Um, uh, like, you know, recording, feedback

How to stop using filler words

To stop using filler words, learn which one you lean on, since each has its own fix. Um and uh buy planning time and give way to a closed-mouth pause; like and so fade once you hear them.

Which one slips out most?

Not sure? Install Confidently from the App Store or Google Play; it counts the fillers in a 30-second take for you.

Silence and pace break the habit: track your rate, keep breathing at each pause, rehearse aloud and the fillers fade.

  • Count your rate
  • Embrace the silence
  • The "period" method
  • Rehearse out loud

Last reviewed

Um counter

Talk for one minute about what you did last weekend.

Harder round: arguing a side raises the planning load; take one of these persuasive speech topics for a tougher count.

Who taps?
60

Pick who taps, then start. Every tap adds a stroke.

Your last ten counts

    Aim for lower than last time, not for zero.

    Three stages to break the habit

    1. Build Awareness

      Record yourself

      Talk about your day into your phone for a minute, then play it back with the counter open.

      Ask for feedback

      Have a friend tap while you talk, or raise a finger each time one slips out, so you start to hear it live.

      Count your rate

      Fillers divided by minutes. Counting ums and uhs in practice gives you a benchmark to track over time, as this guide to dropping um points out.

      Move on when
      your top filler is no surprise anymore when the counter shows it.

    2. Practice Strategic Pauses

      Embrace the silence

      A gap feels long to you and normal to listeners. Pausing gives your point impact, gives listeners time to think and you time to breathe, and helps the message stick, says AmberWillo's voice guide.

      Close your mouth

      An um needs an open mouth. Shut your lips as each sentence ends and the sound has nowhere to go.

      The "period" method

      Treat each sentence end as a full stop: drop the pitch, close the mouth, breathe. In practice, say "PAUSE" out loud whenever a filler escapes; that guide reports the drill makes them rarer.

      Move on when
      a pause no longer feels like a mistake.

    3. Slow Down and Breathe

      Slow your pace

      Speaking slower gives your brain time to find the next word before a gap opens.

      Exhale and inhale

      Breathe from the belly (diaphragmatic breathing): hand on your stomach, breathe in until the hand rises, then speak on the out breath. Take the next breath at a pause.

      Rehearse out loud

      Silent reading does not train your mouth. Say the talk aloud in short phrases, then have the free app tally one short take.

      Move on when
      three logged counts in a row sit below your first one.

    Why we say um

    Filler words are sounds and short words such as um, uh, like and you know that fill a gap while your brain plans the next part. A 2002 paper in Cognition found speakers use uh to announce a short delay and um a longer one, and plan them like any other word. A 2001 study in Language and Speech found more disfluency when the speaker led the task and when the topic was abstract, which ties fillers to harder planning.

    The root is timing: speech comes out slower than thought, so fillers buy thinking time, and grouping words into meaningful phrases helps, according to AmberWillo. Nerves make the gaps feel longer, so fillers jump when stage fright hits.

    Are a few fillers a problem?

    Not always. In a 2001 Memory & Cognition study in English and Dutch, hearing uh helped listeners recognize the next words, while um made no difference either way. A 2011 Journal of Memory and Language paper found fillers in recorded stories helped listeners recall them, while coughs of the same length hurt recall. The goal is fewer, not none.

    What to say instead

    Swap table: each filler and its replacement
    FillerWhen it shows upUse instead
    um, uhWhile you search for the next ideaA closed-mouth pause
    likeBefore an example or a guessCut it, or say "for example"
    you knowWhen you want a sign that people followStop and find one face
    soOpening an answerStart with the point

    For everything else about delivery, these public speaking tips cover eye contact, notes and timing.

    Practice without the crutch

    Let something else do the counting

    Tapping a counter gets old fast. Confidently tallies the fillers for you in a thirty second take and grades both your delivery and your expression. Every take begins from two unexpected prompt words and ends with a single next step.

    Take the free 30-second test

    Free on iPhone and Android

    App StoreGoogle Play

    Fillers multiply when people are watching. With AmberWillo you join a compact video group and can practice pausing while real listeners watch, scored turn by turn.

    Reader questions

    How to break the habit of using filler words?

    Count first, then replace. Log your rate once a day, swap each filler for a short closed-mouth pause, and slow down a little.

    How do I stop using the filler word "like"?

    Notice where it lands. If it sits before an example, say "for example". When it only stalls, cut it and pause.

    What to do instead of using filler words?

    Pause with your mouth closed, take a breath and go on. Silence sounds more sure of itself than a sound.

    Why should I stop using filler words?

    A few are fine, but a steady stream pulls attention from your point. Fewer fillers mean listeners hear your words, not the gaps.

    How do I turn off filler words?

    You can't switch them off; you replace them. Each time you catch one, put a pause in its place, and the habit fades with practice. The free app counts them for you.

    Why do girls say "um"?

    Everyone says it. The studies cited here link um to planning the next part of what you say, not to gender.

    Sources

    1. Using uh and um in spontaneous speaking, Cognition, 2002.
    2. Disfluency rates in conversation, Language and Speech, 2001, PMID 11575901.
    3. Listeners' uses of um and uh in speech comprehension, Memory & Cognition, 2001, PMID 11352215.
    4. The disfluent discourse: effects of filled pauses on recall, Journal of Memory and Language, 2011, PMID 21765590.
    5. Stop filler words, AmberWillo.
    6. How to stop saying um, AmberWillo.
    7. Public speaking voice, AmberWillo.