What Your Filler Words Say About You (And How to Fix Each One)

Not all filler words are equal. "Um" and "uh" do different things. "Like" operates in a completely different register from "you know." Listeners pick up on these distinctions — often unconsciously — and form impressions based on which fillers you rely on most.

Understanding what each one signals is the first step toward fixing the right problem.

"Um" — Searching for Words

Linguists classify "um" as a filled pause that signals a longer upcoming delay. When you say "um," you're telling your listener: I haven't found the next thing yet, but I'm still working on it. It's a placeholder for a longer retrieval process.

To listeners, frequent "um" use reads as uncertainty or lack of preparation. It's the filler most associated with credibility loss in high-stakes contexts like interviews or presentations.

Fix: "Um" responds well to practice with structured topics. Speak for two minutes on a familiar subject with the goal of replacing every "um" with a silent pause. The pause is always better.

"Uh" — Momentary Hesitation

"Uh" signals a shorter delay than "um" — a brief hesitation rather than a full word search. It tends to appear more at word boundaries: you know what you want to say next, but there's a slight lag before your mouth catches up.

In small doses, "uh" is nearly invisible to listeners. In high volumes, it signals nervousness or a speech that hasn't been practiced enough.

Fix: "Uh" often decreases naturally as you slow your speaking pace. Rushing to get words out increases the gap between thought and speech — and "uh" fills that gap. Deliberately slow down by 10–15% and watch your "uh" count drop.

"Like" — Register Mismatch

"Like" as a filler (distinct from its use as a preposition or verb) is a register marker. It signals casual, informal speech. Used occasionally, it doesn't register much. Used frequently in formal contexts — a board meeting, a job interview, a client presentation — it creates a perception gap between your actual competence and how you sound.

The perception issue with "like" is particularly generational: in some contexts, frequent "like" use is read as younger or less authoritative, regardless of what you're actually saying.

Fix: Context-switching is the key skill here. Practice the same content twice: once in casual mode, once in professional mode. The goal is register awareness — knowing how to turn it on and off, not eliminating "like" from your vocabulary entirely.

"You Know" — Seeking Validation

"You know" is a social filler. It invites the listener to agree, to confirm they're following, to share in the knowledge being referenced. Used occasionally, it creates rapport. Used constantly, it reads as insecurity — a reflexive need for reassurance that what you're saying is landing.

Fix: "You know" responds well to building confidence in the content itself. If you're using it frequently, ask whether you genuinely believe what you're saying, or whether you're hedging. More preparation and clearer structure typically eliminate "you know" without direct effort.

Know Which Fillers You Actually Overuse

Most people are surprised by their actual filler profile. They assume they say "um" the most, but it turns out to be "like." Or they have no idea they say "you know" after every sentence.

Fluent tracks each type of filler separately across your sessions, so you can see exactly where your patterns are — and practice specifically on the ones that matter most for your goals.