Filler Words to Avoid: um, actually, you know
Fillers make you sound unsure. Spot your habits and replace them with confident pauses.
4 min read · Published 2026-07-16
Fillers are pause-fillers we use when thinking: "um", "uh", "like", "you know", "actually", "basically", "I mean", "sort of". A few are fine. Too many hurt clarity and make you sound unsure, especially in interviews and presentations.
Common fillers
um, uh, like, you know, actually, basically, I mean, sort of, okay so, right.
Why avoid
They signal nervousness and fill space instead of adding meaning. In interviews they cost marks because they make answers vague. In presentations they bore the audience.
The fix: pause
Silence is fine. Take a breath instead of "um". A calm pause sounds confident and gives your brain time to find the word. Practise pausing for one second before answering.
How to spot yours
Record a 1-minute talk on any topic. Count fillers. Most people find 10-20. Aim for under 3. The number shocks you into awareness, which is half the battle.
Replace with structure
Instead of "um, I think, like, we should, you know, do it", say "I recommend we do it." Fillers often hide a missing structure. Give your sentence a clear subject and verb.
In written chat
Fillers leak into text too: "actually", "basically", "I mean". Trim them in messages and posts. "Let us meet" beats "So basically I was thinking maybe we could meet." Clear writing and clear speech share the same root: say the thing, then stop.
SpeakNow feedback
The app flags filler words in your speech so you see real numbers, not guesses. Watch your count drop week over week.
7-day plan
Day 1-2: notice your fillers. Day 3-4: pause instead of filling. Day 5-7: aim for clean answers with one breath between sentences. Small wins stack into a confident speaking style.
Less filler equals more authority. Your words carry weight when there is space around them.
In written chat
Fillers leak into text too: 'actually', 'basically', 'I mean'. Trim them in messages and posts. 'Let us meet' beats 'So basically I was thinking maybe we could meet.' Clear writing and clear speech share the same root: say the thing, then stop.
Start today
In your next conversation, pause instead of saying 'um'. Count nothing, just breathe. One day of conscious pausing rewires the habit more than a week of worrying about it. Silence, used well, is confident. If you record just once a week, you will hear your own progress, and hearing it is what makes the new habit stick where willpower alone fails.