Conversational Fillers

Filler Sounds, Filler Words, and Filler Phrases
This article uses the collective term “filler words”, but this is really a convenient
shorthand for three speech-fillers:
Here is that list again:
Filler Sounds:
• um
• uh
• ah
• er
• hmm
• mhm
• uh huh
Filler Words and hedge words
• well
• okay
• so
• like
• basically
• actually
• literally
• seriously
• hopefully
• probably
• possibly
• quite
• relatively
• reasonably
• fairly
Filler Phrases
• I think that
• you know
• what I’m trying to say is
• you see
• I mean/you know what I mean?
• at the end of the day
• believe me
• I guess/I suppose
• or something
• stuff like that
• kind of
Why do we use fillers?
More often than not, we use filler words and phrases such as “um” and “like”
because we’re thinking or we’re uncertain of what to say next.
Perhaps you are searching for the right word, or trying to formulate your next
sentence.
Here are some of the most common reasons we use fillers:

• We are searching for the right word. The filler word is the sound of your
decision-making process. Using a filler sound allows the speaker to indicate
to the audience that there is a delay in the flow of speech.
• We are speaking about a difficult or abstract topic. During lectures,

humanities professors use filler sounds 4.76 times per hundred words, which
is substantially more than professors of natural sciences who use them 1.47
times per hundred words. It is believed that this is because it is harder to
express abstract ideas. If you’re speaking about complex, abstract topics,
your filler words will probably increase.
• We’re are lacking confidence in what we’re about to say. Often speakers
will use more filler before responding to a question, especially when they’re
are not 100% sure about their answer. People have a tendency to use fewer
fillers if they are confident that their answer is right.
• As placeholders to let the audience know we’re going to continue

speaking. While this is more common in conversations, often people will
use fillers to make sure they are not interrupted. It is a social cue that you are
going to continue talking.
USE of FILLER words:

1. Well
“Well” can be used in a few different ways. You can use it to show that you’re
thinking.
“Well, I guess $20 is a good price for a pair of jeans.”
You can also use it to put a pause in a sentence.
“The apples and cinnamon go together like, well, apples and cinnamon.”
You can even use the word to stall.
“Well… fine, you can borrow my car.”
2. Um/er/uh
“Um,” “er” and “uh” are mostly used for hesitation, such as when you don’t know
the answer or don’t want to answer.
“Um, er, I uh thought the project was due tomorrow, not today.”
You can use any of the words at any time—they don’t all have to go together.
“Umm… I like the yellow dress better!”
3. Hmm
“Hmm” is a thoughtful sound, and it shows that you’re thinking or trying to decide
something.
“Hmm, I like the pink bag but I think I’ll buy the black one instead.”
4. Like
“Like” is sometimes used to mean something is not exact.
“My neighbor has like ten dogs.”

In the above example, the neighbor probably doesn’t have exactly ten dogs. Rather,
the neighbor has a lot of dogs.
Usually, though, the word is used when you need a moment to figure out the next
word to use.
“My friend was like, completely ready to like kick me out of the car if I didn’t stop
using the word ‘like’.”
Keep in mind that the word “like” as a filler is seen as a negative thing. The word
is often overused by young females, and can make you sound like you’re not sure
what you’re talking about.
5. Actually/Basically/Seriously
“Actually,” “basically” and “seriously” are all adverbs—words that describe

