses or gaps in conversation, making it a filler word. Many speakers use it when trying to think of the right word or when unsure how to proceed. 

“Right” is often used as a filler word in spoken language. It indicates that you are thinking during a conversation or to signal that you are about to say something. This way, “right” keeps the conversation moving forward without adding specific meaning or content. 

Totally, Literally, Seriously

These are among the most common filler phrases used in everyday speech. “Totally” indicates agreement or support for something, while “literally” emphasizes the truth or severity of a statement. 

On the other hand, “seriously” demonstrates that something is not a joke. It also expresses disbelief. While each of these words has a practical meaning, they can be fluff if misused. 

“Okay” is a word that can have a literal meaning when used to indicate agreement or acceptance of something. However, it becomes a filler word when you need help with what to say or when thinking of something. It’s also commonly used when you have completed a conversation and have nothing to add. 

Why Do People Use Filler Words?

In most cases, you may use filler expressions to help you think or organize your thoughts while speaking. 

You could also use fillers to reduce anxiety or nervousness while speaking. They help to break the silence and make you feel more comfortable. 

Filler phrases also serve as a  buffer , allowing you to take a moment to collect ideas without immediately jumping back into the conversation. 

Using these words can signal that you are still engaged in the conversation and actively listening to the speaker. 

Why Are Filler Words Bad?

The use of filler words hurts your speech and writing for multiple reasons. Firstly, they make you unsure or unconfident in what you say. They can also make your speech seem disorganized and unclear.

These words can also distract your listeners and prevent them from understanding your message. Using too many of them can indicate that you are nervous or unprepared.  Sometimes, it makes you look like you are lying. These terms also take up space and time in your speech, making it challenging to convey your message effectively.

How to Avoid Filler Words in Writing?

Filler phrases impact your writing and can make you look unprofessional. However, you can avoid them using the following tips; 

•  Plan and outline your writing before you begin. This will help you organize your ideas and prevent using these words while thinking about what to say next.
•  Be concise and direct in your writing. Avoid using words or phrases that add little to no value to your sentences. 
• Take the time to revise and edit. As you read through your work, pay attention to any filler phrases you may have and remove them. 

How to Avoid Filler Words in Speech?

When filler words appear in speech, they also make you look unprepared. Read our how to write a speech guide and apply the following tips: 

•  Practice speaking out loud with a friend or family member to become more aware of how you use stuffing words.
•  Pause before speaking to give yourself time to organize your thoughts.
•  Use alternative phrases to fill pauses, such as “let me think” or “let me see,” instead of using filler words.
•  Focus on delivering your message clearly and concisely, and avoid using filler phrases to fill gaps in your speech. 
•  Eliminate unnecessary phrases to create a compelling and engaging speech.

Filler terms are common in both speech and writing. While they seem to have no harm, they can make you seem unprepared or unconfident in whatever you say. Use the above tips to break this bad habit and make conversations more efficient. 

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50 Filler Words List to Cut From Your Writing: Make Your Writing Stronger

Do you want to sound more confident and authoritative? Our comprehensive filler words list to cut from your writing will strengthen your work.

Filler words make English writing weak. Writing should be concise and meaningful, especially for online audiences with shorter attention spans . Using too many filler words gives the impression of inexperience , meaning your audience may be hesitant to take you seriously. 

As Magan Vernon once said,

“ ‘I don’t know’ is just a filler word when you don’t want to say what you’re really thinking .”

Choosing the right word for your specific meaning and leaving out any unnecessary words will help you communicate more effectively. The best way to avoid filler phrases and words is to keep a filler words list on hand. 

We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of words that you can avoid to keep your writing relevant and convey confidence. 

You may also find our list of common writing mistakes helpful.

What Are Filler Words?

What is an example of a filler sentence, how do you identify filler words, english filler words printable, english filler words list, filler phrases, other filler words, how do you avoid filler words in writing.

There are two different types of filler words. When it comes to speaking, filler words are sounds such as “umm,” “ahh,” or “uh”, which indicate that a speaker is thinking about what to say next.

When writing, filler words are simply words that carry little meaning, don’t serve a purpose, or can be removed from the sentence without altering the meaning. For example, saying “very good” instead of “excellent.”

Filler words often infiltrate writing based on an individual’s speech patterns or are used to flesh out the content if a writer is struggling to hit a word count. 

First, everyone has to understand the difference between filler words and filler sentences . Many people believe that a bunch of filler words put together equals a filler sentence; however, this is not always the case. 

Filler sentences are sentences that contribute nothing of value. They often state something obvious or reiterate a point that has already been made without sharing anything new. Readers would not lose any context if they were removed from the passage. 

