Quick answer
How to reduce filler words
Record a short answer, choose one repeated filler, and rehearse the same answer with a pause or a shorter sentence where that filler appears. Compare similar recordings and focus on clarity rather than eliminating every hesitation.
To stop relying on filler words, record a short answer, identify one repeated habit, and practice the same answer with a quiet pause where that habit appears. Start with the opening and the joins between ideas. Do not try to remove every “um,” “like,” or “you know” while also concentrating on your entire delivery.
The goal is a message people can follow, not a zero-filler score. A few hesitations in an unscripted conversation are not a verdict on your intelligence or confidence. Focus on repetitions that distract from the point you want to make.
What counts as a filler word?
A filler is a sound, word, or phrase that occupies space without adding useful meaning in that moment. Common examples include “um,” “uh,” “like,” “you know,” and repeated “basically.” Context matters: a word can be meaningful in one sentence and expendable in another.
| Word or phrase | Meaningful use | Possible filler use |
|---|---|---|
| Like | “It looks like a funnel.” | “We should, like, send it today.” |
| So | “The venue is full, so we need another room.” | Starting every answer with “So, yeah, so...” |
| Actually | “The meeting is actually on Friday, not Thursday.” | Adding “actually” to every sentence without correcting anything |
| You know | Checking shared context in a conversation | Repeating it several times in a single explanation |
| Um or uh | A natural hesitation while formulating an answer | A recurring sound at every sentence boundary that you want to reduce |
Do not blindly delete every occurrence from a transcript. Listen to what the word is doing. A transcript alone may hide a pause, miss a sound, or flag a word that belongs in the sentence.
Find your pattern before trying to fix it
Record a 60-second answer to a familiar question: “What is one change you would make at work or school?” Keep the first attempt. Restarting until you produce a polished version conceals the habit you are trying to observe.
Listen for three things: which filler repeats, where it appears, and what you were trying to do at that point. Use the audio recorder for playback, or practice in Orai to review delivery feedback alongside the recording.
- Before the first sentence: You may be starting before you have chosen an answer.
- Between sections: You may know the ideas but not how to connect them.
- Inside long sentences: You may be trying to formulate too much at once.
- Mostly on unfamiliar questions: The task may need more thinking time or preparation, not just a speaking drill.
These are possibilities to test, not diagnoses. Choose the pattern you actually hear in your recording.
Replace the gap with a pause, not another phrase
Before answering, choose the first point silently. At the end of a thought, stop speaking briefly before beginning the next one. Steven D. Cohen's Harvard Extension guide to reducing filler words similarly recommends pausing before an answer and between ideas.
Before
“Um, I think we should, like, move the meeting because, you know, the client can't join at nine.”
Practice version
“[Pause] We should move the meeting. [Pause] The client can't join at nine.”
The brackets are rehearsal cues, not words to say. Keep the pause comfortable; you do not need a long silence after every sentence. If it feels exaggerated during practice, listen back before deciding it sounds unnatural.
A phrase such as “That's a great question” can become another filler if you use it before every answer. Use words because they serve the conversation, not because they hide the time you need to think.
Use shorter thought groups
Trying to complete a long, winding sentence can leave you searching for the next clause. End the sentence once its point is complete. Then add the supporting detail separately.
One overloaded sentence: “The deadline is Friday and, um, we still need the images and there's also the approval, which, like, might take a while.”
Three thought groups: “The deadline is Friday. We still need the images and final approval. I'll follow up on both today.”
If you often lose the direction of an answer, use a simple point-first structure. For a prepared talk, write the transition between sections instead of hoping “um, so” will connect them.
A five-minute filler-word drill
- Minute 1: Answer one familiar question on a recording without restarting.
- Minute 2: Replay it. Pick one recurring filler and mark two places where it appears.
- Minute 3: Say those two passages again, allowing a pause or splitting the sentence.
- Minute 4: Record the same answer once more. Concentrate on the chosen habit only.
- Minute 5: Compare the attempts. Did the point remain clear? Did the replacement feel usable?
Repeat the exercise another day with a different prompt from the impromptu speech tool. Repeating the same answer helps you practice a change; a new question checks whether you can use it beyond a memorized response.
For scripted practice, the speech pause planner can help you mark natural stopping points. Remove the marks once the pauses feel familiar.
How to measure progress fairly
Compare similar recordings: similar length, topic difficulty, and preparation. A rehearsed story and an unexpected interview question are not a fair before-and-after pair.
If you count fillers, decide what you are counting and use that definition each time. A useful comparison is selected fillers per minute = selected filler count divided by recording length in minutes. A count per 100 words is another option; do not mix the two measures.
Illustrative calculation, not Orai user results: Six selected fillers in two minutes equals three per minute. Four in two minutes equals two per minute. That change is worth noticing only alongside whether the second answer communicates the point clearly.
Keep a short note with the topic, duration, repeated phrase, and one delivery observation. Do not label a single strong recording a permanent improvement or force your speech to become slower and less natural just to lower a count.
What to do during a real conversation
You cannot give someone your full attention while mentally scoring every word you say. Practice the habit separately, then use one simple cue in the conversation: finish the thought and leave a little space.
- If you need to think, pause or say, “Let me think about that for a moment.” Use the phrase when it is true, not automatically.
- If you hear yourself say “um,” continue. Repeatedly apologizing can disrupt the message more than the hesitation.
- If you lose the point, return to it: “What I recommend is...”
- If you do not know an answer, say so rather than filling the space with a guess.
Habits that make practice less useful
Avoid punishing yourself for each filler, asking someone to interrupt every sentence, or treating a count as a measure of your worth. Feedback is more useful when it identifies a pattern and gives you room to try another version.
You also do not need to erase your accent or copy someone else's conversational style. Reduce the repetitions that interfere with your message, keep the language that sounds like you, and evaluate whether listeners can follow what you mean. For a broader rehearsal routine, see how to practice public speaking alone.
Frequently asked questions
How can I stop saying um?
Practice pausing before the first sentence and at the joins between ideas. Record an answer, identify where um repeats, and rehearse those passages before recording again.
Is like always a filler word?
No. Like can express a comparison or other meaning. Decide whether it adds useful meaning in the particular sentence rather than removing every occurrence.
How many filler words are too many?
There is no single count that defines a good speaker. Look for repetition that makes the message harder to follow and compare similar tasks rather than unrelated recordings.