actions. Many adverbs (though not all of them) have an “-ly” at the end of the
word, which makes it easier to recognize them. All these words can be used as
fillers which change the strength of a statement.
For example, the word “actually” is used to point out something you think is true,
when others might not agree:
“Actually, pugs are really cute!”
“Basically” and “seriously” change the sentence in slightly different ways too.
“Basically” is used when you’re summarizing something, and “seriously” is used
to show how strongly you take the statement.
“Basically, the last Batman movie was seriously exciting!”
Other adverbs that are often used as fillers are “totally,” “literally” and “clearly.”
• The word “literally” means “something that is true,” but many times in
conversation it’s used with a different meaning: to state strong feelings. For
example, you’re not just laughing you’re literally dying from laughter.
• “Totally” means “completely,” and is used to emphasize (show that you feel
strongly) about something.
• The word “clearly” means the same as obviously, and is used to state
something that is very obviously true.
These three words don’t have to be used together either, but here they are in one
sentence:
“Clearly you totally didn’t see me, even though I was literally in front of your
face.”
6. You see
“You see” is used to share a fact that you assume the listener doesn’t know.
“I was going to try the app, but you see, I ran out of space on my phone.”
7. You know
“You know” is used to share something that you assume the listener already
knows.
“We stayed at that hotel, you know, the one down the street from Times Square.”
It can also be used instead of an explanation, in cases where we feel the listener
just understands what you mean.
“When the elevator went down, I got that weird feeling in my ears, you know?”
8. I mean
“I mean” is used to clarify or emphasize how you feel about something.
“I mean, he’s a great guy, I’m just not sure if he’s a good doctor.”
It’s also used to make corrections when you misspeak.
“The duck and the tiger were awesome but scary. I mean, the tiger was scary, not
the duck.”
“The cave is two thousand—I mean—twenty thousand years old!”
9. You know what I mean?
“You know what I mean?” is used to make sure the listener is following what
you’re saying.
“I really like that girl, you know what I mean?”
10. At the end of the day
“At the end of the day” is a phrase that means “in the end” or “in conclusion.”
“At the end of the day, we’re all just humans, and we all make mistakes.”
11. Believe me
“Believe me” is a way of asking your listener to trust what you’re saying.
“Believe me, I didn’t want this tiny house, but it was the only one I could afford.”
It’s also used to emphasize what you’re about to say.
“Believe me, this is the cheapest, tiniest house ever!”
12. I guess/I suppose
“I guess” and “I suppose” are used to show that you’re hesitant, or not really sure
about what you’re saying.
“I was going to eat dinner at home, but I guess I can go eat at a restaurant
instead.”
“I guess” is used more often in speech, but “I suppose” can sound classier (a bit
smarter).
13. Or something
“Or something” is a sentence ending that means you’re not being exact.
“The cake uses two sticks of butter and ten eggs, or something like that.”
14. Okay/so
“Okay” and “so” are usually used to start sentences, and can be a sign that a new
topic is starting.
“So what are you doing next weekend?”
They can also be used to introduce a summary.
“Okay, so we’re going to need to buy supplies for our trip this weekend.”
15. Right/mhm/uh huh
“Right,” “mhm” and “uh huh” are all affirmative responses—they all mean a “yes”
response.
“Right, so let’s prepare a list of all the things we’ll need.”
“Uh huh, that’s exactly what he told me too.”
Right, so you should be an expert on filler words by now! Some of these words and
phrases can be hard to use correctly, since the meaning is so subtle and slight.
Master the use of filler words and you will be sounding like a native speaker in
literally no time.

Conversational Fillers

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Conversational Fillers

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Filler Sounds, Filler Words, and Filler Phrases

Here is that list again:

Filler Words and hedge words

• what I’m trying to say is

• I mean/you know what I mean?

• at the end of the day

• stuff like that

Why do we use fillers?

Here are some of the most common reasons we use fillers:

• We are speaking about a difficult or abstract topic. During lectures,

• As placeholders to let the audience know we’re going to continue

USE of FILLER words:

“Well, I guess $20 is a good price for a pair of jeans.”

You can also use it to put a pause in a sentence.

You can even use the word to stall.

“Well… fine, you can borrow my car.”

“Umm… I like the yellow dress better!”

“Like” is sometimes used to mean something is not exact.

“My neighbor has like ten dogs.”

“Actually,” “basically” and “seriously” are all adverbs—words that describe

“Actually, pugs are really cute!”

“Basically, the last Batman movie was seriously exciting!”

It’s also used to make corrections when you misspeak.

“The cave is two thousand—I mean—twenty thousand years old!”

9. You know what I mean?

“I really like that girl, you know what I mean?”

10. At the end of the day

It’s also used to emphasize what you’re about to say.

“Believe me, this is the cheapest, tiniest house ever!”

12. I guess/I suppose

“So what are you doing next weekend?”

They can also be used to introduce a summary.

15. Right/mhm/uh huh

“Right, so let’s prepare a list of all the things we’ll need.”

“Uh huh, that’s exactly what he told me too.”

You might also like