There may be some situations where extra context or details are important. A rule of thumb is if something is not relevant to the needs of your audience, then you should remove it. Below are some examples:

Filler: The results from the study showed that 80% of participants fell asleep sooner and were more well-rested after wearing blue light glasses during the day. Most participants noticed a change after wearing the blue light glasses. While 20% of the participants experienced no change in sleep habits. In conclusion, we can learn a lot from this study.

Better: The results from the study showed that 80% of participants fell asleep sooner and were more well-rested after wearing blue light glasses, but 20% of the participants experienced no change. 

There is no need to state that most participants experienced a change in their sleep habits after wearing the glasses. This information is obvious as the results of the study were shared. Due to the nature of a scientific study, it’s clear the goal is to learn, so the last sentence is unnecessary, too.

Filler Sentences : I find baking relaxing, especially when my whole house smells like cinnamon or chocolate. If I have had a bad day at work, a sweet treat makes me feel so much better. With that said, you won’t get good results from poor baking equipment, as this is a craft that requires precision. So, where do you buy the best tools so you can work your magic in the kitchen? 

Better: By purchasing high-quality baking equipment, you will create perfect treats each time. Let’s learn more about where to get the right tools.

While a personal flair keeps readers engaged, going overboard will confuse them. If you’re trying to sell something or are making an argument, you need to introduce it to readers right away. Otherwise, they won’t know what your article or essay is about. Readers won’t have the patience to wade through several paragraphs to find out what you’re trying to say. 

Here are some tips for removing filler sentences : 

• Always have a plan before you start writing.
• Keep your introduction short, sweet, and to the point. 
• Ask someone to proofread your work. 
• Show, don’t tell.

The best way to identify filler words initially is to cross out or highlight certain words or phrases in your self-editing process. If your text still makes sense without them, and the meaning hasn’t changed, then those words were filler. This will get you used to identifying filler words that have become habitual in your writing.

Another way to identify filler is to consider if the same statement can be made using fewer words or if two sentences can be combined to provide succinct information. 

Utilising grammar checkers such as Grammarly can help you develop an efficient writing routine, as its Premium features identify filler words and suggest suitable edits. However, such tools should not be permitted to quash your natural and unique writing style merely to improve it.

It’s important to avoid going overboard when deleting filler words. Sounding like a robot won’t keep readers hooked. Strike a balance between creating the right tone and maintaining a unique writing style without making your content unnecessarily long or lacking confidence. 

Below, you’ll find a list of the most commonly used filler words to pay attention to in your writing.

Many filler words are adverbs. Though they make sense in the sentence, they are not needed. Here are some common ones.

1. Actually, Basically, Seriously

These filler words show up when you are making a statement that might have an exception. It is usually unnecessary, as in this example:

• Filler: Basically, he was saying he loved her, but in a roundabout way. 
• Better: He was saying he loved her, but in a roundabout way.

2. Just 

“Just” carries little meaning in the sentence. Often, writers use it to sound more polite, but it does not change the sentence. For example:

• Filler: Could you guys just be quiet for a minute, please?
• Better: Could you guys be quiet for a minute, please?

“Very” is over-used. Writers choose this word to add intensity to their statement, but its overuse makes it filler. Often, choosing a more specific word makes better sense.

• Filler: The new store was very crowded on opening day.
• Better: The new store was bustling on opening day.

Like “very,” “really” is an over-used English filler word that rarely helps the sentence. For example:

• Filler: I really want you to come over today.
• Better: I want you to come over today.

“Highly”, when used as an adverb, is filler in most instances. Instead, a more vivid verb will convey the same meaning with fewer words.

• Filler: She was highly annoyed at his antics.
• Better: She was irritated at his antics.

This word means completely or absolutely, but it has been over-used so much that it is often thrown into sentences with no meaning at all. For example:

• Filler: I totally didn’t understand what you were saying.
• Better: I didn’t understand what you were saying.

Simply is another word that is not necessary in a sentence. It technically means “in a straightforward or plain manner,” but when used as filler, it does not carry this meaning. For example:

• Filler: He simply wanted someone to listen to his needs.
• Better: He wanted someone to listen to his needs.

If you find yourself adding the word “most” to other adverbs, you are writing weakly. Keep it concise. For example

• Filler: He most especially liked cream in his coffee.
• Better: He especially liked cream in his coffee.

Somehow is another adverb that has little meaning in the sentence. If you can say the same thing without it, leave it off. For example:

• Filler: She somehow got her point across in spite of her stutter.
• Better: She got her point across in spite of her stutter.

10. Slightly

Saying something is “slightly” so makes the sentence boring. Instead, say what you mean. For example:

• Filler: After days of cloudy weather, the sunshine was slightly blinding.
• Better: After days of cloudy weather, the sunshine felt blinding.

11. Absolutely

If something is absolutely the case, you should not have to say it. Adding the word “absolutely” simply adds more words, not more meaning. Here is an example:

• Filler: She absolutely wanted to go but could not make time for it.
• Better: She wanted to go but could not make time for it.

