Um, Uh, and You Know: Killer Fillers in Public Speaking

I wish I could say I didn’t do it. I have spoken in a few thousand venues as a public speaker. You would think I could avoid them. I’m better than I used to be, but you are still likely to hear them when I speak.

“Thank you, uh, for the opportunity to speak today, I, um, am excited and passionate about this, uh, topic.” Arrrgghhhh!
T
hey are called “fillers.” They are incidental sounds or words that we should not use when we speak. They distract. They cause the audience to lose confidence in the speaker. They indicate that the speaker is not well prepared.

I listened in person and via podcast to about 25 speakers the past three weeks. I was intentionally listening for these killer fillers. When it was all said and done, six fillers emerged as the most common. They are, in order.... Read more