Guide

How to stop saying "um" and "like"

Everyone uses filler words. A few are fine; a lot of them make you sound less sure than you are. Here's why they happen and how to cut them down with short, regular practice.

What counts as a filler word

Filler words are sounds or words that fill a gap while your brain catches up. The common ones in English:

• sounds: "um", "uh", "er"
• words: "like", "so", "basically", "actually", "literally", "right"
• phrases: "you know", "I mean", "kind of", "sort of"

There's a related group worth watching too: hedges, like "I think maybe" or "I'm not sure, but". They aren't fillers exactly, but they make your point sound weaker than it is.

You don't need to get to zero. A natural "um" now and then is part of normal speech. The aim is to stop fillers from being the thing people notice.

Why they happen

Fillers usually appear in one of three moments:

1. When you're deciding what to say next. Your mouth keeps going while your mind plans the next sentence.
2. When you're nervous. Silence feels longer and more awkward than it really is, so you fill it.
3. Out of habit. Some words, like "basically" or "so", become a tic you add to the start of sentences without noticing.

Each has a slightly different fix.

Technique 1: replace the filler with a pause

This is the single most useful change. When you feel an "um" coming, close your mouth and pause instead. To you, a one-second pause feels long. To a listener, it sounds thoughtful and calm.

It helps to pause deliberately at full stops and between points. If you're already used to pausing, the filler has less space to sneak in.

Technique 2: slow down a little

Fillers increase when you speak faster than you can think. Slowing down by a small amount gives your thinking time to keep up. You don't need to sound slow, just unhurried. A useful target for interviews and talks is roughly 120 to 160 words per minute.

Technique 3: know your next sentence before you start it

Many fillers come at the start of a sentence, while you work out where it's going. Before you speak, have the main point of the sentence in mind. In interviews, structures like the STAR method help because you always know what comes next: situation, task, action, result.

Technique 4: finish your sentences

A lot of "so" and "and um" comes from running one sentence into the next. Let each sentence end. Bring your voice down slightly at the end, pause, then start the next one.

Technique 5: become aware of your own habit

You can't change a habit you don't notice. Record yourself answering a question or explaining something for a minute, then listen back and count. Most people are surprised: they often have one favourite filler that accounts for most of the total. Once you know yours, you'll start catching it while you speak.

A simple practice routine

• Daily, one minute: talk about an everyday topic, like your morning or a film you liked, aiming for no more than two fillers. Pause instead of filling.
• A few times a week: answer a real interview question or rehearse part of your talk, and count fillers afterwards.
• Before an important day: run through your opening a few times. Fillers cluster in the first minute when nerves are highest, so a well-rehearsed start helps.

Short, regular practice works better than one long session. A minute a day for two weeks makes a noticeable difference for most people.

Common mistakes

• Trying to stop fillers by speaking faster. It usually creates more.
• Over-correcting into silence or a monotone. You want natural pauses, not a stiff delivery.
• Memorising a script to avoid fillers. If you lose your place, the fillers come back in a rush. Know your points, not every word.
• Judging yourself mid-sentence. If an "um" slips out, carry on. Stopping to correct yourself draws more attention to it.

Practise it in Kayavak

Use the Filler-free minute drill: you get a topic and a minute to talk, with a goal of no more than two filler words. Every filler and hedge is highlighted in your transcript afterwards, so you can see which word is your habit. Pair it with the Steady pace drill if you notice your fillers rise when you speed up, and try a presentation practice run-through once the drills feel easy.