Almost everyone uses filler words. "Um," "uh," "like," "you know," "so," "basically." In casual conversation, a few of them are completely normal. But in a job interview, a presentation, or a conversation where you need to sound sure of yourself, they can make you seem less confident than you actually are.

The good news: filler words are a habit, not a personality trait. And habits change with practice.

Why we use filler words

Filler words usually show up when your mouth gets ahead of your brain. You've finished one thought but haven't quite landed on the next one, and silence feels uncomfortable, so you fill it.

That's why they get worse under pressure. When you're nervous, you think less clearly, and you feel more urgency to keep talking. The result is more "ums" exactly when you least want them.

Step 1: Find out how often you actually use them

Most people underestimate their filler words, often by a lot. Before trying to fix anything, get a baseline.

Record yourself answering a simple question for one minute, like "Tell me about yourself" or "What did you do last weekend?" Play it back and count. Or use a tool that counts for you: SpeechPlus's Speech Coach flags filler words and pacing automatically after every practice session.

Step 2: Learn to love the pause

The most effective replacement for a filler word is nothing at all. A short pause sounds thoughtful and confident to a listener, even though it feels long to you.

Practice it on purpose. Answer a question, and every time you feel an "um" coming, close your mouth and pause instead. It will feel unnatural at first. That's the point.

Step 3: Slow down slightly

Speaking fast leaves your brain less time to find the next word, which creates more gaps to fill. Slowing your pace a little, especially at the start of an answer, gives you breathing room.

A good check: if a listener would struggle to take notes on what you're saying, you're probably going too fast.

Step 4: Know your first sentence

Filler words cluster at the start of answers, while you're figuring out where to begin. Having a few strong opening lines ready for common situations cuts out a lot of them.

Interviews: "The short answer is..." or "A good example of that is..."
Meetings: "My recommendation is..."
Networking: "I work on..."

Step 5: Practice in conditions that feel real

Here's the catch: you can practice pausing alone in your room all day and still fall apart in a real interview. Filler words come from pressure, so you need to practice under a little pressure.

That's what out-loud roleplay is for. With SpeechPlus, you can have a realistic conversation with an AI that asks follow-up questions and pushes back, like an interviewer probing your answer or a manager questioning your proposal. Then you get feedback on your filler words, pacing, and clarity, and you can see the trend across sessions.

Try one short session a day for a week. Simply paying attention and practicing deliberately is often enough to bring your count down.

Don't aim for zero

Zero filler words sounds robotic. The goal is to use fewer of them in the moments that matter, so your ideas come through clearly and you sound like you mean them. A few minutes of practice before your next interview, presentation, or big conversation is enough to make a difference people will hear.

How to Stop Saying "Um" and "Like" When You Talk