Filler words are not the problem. They are evidence of a problem. And when you spend your energy trying to eliminate the evidence rather than address the underlying cause, you make yourself more anxious, more self-monitoring, and — paradoxically — more likely to produce more filler words.
Here's what your "um"s are actually telling you.
What filler words actually are
Linguists call them disfluencies: sounds or words that interrupt the flow of fluent speech. They include "um," "uh," "like," "you know," "so," "basically," "right?" — and the verbal equivalents of hesitation like repeated sentence starters ("I — I think that — what I mean is...").
Crucially, they are not random. They are systematically produced at specific moments in speech — typically at the beginning of complex constituents, before unfamiliar words, or when the speaker is navigating uncertainty. That systematicity is the important part. Your filler words are a signal. They are telling you something specific about what's happening cognitively and physiologically in the moment of speaking.
Three things filler words are actually signalling
1. Your thinking speed is outpacing your speaking structure
The most common cause of filler words is a mismatch between how quickly your mind is generating content and how well-organised that content is before it leaves your mouth. Your brain is working hard to formulate the next sentence — and filler words are the sound of that cognitive effort while you buy yourself a fraction of a second.
This is not a speaking problem. It's a preparation problem. When you know your material well and have a clear structure for how you'll present it, your mind doesn't need to pause mid-sentence to figure out what comes next. The filler words disappear — not because you're trying to eliminate them, but because you've removed the conditions that produce them.
2. You're anxious, and your body knows it
Physiological arousal — the kind triggered by high-stakes performance situations — speeds up cognitive processes and increases impulsivity in speech production. You start sentences before you know how they'll end. You generate more content than you can manage. Your internal editor is partially offline.
Again: this is not a speaking problem. It's an arousal regulation problem. Telling someone to "just stop saying um" when their nervous system is in a mild threat response is like telling someone to stop sweating. The advice doesn't map to the mechanism.
3. Your content doesn't have a clear structure yet
A specific subset of filler words — particularly those at the beginnings of sentences ("so," "basically," "I mean") — signal that the speaker is navigating structurally ambiguous territory. They haven't decided yet what the point of this sentence is, so they're buying time while they find it.
The fix is not to silence the filler. The fix is to have a clearer point before you open your mouth.
What to work on instead
Embrace the pause
Silence is the alternative to filler words — and it is categorically more powerful than either. A deliberate two-second pause before a key claim signals confidence and control. It tells your audience: "what I'm about to say is worth waiting for." No filler word can do that.
The problem is that pauses feel far longer to the speaker than to the listener. In the speaker's body, two seconds of silence can feel like ten. This distortion is real, and it's why practising deliberate pauses — actually sitting in the discomfort of silence during practice — is one of the most valuable things you can do. Your nervous system needs to learn that silence is safe.
Prepare structure, not words
Don't memorise scripts. Memorise structure. Know the three points you want to make. Know what comes first, what comes second, what you want your audience to leave with. When the structure is clear, the words can be spontaneous — and the sentences can be complete before they start.
Address the arousal, not the output
If you're someone whose filler words spike specifically in high-pressure situations — presentations, interviews, board meetings — then the most effective practice is simulated pressure. Recording yourself. Practising in front of a small audience. Using AI practice tools that simulate realistic scenarios. Your nervous system doesn't regulate through knowledge. It regulates through repeated exposure.
A practical protocol: from filler words to fluency
- Record a 2-minute response to a common question in your field. Don't prepare a script — just speak. Note where the filler words cluster. This tells you where your structure is weakest.
- Map the structure of that same response. What's your opening claim? What are the two or three supporting points? What's the close? Once mapped, do it again — same question, different words, same structure. Notice the difference.
- Practise the deliberate pause. Speak a sentence out loud. Stop. Count two seconds in silence. Continue. Do this until the silence stops feeling like failure. It will. Eventually it will start to feel like authority.
- Raise the pressure gradually. Practise the same structure in increasingly pressured conditions — with a friend watching, recorded on video, with a tight time limit. Each round builds the pattern recognition that keeps you fluent when the stakes are real.
The bottom line
Your filler words are not a character flaw or a speaking defect. They are a communication diagnostic — pointing to specific, addressable causes. Preparation gaps. Arousal patterns. Structural ambiguity. Address those, and the filler words resolve on their own.
The goal was never silence. The goal was clarity. And clarity comes from thinking clearly, preparing structurally, and practising under conditions that build a confident nervous system. Not from counting your "ums."