12. Literally

While “literally” is a synonym for actually, people often use it to exaggerate. For example, saying, “I literally told you a thousand times,” when that’s unlikely to be true.

Even in the correct context, this word is still rarely necessary. Here is an example:

• Filler: I literally failed all my exams.
• Better: I failed all my exams.

13. Certainly 

“Certainly” is a word used to illustrate that the speaker believes something to be true or intends to do something. It can be used for emphasis, but you can convey the same point without it.

• Filler: I can certainly finish the project by tomorrow.
• Better: I can finish the project by tomorrow.

14. Honestly 

“Honestly” is a way to stress that you are being sincere, but your writing should be strong enough to gain readers’ trust without it. For example:

• Filler: Honestly, I didn’t enjoy the movie.
• Better: I didn’t enjoy the movie.

15. Personally 

“Personally” is a term speakers often use for emphasis or to stress that they’re not stating an objective fact. It’s rarely necessary as readers can typically differentiate between opinion and fact. Here’s an example: 

• Filler: Personally, I prefer the blue design.
• Better: I prefer the blue design.

“Quite” has a few meanings; it is used to place emphasis, to suggest the speaker is unsure about something or can be used instead of the words “completely” or “fully.” Either way, it makes for weak writing if used without cause. Here is an example:

• Filler: The test was quite difficult.
• Better: The test was difficult.

17. Perhaps

“Perhaps” is a word used when speakers are unsure about something. If you want to speak with confidence and authority, only use it when necessary. For example: 

• Filler: Perhaps we should try a different approach.
• Better: We should try a different approach.

“So” is a contraction and an adverb. It can be used for emphasis (“I’m so sad”) or as a more casual way to say “therefore.” Here is another example: 

• Filler: “So, we decided to postpone the meeting.”
• Better: “We decided to postpone the meeting.”

19. Completely

“Completely” means in every way and is used as a synonym for totally or for emphasis. You can usually get your point across without it. For example:

• Filler: “This idea is completely new to me.”
• Better: “This idea is new to me.”

20. Somewhat

“Somewhat” is a word used to mean to a moderate extent. It has a time and place, but when used unnecessarily, it weakens your writing. For example: 

• Filler: I’m somewhat tired after the hike.
• Better: I’m tired after the hike.

21. However

Depending on the context, “however” can be an adverb or a conjunction. It can be used to mean “in spite of” or “on the other hand.” Although it can serve a purpose, it’s easy to overuse. For example: 

• Filler: However, that doesn’t mean it’s inevitable. 
• Better: That doesn’t mean it’s inevitable. 

22. Utterly

“Utterly” is used to mean to a full extent or completely. It is typically used to place emphasis but should be used sparingly. For example:

• Filler: I am utterly devastated.
• Better: I am devastated. 

Another common problem in the English language, especially when speaking, is filler phrases. These typically have no meaning but are added while the speaker is thinking about what to say next. Here are some examples.

23. At the End of the Day

Saying “at the end of the day” usually means nothing. It can be left out completely without changing the meaning.

• Filler: At the end of the day, John believed her story.
• Better: John believed her story.

24. Believe Me

This is another filler phrase that shows up often in spoken English. The speaker is trying to get the listener’s attention and trust. For example:

• Filler: Believe me, I would have been happier without the barking dog moving in next door.
• Better: I would have been happier without the barking dog moving in next door.

25. You Know What I Mean?

This phrase is used in conversation, but in speeches and writing, it is unnecessary. It is a way to get the listener or reader to add their input. For example:

• Filler: I felt the workload was a bit intense, you know what I mean?
• Better: I felt the workload was a bit intense.

26. I Guess or I Suppose

Again, this is a conversation discourse marker, but it is not necessary in formal writing or speaking. Here is an example:

• Filler: I was planning to cook dinner tonight, but I guess we can eat at a restaurant.
• Better: I was going to cook dinner tonight, but we can eat at a restaurant. 

27. For What It’s Worth

“For what it’s worth” has no meaning in the sentence. Writers usually use this if they aren’t sure about the feelings of their readers. For example:

• Filler: For what it’s worth, we could start with the upperclassmen for picture day.
• Better: We could start with the upperclassmen for picture day. 

This phrase means nothing in the sentence. Hopefully, if you are saying or writing something, you mean it. For example:

• Filler: I mean, I’m sure she’s a nice lady, but I don’t enjoy her as a teacher.
• Better: I’m sure she’s a nice lay, but I don’t enjoy her as a teacher.

29. You Know

“You know” is a phrase used to imply the lister or reader already understands or relates to what’s being said. Here is how it is filler in the sentence:

• Filler: You know, we could just skip dinner and head straight for dessert.
• Better: We could just skip dinner and head straight for dessert.

