Filler Words
- well
- okay
- so
- like
- basically
- actually
- literally
- seriously
- hopefully
Filler Phrases
- I think that
- you know
- what I’m trying to say is
- I mean/you know what I mean?
- I guess/I suppose
- stuff like that
- kind of
Why do we use fillers?
More often than not, we use filler words and phrases such as "um" and "like" because we're thinking or we’re uncertain of what to say next.Perhaps you are searching for the right word, or trying to formulate your next sentence.
Here are some of the most common reasons we use fillers:
- We are searching for the right word. The filler word is the sound of your decision-making process. Using a filler sound allows the speaker to indicate to the audience that there is a delay in the flow of speech.
- We are speaking about a difficult or abstract topic. If you’re speaking about complex, abstract topics, your filler words will probably increase.
- We’re are lacking confidence in what we’re about to say. Often speakers will use more filler before responding to a question, especially when they’re are not 100% sure about their answer. People have a tendency to use fewer fillers if they are confident that their answer is right.
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