How to Stop Using Filler Words in Public Speaking
Filler words such as "um," "like," and "you know" can easily slip into everyday speech, making it harder for listeners to follow your thoughts and diminishing the clarity of your message. While these usually serve as crutch words when we’re unsure or pausing to think, their overuse can undermine confidence and weaken communication.
In this guide, we’ll explore effective techniques on how to stop using filler words, helping you deliver a message that is clear, purposeful, and confident.
Key Takeaways:
Causes of Filler Words: Filler words are often used due to cognitive load, nervousness, or as a habitual response to conversational flow.
Impact on Communication: Excessive filler words can undermine professionalism, distract listeners, and reduce the clarity of your message.
Strategies for Reduction: Techniques like pausing, slowing speech, and practicing mindfulness help reduce reliance on filler words for clearer communication.
Communication Coaching Assistance: Professional communication coaches can offer personalized guidance to address underlying issues and enhance speech fluency by reducing fillers.
Long-Term Benefits: Eliminating filler words improves confidence, listener engagement, and the perception of intelligence, making communication more effective overall.
Why Do People Use Filler Words?
The Negative Effects of Using Filler Words
Strategies to Stop Using Filler Words When Public Speaking
Eliminate Filler Words and Boost Confidence with a Communication Coach
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Stop Using Filler Words
Why Do People Use Filler Words?
A filler word can serve as a placeholder in speech, helping people maintain the flow of conversation while they organize their thoughts. There are several reasons why individuals use these words:
Cognitive Load: When someone is thinking through complex ideas or trying to recall specific information, filler words can give them extra time to process what they want to say. This happens because the brain is managing multiple tasks—forming sentences, selecting vocabulary, and structuring thoughts in real-time.
Nervousness or Anxiety: Many people resort to filler words when anxious or unsure, especially in high-pressure situations like public speaking. Filler words fill the silence and avoid awkward pauses, increasing a speaker’s sense of control.
Cultural and Habitual Factors: Filler words are sometimes used out of habit. In certain social or cultural contexts, they can even be seen as informal ways to engage with listeners, signaling that a conversation is casual or relaxed. Over time, people may internalize these words as a natural part of their speech patterns without realizing it.
The Negative Effects of Using Filler Words
Using filler words can significantly impact how you’re perceived as a speaker. In formal or casual settings, excessive fillers like "um" or "like" can undermine your message, causing listeners to question your credibility and professionalism. Here's a look at the negative effects of filler words and why eliminating them is crucial for clear, effective communication.
Credibility and Professionalism
Excessive use of filler words such as "uh," "um," and "like" can diminish a speaker’s credibility. People who frequently rely on fillers may appear less confident or knowledgeable about their subject matter in formal speaking situations.
This can lead to a perception that the speaker is unsure, unprepared, or lacking authority, which may damage their professional image. Clear and concise speech signals competence, and reducing filler words helps build a more professional presence.
Distraction to Listeners
Filler words can be highly distracting for listeners. When overused, they interrupt the flow of communication and shift the audience’s attention away from the message to the speaker's verbal habits.
These interruptions can cause listeners to lose focus or become disengaged, making it harder for them to absorb the content being presented. In contrast, eliminating fillers allows for smoother communication, making the message more engaging and easier to follow.
Reduced Clarity of Message
Using too many filler words can muddle the clarity of a message. By filling pauses with unnecessary words, speakers may obscure their main points, making it more difficult for the audience to understand their arguments or key ideas.
This lack of precision can undermine communication effectiveness, leading to misinterpretation or confusion. Streamlining speech by minimizing fillers helps speakers convey their message clearly and effectively.
Impact on Written Communication
While filler words are primarily an issue in spoken communication, they can also negatively influence writing if the speaker's habitual use of fillers creeps into written work. Using unnecessary words or phrases in emails, reports, or presentations can make writing seem disorganized or informal.
This lack of polish can detract from the overall communication professionalism, weakening the writer's credibility and the impact of their message. Clear, focused writing requires the same level of thoughtfulness as spoken communication, making it essential to avoid filler language in both mediums.
Strategies to Stop Using Filler Words When Public Speaking
Filler words can diminish the clarity and impact of your communication. Here are several strategies that can help you eliminate fillers and improve overall communication skills.
Pause and Breathe
One of the most straightforward strategies for eliminating filler words is learning to pause. Instead of filling a gap, practice pausing and breathing. This helps calm your nerves, gives you a moment to think, and allows for a more measured response. Pausing also signals to your audience that you’re collecting your thoughts, which comes across as composed and intentional rather than awkward.
Slow Down Your Speech
Speaking too quickly can lead to using filler words as you try to catch up with your thoughts. By slowing down, you give yourself more time to process what you want to say, reducing the chances of filling silences with unnecessary words. Practice speaking slower in conversations, presentations, and speeches, paying attention to pacing.