30. Like I Said

This phrase can be helpful to pull the listener or reader back to something said previously, but it can also be overdone and turn into filler. For example:

• Filler: Like I said, you will be getting some new hires in your department next week.
• Better: You will be getting some new hires in your department next week. 

31. Or Something Like That

If you end a sentence with this, you are adding filler. It means nothing but shows you ran out of things to say and makes your writing or speaking weaker. For example:

• Filler: He suggested he was hoping for me to take a leadership position or something like that.
• Better: He suggested he was hoping for me to take a leadership position.

32. Kind of/Sort of

“Kind of” and “sort of” make it sound like the item you are discussing is not actually certain. Leaving off these words makes the writing stronger. For example:

• Filler: The dinner sort of smelled like tacos.
• Better: The dinner smelled like tacos.

33. And Etc.

Using “and” with “Etc.” is redundant. You can shorten this by saying “etc.” and leaving off the “and.” For example:

• Filler: The vet saw all kinds of animals, including dogs, cats, snakes, hamsters, and etc.
• Better: The vet saw all kinds of animals, including dogs, cats, snakes, hamsters, etc.

The phrase “due to the” is best substituted with a simpler word, like because. Here are some examples:

• Filler: The game was canceled due to the rain.
• Better: The game was canceled because it rained.

35. Empty Out

This phrase is redundant. To “empty” something means to remove its items out of it, so you do not need the “out.” For example:

• Filler: The high school emptied out quickly on the last day of school.
• Better: The high school emptied quickly on the last day of school.

36. For All Intents and Purposes

“For all intents and purposes” carries no meaning and makes a statement weak. For example:

• Filler: For all intents and purposes, I can say that you are my favorite person.
• Better: You are my favorite person.

37. In Terms Of

This is another phrase that is not helpful in the sentence’s meaning. Eliminate it to make the writing stronger. For example:

• Filler: In terms of salary, it was a good job offer.
• Better: The job offer had a good salary.

38. I Think/I Believe

Phrases like “I think” or “I believe” have a time and place. They illustrate that you’re stating an opinion and not a fact. The problem is that these phrases make your writing weak and are unnecessary if it’s already apparent that you’re sharing your thoughts. For example:

• Filler: I think we should invest more in research.
• Better: We should invest more in research.

39. Of Course

“Of course” can be used to emphasize agreement or to comment on something obvious. It should be avoided unless you must say it; otherwise, your sentences can be too wordy. For example: 

• Filler: Of course, we’ll need to get management’s approval.
• Better: We’ll need to get management’s approval.

40. In Order To

“In order to” is a phrase used to highlight the purpose of something or what must be done to achieve that. It’s not needed if the context is clear enough. Take a look at the examples below:

• Filler: In order to win, we must score more points.
• Better: To win, we must score more points.

41. In Fact

You will find “in fact” at the start of a sentence when a writer details some data or a statistic. As it should already be clear that you’re stating a fact, you can do without this in most cases. For example: 

• Filler: In fact, the data shows a significant increase.
• Better: The data shows a significant increase.

42. In Conclusion 

“In Conclusion” is used to summarize the points made in a text. Not only is this phrase unnecessary, but a concluding sentence may be, too, unless required by a style guide. For example:

• Filler: In conclusion, the speaker raised some excellent points.
• Better: The speaker raised excellent points.

43. Not To Mention

“Not to mention” is a phrase used to introduce another piece of information that backs up a point that has already been made. It’s easy to overuse.

• Filler: Not to mention, the impact this decision will have on the students will be disappointing.
• Better: The impact this decision will have on the students will be disappointing.

44. While That’s True/ While It’s True

“While that’s true” is a phrase a writer will use to argue against something that was previously shared while still considering the other perspective or facts. Carefully crafted text will allow readers to understand the point being made without using this phrase too often. For example:

• Filler: While it’s true the trip is expensive, I think the memories are worth the price tag.
• Better: The trip is expensive, but I think the memories are worth the price tag.

45. On The Other Hand

“On the other hand” is another way to acknowledge a contradictory point or weigh up the pros and cons. If there’s enough content, the phrase isn’t necessary. For example:

• Filler: I wanted to go to the party, but on the other hand, it was a school night.
• Better: I wanted to go to the party, but it was a school night.

Some filler words that find their way into written text come from speech patterns. While using them makes for casual conversation in real life, it’s unprofessional in formal writing. Here are some examples:

This is a pair of filler words that show up in writing because of the way we speak conversationally. You usually find them at the start of the sentence. For example:

• Filler: OK, so what she was saying is she wanted to go to the concert but couldn’t afford the ticket.
• Better: She was saying she wanted to go to the concert but couldn’t afford the ticket. 

