Filler Words
A list of English filler words, why they appear, and a five-step method to stop saying um, with practice prompts that count your fillers automatically.
Filler words are the ums, uhs, likes, and you knows that fill the gap while you decide what to say next. Everyone uses them. The problem starts when they appear every few seconds, because listeners stop hearing your point and start counting.
This page lists the most common filler words in English, explains why they appear, and gives a five-step method for cutting them. Each practice prompt opens a timed session in Speakeroo that counts your fillers automatically, so you can see the number drop.
Filler words list
The most common fillers in spoken English, grouped by what they do.
- um, uh, er, ah, hmmPure sounds that hold the floor while you think. The most noticed and the easiest to replace with a pause.
- like, you know, I mean, kind of, sort ofWords that soften or delay a statement. "Like" is the most common filler among speakers under forty.
- so, well, okay so, basically, actually, literallySentence starters that carry no information. Cutting them makes an answer sound direct.
- right?, you know what I mean?, okay?, yeah?Check-ins that ask the listener to agree. Fine once, tiring on repeat.
- just, really, honestly, to be honest, at the end of the dayHedges that weaken a claim you actually believe.
- and, and then, and so, and also, but yeahConnectors used to avoid ending a sentence. The fix is a full stop.
Why we say um
- Thinking faster than you can speakThe next word has not arrived, so the mouth makes a sound to keep the turn. Slowing down by ten percent removes most of these.
- Fear of losing the floorIn conversation, silence invites interruption. In a presentation or interview nobody will interrupt, so the pause is safe.
- Sentences with too many ideasLong sentences run out of plan halfway. The filler covers the moment you decide where the sentence is going.
- Reaching for a hard wordFillers spike before names, numbers, and technical terms. Knowing the hard word is coming lets you pause on purpose.
- Habit you cannot hearHabit. Some fillers are pure reflex and only show up on a recording. Hearing them is most of the cure.
Practice prompts to reduce filler words
Sixty-second answers with a filler count at the end. Aim to bring the number down across three attempts, not to reach zero.
- Describe your job to someone who has never heard of it.
- Explain how to get from your home to the nearest station.
- Tell the story of your last holiday in one minute.
- Give a one-minute update on a project you are working on.
- Describe the plot of the last film you watched.
- Explain a rule of a sport you know well.
- Tell us about a time you solved a problem at work.
- Describe your ideal weekend in detail.
- Explain why you chose your current job or course.
- Give directions for making your favourite meal.
- Answer: what are your strengths?
- Answer: why should we hire you?
- Describe a person who influenced you.
- Explain what you did yesterday, hour by hour.
- Summarise the news story you read most recently.
What to say instead of um
- NothingA silent pause of half a second to one second. It reads as confidence, not hesitation.
- A full stopFinish the sentence with a full stop. Start the next one when it is ready.
- A named pause"Let me think about that for a second." Honest, and it buys real time.
- The question, restatedRepeat the question or the last key phrase. It sounds deliberate and gives the brain a moment.
- A signpost"There are two reasons." Naming the structure first gives you a map to follow and removes the filler between points.
How to stop using filler words
- 1
Measure your baseline
Record one minute on any topic and count the fillers, or let Speakeroo count them. Most people are surprised by the number and by which word they lean on.
- 2
Replace the filler with a pause
Every time you feel an um coming, close your mouth and breathe instead. The silence is shorter than it feels. Practise a full one-second pause between sentences until it stops feeling awkward.
- 3
Plan the first sentence
Fillers cluster at the start of sentences and before hard words. Decide your first sentence before you open your mouth, and slow down as you reach the difficult part instead of filling.
- 4
Shorten the sentence
Speak in shorter sentences. A sentence with one idea ends naturally; a sentence with three ideas runs out of breath and gets patched with "and, um, so".
- 5
Repeat and compare
Repeat the same one-minute topic three times over a week and compare the counts. Progress is fast once you can hear the habit.
Questions
What are filler words?
Filler words are the sounds and phrases we use to hold our place while we think: um, uh, like, you know, so, basically, actually, right. They carry no meaning. A few are normal in conversation; a lot of them make a speaker sound unsure and make the listener work harder.
How do I stop saying um?
You say um when your mouth is ready before your brain is. The fix is not to speak faster but to allow silence: a pause of one second feels long to you and sounds thoughtful to everyone else. Most people cut fillers in half just by learning what their own baseline sounds like.
How many filler words per minute is normal?
Native speakers average around two to five fillers per minute in conversation and far fewer in prepared speech. Under three per minute is unremarkable; above six starts to be noticed. Speakeroo counts them for you after each recording so you have a real number instead of a guess.
Do filler words matter in interviews?
Yes, when a lot of them appear in the first minute or in the answer to a hard question. Interviewers read them as uncertainty. Practising your most likely answers out loud with a filler count is the quickest way to bring the number down before the interview.
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