Have you ever listened to a recording of yourself and cringed at the amount of times you said “Umm,” “Ahh,” or “You know”?
You are not alone. In Toastmasters, we call these “Crutch Words” or “Filler Words.” They are the sounds we make when our brain is trying to catch up with our mouth. While a few are natural, sing them in every sentence can damage your credibility and make you sound unsure of yourself, according to research from Harvard Business Review.
The good news? You can train them out of your vocabulary. Here are 5 proven techniques to silence the “Umms” forever.
1. Embrace the Power of the Pause
The number one reason we use filler words is that we are afraid of silence. We feel the need to fill every second with sound.
Shift your mindset: Silence is not empty; it is powerful.
When you finish a thought, simply stop. Close your mouth. Take a breath. This split-second of silence does two things:
- It gives your audience time to digest what you just said.
- It gives you time to formulate your next sentence.
2. One Thought, One Look
This is a classic technique used by professional speakers.
- Lock eyes with one person in the audience.
- Deliver one complete sentence or thought to them.
- Pause.
- Move your eyes to a different person.
- Deliver the next sentence.
When you are focused on connecting with a specific person, your brain naturally focuses on the message rather than the filler.
3. The “Chunking” Method
Filler words often hide in long, run-on sentences. If you try to speak in huge paragraphs, your brain will run out of gas halfway through and insert an “Umm” while it refuels.
Try “Chunking” your speech. Break your content into short, punchy sentences.
- Bad: “So, we went to the store, and umm, we couldn’t find the milk, so then…”
- Good: “We went to the store. We couldn’t find the milk. Then, we left.”
4. Record and Audit Yourself
You cannot fix what you cannot hear.
- Record your next speech (or even a phone call).
- Listen back and count your filler words.
- Identify your specific “poison.” Do you say “Umm”? Do you start sentences with “So…”? Do you end them with “…right?”
Once you are aware of your specific habit, you will catch yourself before you say it next time. Don’t forget to time yourself while you practice. Here’s a tool to time yourself.
5. Slow Down
Nerves make us speak faster. When we speak faster than we can think, filler words bridge the gap.
Make a conscious effort to slow down by 20%. It might feel sluggish to you, but to the audience, it will sound deliberate, thoughtful, and authoritative.
Summary
Eliminating filler words doesn’t happen overnight. It takes practice. Start by trying to catch just one “Umm” per day. Replace it with a pause, and watch your confidence—and your audience’s engagement—soar.