Well can be an adjective or adverb, but it often shows up as filler in a sentence. For example:

• Filler: Well, he said he wanted to buy a new car, but the sticker price convinced him to choose a used model.
• Better: He said he wanted to buy a new car, but the sticker price convinced him to choose a used model.

Unless you are talking about a time, the word “now” has little meaning in the sentence. For example:

• Filler: Now, the little child’s pretentious attitude seemed cute.
• Better: The little child’s pretentious attitude seemed cute.

The phrase “all of” is redundant. You can simply say “all” and leave off the “of.” For example:

• Filler: She ate all of the cake the next day.
• Better: She ate all the cake the next day.

Writers put “still” at the beginning of a sentence to emphasize a point or in place of words like “however,” but you can do without it in most cases. For example:

• Filler: Still, we had a good time despite the delay.
• Better: We had a good time, despite the day.

If you like this type of list, we also created one about transition words .

FAQs on Filler Words

When writing, carefully evaluate every sentence to ensure the words have meaning. If there is a shorter or more impactful way to state something, your sentence has filler.

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Why Filler Words Like “Um” and “Ah” Are Actually Useful

• Allison Shapira

They can serve three purposes.

Language matters, and the words you use have an impact on your effectiveness as a speaker and as a leader. Contrary to popular wisdom, sometimes it’s OK to use fillers or hedge words. There are three strategic reasons for when to use them. First, to be diplomatic. When you need to give delicate feedback or soften a message, consider using a hedge word like “just” or “simply” or a phrase such as “we may want to consider” in order to cushion how your message comes across. A second reason is to hold the floor. If you operate in an environment where people routinely interrupt you, the filler can serve as a strategic placeholder as you hold the floor. And lastly, a well-placed “so,” “well,” or “actually” can be an effective tool to break into a conversation (perhaps in the middle of a rambling colleague’s filler words). Simply make sure you are not cutting someone off mid-sentence.

When was the last time you heard someone start an important presentation or comment with something like this? So, um, I just think this is important. Vocal disfluencies, commonly described as filler words, are a common point of contention in public speaking. Some people disparage them as weak and hesitant, and others defend them as authentic and genuine.

• Allison Shapira teaches “The Arts of Communication” at the Harvard Kennedy School and is the Founder/CEO of Global Public Speaking, a training firm that helps emerging and established leaders to speak clearly, concisely, and confidently. She is the author of the new book, Speak with Impact: How to Command the Room and Influence Others (HarperCollins Leadership).

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So, Um, How Do You, Like, Stop Using Filler Words?

By Christopher Mele

• Feb. 24, 2017

So, how do you, like, um, stop using verbal fillers that can make you sound, you know, nervous or not so smart?

Is there a name for this?

Communications experts describe “um,” “aah,” “you know” and similar expressions as discourse markers, interjections or verbal pauses.

They often occur when we are trying to think of the next thing we are going to say, Susan Mackey-Kallis, an associate professor at Villanova University who teaches public speaking, said in an email.

When stakes are high or we are nervous — in a job or media interview, or during a speech, presentation or conference call — we tend not to breathe as much and we talk faster, so our words get ahead of our thoughts, Lisa B. Marshall, a communications expert and the author of “ Smart Talk: The Public Speaker’s Guide to Success in Every Situation ,” said in an interview.

In some cases, the phrases are used to signal that you are about to say something and that the person listening should not interrupt, or that you are going to say something you want to emphasize, said Emily Tucker Prud’hommeaux, an assistant professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology and a leader of its Computational Linguistics and Speech Processing Lab .

“In fact, if you listen to someone use ‘like,’ you’ll sometimes notice that the next noun or verb or adjective that comes along sounds more prominent,” she said in an email. “You want the listener to pay attention.”

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Microsoft 365 Life Hacks > Writing > Recognizing & Avoiding Filler Words

Recognizing & Avoiding Filler Words

Hemming and hawing may have its place, but chances are that place isn’t in your next presentation or piece of writing. Learn how to recognize common filler words, then work to reduce your use of them.

What are Filler Words?

Any word written or said that doesn’t add to the meaning of a sentence is technically a filler word. In the previous sentence, removing the word “technically” doesn’t change the meaning of the sentence, so “technically” is, itself, technically a filler word.

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Common Filler Words in Speech & Writing

Whether you’re chatting with a colleague or presenting during a meeting, you may find one or more of these filler words or phrases coming out in your speech:

• For what it’s worth
• In my (humble) opinion
• It goes without saying/needless to say
• Really/very

All these filler words can pop up in your writing, too, so be on the lookout for them there as well.

Filler Words Most Common in Speech

Filler words that are almost exclusive to oral expression include:

• You know (what I mean)

It’s not often you’ll find occasion to write “uh” or “um” unless you’re working on dialog, so you probably don’t have to worry about speech filler words showing up in your writing.

What Does it Mean When Someone Uses Filler Words?