Practice Mindfulness and Active Listening
Being present in conversations can naturally reduce your use of filler words. You become more intentional in your responses by actively listening and focusing on what others are saying. Mindfulness also helps you recognize when you’re about to use a filler word, allowing you to stop and redirect.Increase Your Awareness Through Recordings
Many people do not realize how often they use filler words. Recording yourself during conversations, presentations, or practice sessions allows you to become more conscious of your speech patterns. By listening to the playback, you can identify the specific filler words you tend to overuse and focus on reducing them. This method helps build self-awareness, making it easier to monitor your progress and set clear goals for improvement over time.Prepare Thoroughly
The more familiar you are with your subject matter, the less likely you are to use filler words. Thorough preparation can help you speak more confidently and clearly. Outline your thoughts beforehand, practice aloud, and rehearse key points until you feel comfortable.Limit Multitasking in Speech
Often, people use filler words when their brains are processing multiple things at once. Focus on saying one sentence at a time, then think about the next idea. You can speak more fluidly without resorting to filler words by reducing mental clutter.Expand Your Vocabulary
A limited vocabulary can lead to filler words when searching for the correct term. Expanding your vocabulary gives you more precise words, reducing the need for verbal fillers. Reading widely, learning new words, and practicing their use in everyday conversations can help.Seek Feedback
Ask a colleague, a family member, a friend, or a coach to listen to your speech and provide feedback on your use of filler words. External feedback can help reinforce your self-awareness and keep you on track as you work on eliminating them.
Eliminate Filler Words and Boost Confidence with a Communication Coach
Working with a communication coach can be incredibly effective for individuals who struggle to reduce filler words. Speech therapists make ideal communication coaches due to their deep understanding of speech mechanics, language development, and social communication strategies.
They can also address underlying issues like anxiety or processing difficulties that contribute to the overuse of fillers. With targeted coaching or therapy sessions, you’ll improve your speech delivery and enhance your overall communication skills for personal and professional interactions.
A communication coach can help refine presentation skills, teach strategies for engaging an audience, and provide tools for handling high-pressure speaking situations, allowing you to sound confident, clear, and purposeful in any communication setting.
Great leaders understand the importance of clear communication. Working with a communication coach helps them reduce filler words, refine presentation techniques, and sharpen their speaking skills. By receiving tailored feedback and accountability, leaders can consistently improve how they convey ideas and engage their audience.
Whether managing team meetings, delivering public speeches, or navigating high-pressure situations, a communication coach ensures leaders communicate with impact, confidence, and precision—allowing them to inspire, motivate, and lead effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Stop Using Filler Words
1. What causes people to use filler words in conversations?
Filler words, like "um" or "like," are often used due to nervousness, cognitive overload, or as a habit to fill pauses while thinking. They can also result from processing delays or anxiety, making it harder for some individuals to find the right words quickly.
2. Can working with a communication coach help reduce filler words?
Yes! A communication coach, especially a speech therapist, can provide personalized strategies to help reduce filler words. They target underlying causes such as anxiety or fast speech and offer tailored techniques for more straightforward, more confident communication.
3. What are some practical strategies to reduce filler words in daily conversations?
Practical strategies include slowing down your speech, practicing pausing instead of using fillers, and using mindfulness to stay focused when speaking. Recording yourself and reviewing your speech can also help build awareness, allowing you to track progress and identify improvement areas.
How Connected Speech Pathology Can Help
At Connected Speech Pathology, we specialize in helping individuals reduce filler words and improve overall communication to sound more polished and professional. As licensed speech-language pathologists (SLPs), we are uniquely qualified to serve as communication coaches, offering insights into speech mechanics, language development, and social communication strategies. We deliver all services remotely, making it convenient for clients to access our expertise from anywhere.
Our team has worked with individuals preparing for interviews and public presentations and corporate professionals aiming to refine their communication. Additionally, we partner with small and large corporations to enhance workplace communication, ensuring clear, effective dialogue across all professional settings. Whether you want to improve personal communication or company-wide interactions, we provide tailored coaching for optimal results.
Summary
Eliminating filler words from your speech is vital to becoming a more confident and effective communicator. By recognizing your speech patterns, practicing mindfulness, and using strategies like pausing, you can significantly reduce the use of filler words. Over time, this will help you express yourself more clearly and professionally, enhancing your credibility in personal and professional settings.
About the Author
Allison Geller is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and the owner of Connected Speech Pathology. She obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Florida in Speech-Language Pathology. Allison has practiced speech therapy in a number of settings including telepractice, acute care, outpatient rehabilitation, and private practice. She has worked extensively with individuals across the lifespan including toddlers, preschoolers, school-aged children, and adults. She specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of a variety of communication disorders including receptive/expressive language disorders, articulation disorders, voice disorders, fluency disorders, brain injury, and swallowing disorders.
Allison served as the clinical coordinator of research in aphasia in the Neurological Institute at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. She is on the Board of Directors for the Corporate Speech Pathology Network (CORSPAN), a Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) certified clinician, and a proud Family Empowerment Scholarship/Step-Up For Students provider. Allison is passionate about delivering high quality-effective treatment remotely because it’s convenient and easy to access. What sets us apart from other online speech therapy options is—Allison takes great care to hire the very best SLPs from all over the country.
