Tag: preparation

Enough of “umm, you know, like, and right”: reduce filler words for greater impact.

In every presentation skills class, at least one participant asks how to get around their tendency to use filler words. Also known as “crutches” and “disfluencies”, they are words  like “umm”, “you know,” “like”, “ I think”, and “right?”.

While there is nothing wrong with the occasional verbal filler,  especially because it can make the speaker more relatable, excessive use of fillers is usually a sign of  inexperience and nerves, and their effect can be both distracting and even irritating.

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