The use of filler words can signal a few different things:

• Being diplomatic. If someone’s hemming and hawing after being asked something the answer to which may be unkind, an “uh,” “um,” or “well” might blunt the blow of all that honesty.
• Holding onto attention or the speaking role. When going silent or pausing signals that the floor open for someone else to speak, deploying filler words can help retain your turn to speak.
• Jumping into a conversation. An effective interjection doesn’t have to be a meaningful word—just pivot the audience’s focus. “Actually,” “well,” and “although” can all be used to verbally step into a conversation or presentation.
• Taking up space. Whether trying to make an assignment’s wordcount creep up or preventing someone else from talking, taking up space is a common use of filler words.
• Taking up time. Looking up the answer to a question during a meeting or in court can often come with some filler words to buy some time.

How to Avoid Filler Words in Writing

As tried and true a method for lengthening a research paper as futzing with the margins, filler words help a concise essay expand into a meandering treatise. Even middle school students know, though, that longer isn’t always better when it comes to your writing. Here are tips for trimming the fat from your next written project:

• Keep meaning in mind. Everything you put on the page should add to the meaning of the work. This can get tricky, though, because what may seem like filler might actually be meaningful—especially words or phrases that punctuate a point.
• Edit judiciously. Look for anything superfluous and cut it out. Then, review your work again. And again. Don’t be precious about your work. If you’re worried that you may cut something you need, take advantage of versioning and version control available through your word processor or cloud storage, like Microsoft OneDrive’s version history feature .
• When in doubt, leave it out. Take advantage of built-in editors, like Microsoft Editor , to gut check how concise your sentences are.

How to Avoid Filler Words in Speech

It’s been shown that while filler words don’t offer much in the way of written content, they’re often important to spoken content. i But the more formal a moment, the less appropriate filler words are. A presidential address inspires less confidence if it’s riddled with filler words. In fact, studies have shown that listeners assume that the use of filler words means the speaker is unprepared. ii But how can you set about avoiding these words in your own speech?

• Beware and be aware. Knowing is half the battle, right? Do your best to recognize which filler words you default to—and what situations cause you to break them out.
• If it’s a prepared speech, practice. Public speaking is often practiced , but you can also practice talking points for presentations that invite an exchange with the audience. The more you practice, the less likely you are to use a filler word. For every minute of presentation, do an hour of practice. iii
• Wait to speak until you know what to say. If you’re unsure what to say next—and there’s no risk of someone jumping in to interrupt you—simply pause rather than take up time or space with “uh” and “um.”
• Calm down. Whether you’re calmed by practicing, deep breathing, or choosing one person in the audience to focus on, rooting yourself in calm will help your speaking come more naturally.

Finding ways to cut down on filler is a step toward more clear, powerful speaking and writing. Just make sure you don’t trim away meaning or personality while you cut out the fluff.

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7 Exercises That’ll Help You Stop Using Filler Words

Gabriela is a proud data nerd who loves her role at an online pet supply company. She’s responsible for customer surveys and, each month, compiles consumer opinions in order to improve the online shopping experience.

Last spring, Gabriela arrived at the monthly meeting, prepared as usual. She had sliced and diced the data, formatting the results into beautiful pie charts and embellished tables that matched the company branding.

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“So, um, here are this month’s customer survey results and, you know, the pie chart shows how satisfied the customers are with their, uh, overall website experience,” she said. “And so the important thing to, ah, highlight is that 80% of, uh, shoppers rated the site’s ease-of-use as like a four or five and this is, um, dramatically higher than, you know, the rating from three months ago.”

Gabriela knew the information she shared was relevant and well received, so she was stunned when her manager, Simone, wrote “improve gravitas” as a goal for Gabriela during her year-end review. “You identify and highlight accurate insights from the survey data,” Simone said. “But during the monthly meetings you come across as, well, junior. I am not sure exactly why—it’s just the impression I get when you present.”

Gabriela was perplexed. She wanted to meet Simone’s expectations, but had no idea how to be perceived as “more senior.” Simone offered to provide Gabriela with a communications coach, which is where I came into the story.

I’ve coached thousands of clients over the years and many of them have needed help learning how to pause and cutting out filler words.

Gabriela delivered a mock presentation and together we reviewed video recordings of this as well as a recent presentation she’d given to her team. During this process, we discovered that Gabriela tends to use filler words (um, uh, like) and speak in run-on sentences.

The good news is Gabriela’s communication foibles could be improved with one behavior: the pause. I explained that using a pause is key to replacing filler words and phrases. The pause also creates shorter, more impactful sentences, and an impression of confidence and control. It also conveys what Simone was seeking: gravitas.

After reviewing her presentations, we created an “exercise regimen” to establish Gabriela’s new pausing habit, which would help her stop using as many filler words.

