Delivery & Voice
Filler Words Management

Reduce ums, uhs, like, you know by inserting purposeful pauses.

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What & why

What it is
The practice of minimizing unnecessary vocal fillers (um, uh, like, you know) that can distract from your message. Effective management involves replacing fillers with strategic pauses or eliminating them entirely.
Why it works

Fillers emerge when speech rate exceeds thought rate, creating verbal placeholders. Strategic pausing allows cognitive catching up, replacing unconscious fillers with intentional silence that appears more confident and thoughtful.

Before & after

Before

“Um so we uh like should maybe ship it next week.”

After

“We should ship it next week. [pause] Here is the plan.”

When you’ll use it

Handling unexpected questions in Q&A sessions

Leading impromptu discussions or brainstorms

Media interviews requiring polished delivery

Executive presentations where every word matters

Podcast recording for professional content

Virtual presentations where fillers are more noticeable

Pro tip

Replace a filler with a silent beat.

Questions & answers

3 questions

Should I eliminate all filler words completely?

Not necessarily. A few fillers can make you sound more human and approachable. Aim to reduce them...

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What's the fastest way to reduce filler words?

Slow down and pause. Most fillers happen when we speak faster than we think. Practice the 'pause ...

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Do different fillers mean different things?

'Um' often signals searching for words, 'uh' indicates processing, 'like' can be a quotative or a...

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Learn more

Wikipedia
Harvard Business Review - Stop Using Filler Words

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