Mystery of the Filler Words: Don't eliminate them; make them serve a purpose

Filler words are an intrinsic part of spoken language. Every language in the world has its own version of filler words and sounds- even the sign language! My overused filler words are 'you know' and 'ah'. Many term them disfluencies which have no place in fluent speech. Are they all disfluencies?

Filler words have often been defined as words that do not change the meaning of the sentence if eliminated- words that disturb the continuity of speech. Is this really true? Look closer, filler words can have their purpose too and have their pragmatic functions. These days, AI (Artificial Intelligence) systems are trying to understand the significance and place of filler words in human speech. Look at the illustration below. 'Ah' has been used here to indicate hesitance and reluctance.  Without the 'Ah', the conversation might have sounded rude. Used sparingly and correctly, filler words are called filled pauses, hesitation markers or planners. When used unnecessarily, they can be called disfluencies, crutch words, repetitive words or verbal viruses.

Ah can be used to indicate politeness; huh can be interrogative and Hmm can indicate thoughtfulness.

Good communication demands conciseness. When we are narrating emotional stories or fascinating facts, filler words can act as disturbances breaking the flow and preventing the audience from hanging on to every word being said. Filtering away the filler words while listening takes cognitive effort and hence these words could tune out our listeners. According to some studies*, an average speaker uses 5 filler words per minute while it has been observed the optimum frequency should ideally be 1 filler word per minute. I have often noticed filler words in my speech increasing in frequency when I am anxious, when I am not comfortable with my content or when I speed up my speech. The days I use them excessively are also days where I am not conscious of their appearance. Now that we know we need to remove the unnecessary filler words or perform the um-ah-ectomy, the next question is- how to do it?

Methods one can adopt to reduce speech disfluencies

1. Be aware and conscious of your favourite filler words. Awareness helps reduce the use.

2. Incorporate ways to reduce anxiety and remain calm by taking deep breaths before speaking and take pauses to breathe in between.

3. Go slow to gather your thoughts if you feel you are speeding up. 

4. Embrace the Pause to Eliminate the Fillers. Pause when inclined to utter a filler word. Use the pause to emphasize key words and to breathe.

5. Using hand gestures have an effect of reducing filler words. Use them.

6. Prepare for speeches in advance so that you are comfortable with their structure and flow. Easy recall reduces filler words.

As you attempt your next speech or even while you are part of a conversation, try the above methods. The aim is not to completely eliminate them but make them serve a purpose.

*https://hbr.org/2018/08/how-to-stop-saying-um-ah-and-you-know

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749596X85710327