The next time Gabriela spoke at a monthly meeting, she inserted more pauses into her presentation. The run-on sentences nearly disappeared, but she still used more filler words than desired. She continued to practice pausing exercises and, within weeks, she had dramatically reduced her filler words and improved her overall presentation style. Three months after the “gravitas” feedback, Simone told Gabriela she noticed a difference in her communication. By the end of the year, Gabriela received a hard-earned promotion from analyst to specialist and was rewarded with a salary increase, an extra week of vacation, and more interaction with the leadership team.

I’ve coached thousands of clients over the years and many of them, like Gabriela, have needed help learning how to pause and cutting out filler words when they do any kind of public speaking . Here are seven exercises I recommend if you’re trying to do the same:

Exercise 1: Pause and Filler Word Assessment

What: Evaluate and build awareness around your pause and filler word habits.

Why: How we perceive ourselves is different from how others see us. Listening to a recording of yourself will give you a more accurate sense of your behaviors, which is the best first step toward improving them.

• Find a previously recorded presentation or conversation that you took part in. Or record audio of yourself following this prompt: “Describe your current role and your prior experience that led you here.” Aim to speak for two or more minutes, and no less than 60 seconds.
• Listen without watching. It may feel cringey and jarring because you don't hear yourself the same way in your head as you do when you play back the audio. For these reasons, it’s good to listen a couple of times to get used to the sound of your voice before you’re ready to listen for pauses.
• Pauses (frequency and length)
• Filler word and phrases (um, ah, uh, you know, like)
• Linking words between sentences (so, and, and so)
• Run-on sentences

Exercise 2: Ball Toss

What: Use a ball to signify how long to pause.

Why: When we create a new habit (pausing) or replace an ineffective pattern (using filler words), a physical movement can reinforce the new behavior.

• Find a small squishy ball or a tennis ball—or crumple a piece of paper into a ball.
• Practice an update you might need to deliver at a meeting. After each statement, toss the ball from one hand to the other to represent a pause. For example, “Here’s our plan to support district teachers.” [toss ball] “First, we will ensure they are vaccinated before returning to the classroom.” [toss ball] “Next, we’ll provide a resource day for planning.” [toss ball]
• During meetings, you can do the same, keeping your hands under the table or out of video range.

Exercise 3: “Veronica, I Give You...”

What: The first in a series of three exercises requiring you to move sticky notes that represent when to pause and for how long. Here, you’ll start by focusing on pausing while speaking about everyday objects.

Why: Again, practicing a new behavior while doing a physical activity increases the likelihood that it will become a habit.

How: Place five sticky notes on a wall at eye level two to three feet apart. Each sticky note represents one of your listeners. While looking at the first sticky note, say, “Veronica, I give you apples, bananas, and pineapples.” The objects can be everyday things like a pen, paper, and notebook or more complex and fun like a trip to Paris, a walk along the Seine, and a moonlit dinner.

When you complete the sentence, remove the note from the wall and toss it on the ground. The time it takes to remove the note and toss it on the ground represents the amount of time you intentionally pause (or take a breath).

Then move to the next sticky note and say, “Masako, I give you . . . .” with three different objects. Continue until you have “given” items to all five sticky note “people” and paused between each “person.”

Exercise 4: “Veronica, My Role Involves . . . ”

Why: This version provides an opportunity to practice pausing with content relevant to your job.

How: Repeat the “Veronica, I Give You” exercise with “real” content. This time you’ll describe your job to someone who doesn’t know what you do. Explain your role in five or more digestible chunks punctuated by pauses. This is an exercise, not a rehearsal, which means your priority is to share small bites of information and speak in shorter sentences than you would ordinarily—and punctuate the short sentences with pauses.

The quality of the content you share is not important. In fact, to do this exercise you’ll need to simplify the complexity of your role.

For example:

• “I am a project coordinator at Yelp.”
• “My role involves working with local businesses.”
• “I make sure businesses in my territory engage with their Yelp profile.”
• “Engagement includes keeping their profile current.”

Record yourself sharing these snippets of information, punctuated by pauses. Listen to the recording and note the difference between how long the pauses felt versus how they sound.

Exercise 5: “Veronica, Here is My Important Idea”

Why: In the third version of the sticky-note exercise, you raise the stakes even more by inserting pauses while you imagine proposing an idea to someone you look up to or want to impress.

How: Repeat the above “Veronica…” method using a recommendation you’d like to share at a meeting or with your boss.

Here is an example:

• “As a result of the company merger, we need to streamline processes.”
• “One way to do that is to meet with the customer success team.”
• “I’d like to contact the head of customer success to propose weekly meetings.”
• “Would you introduce me by email and I’ll take it from there?”

Exercise 6: Um-ectomy

What: An exercise that involves speaking freely with a partner who notifies you when you use filler words and phrases.

Why: To bring awareness to how often we use filler words and phrases when we could instead take the opportunity to pause.

• Find a partner, ideally someone who also wants to increase their pauses and/or remove filler words from their communication style. One person will serve as a speaker and the other as an observer.
• Both partners stand up to increase the pressure on the speaker.
• The best vacation you’ve taken
• Where you would like to be in 10 years
• An embarrassing experience
• Your freshman year of college
• Changes you would make to your job
• The observer listens for filler words and phrases (um, ah, eh, like, so, you know, kinda, sorta) and for opportunities to pause.
• When the speaker utters a filler word, the observer repeats it back to them in a loud voice—right as the speaker is saying it.
• When the speaker could break up their thoughts into separate ideas, the observer puts up their hand in a “stop” gesture to indicate that the speaker should pause.
• Continue the exercise until the speaker is able to talk for three continuous minutes without uttering a filler word or using a run-on sentence.

Exercise 7: Computer Support

What: Use an app or software program to determine how often you use filler words and phrases.

Why: Behavior change requires consistent attention and practice over time.

• Download LikeSo , Ummo , or a similar app that lets you practice speaking while analyzing which filler words and phrases you use.
• Sign up for Otter or another transcription program that syncs with your Zoom account. At the end of your calls, read the transcripts to see how often you used filler words or phrases.

Pulling sticky notes off a wall or tossing a paper ball back and forth may feel silly, stupid, or too basic. This is normal. As voice and speech specialist and performance coach D’Arcy Webb says about vocal training, “You have to accept the fact you’re going to feel stupid when you’re learning vocal exercises and be OK with making odd sounds.” The same is true here. Trust that the process does indeed work! It has worked for my clients and it will work for you, too.

Adapted with permission from Speak Up, Dammit!: How to Quiet Your Fears, Polish Your Presence, and Share Your Voice by Hope Timberlake.

A Simple Trick for Eliminating 'Filler Words' Like 'Like' From Your Vocabulary

By emily petsko | aug 6, 2018.

When speaking, the average person uses about five filler words—such as um and uh —per minute, Noah Zandan, CEO and co-founder of science firm Quantified Communications, writes for the Harvard Business Review .

While these verbal crutches are common, overusing them can hurt your credibility in interviews or make audiences less interested in what you have to say. Fortunately, it's possible to eliminate this habit with a bit of practice, no matter how uncomfortable or nervous you may feel when speaking in public.

The next time you feel like or you know start to form on your lips, take a short pause instead. "Great public speakers often pause for two to three seconds or even longer," Zandan writes. "Our phonetic data shows that the average speaker only uses 3.5 pauses per minute, and that's not enough."

Although a short pause may feel like an eternity to you, Zandan notes that doing so can make you appear calmer and more collected. For that reason, people with a fear of public speaking could stand to benefit the most from this tip. (However, studies have shown that filler words aren't necessarily related to nerves. Rather, they're used to vocalize an upcoming pause while you search for a forgotten word or plan out your next sentence. Uh usually signals that a short pause is coming, while um typically denotes a longer pause.)

Instead of vocalizing your need to gather your thoughts, though, just take an actual pause. Not only will it give you time to take a deep breath and get back on track, but it may also enhance your speech. When they're strategically placed, pauses can build suspense, drive home a point, mark a transition to a new topic, or give the audience time to process what you've just said. However, this only tends to work for pauses under five seconds, so time them accordingly.

For this practice to become a habit, you'll have to become cognizant of your speech patterns. Try recording yourself the next time you give a public talk and play it back to help you identify which filler words you use the most. Once you're aware of the areas that need improvement, they will be easier to fix. If you need a little extra help, Zandan suggests enlisting a friend or family member to clap or snap each time you use a filler word, which will help make you more aware of the problem. It's, uh, sure to do the trick.

[h/t Harvard Business Review ]

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Justin Uberti, creator of WebRTC and now Founder of Fixie.ai, shares insights into the development of AI.town, a platform for engaging with AI personalities through voice, and the potential impact of conversational AI on various industries. Please support this podcast on Patreon! http://www.patreon.com/aiinsideshow INTERVIEW TOPICS - Introduction to Justin's background (WebRTC, Hangouts Video, Duo, Stadia) - The shift towards conversational AI and voice interactions - Fixie.ai and AI.town - enabling voice conversations with AI characters - Transitioning from text-based to voice-based AI interactions, potential use cases - Creating AI characters, enabling role-play conversations - Ethical considerations and voice cloning technology - The nature of human conversation (filler words, turn-taking protocols) - Incorporating human conversational quirks into AI speech - V1 vs V2 voice technology (speech recognition - text - speech vs. direct speech-to-speech) - Open-source speech AI model Ultravox.ai, leaderboard for fastest AI models (thefastest.ai) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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