how to stop saying um when you speak

13 july 2026 · 6 min read

you finish a practice answer, play it back and hear “um” everywhere. the instinct is to tell yourself to stop saying it. that usually makes you tense and even more aware of every gap. a better approach is to find the moments that trigger your filler words, then give those moments a quieter replacement.

first, do not aim for perfect speech

filler words are normal in conversation. an occasional “um”, “so” or “you know” will not ruin a presentation or interview. the problem is repetition: when the same sound appears between most thoughts, it starts competing with the message.

your goal is not to sound edited. it is to make your important points easier to follow. focus on reducing the fillers that distract you or appear when you are under pressure, rather than trying to remove every trace of natural speech.

find your personal filler-word pattern

you cannot change a habit you only notice afterwards. record a sixty-second answer to a familiar question, then listen once without judging the content. write down every filler you hear.

look beyond “um” and “uh”. your filler might be “like”, “basically”, “you know”, “so” at the start of every sentence, or a repeated phrase such as “does that make sense?”. Toastmasters tracks sounds, words and overlong pauses because each speaker has a different pattern.

next, note where the fillers happen. they often cluster before your first sentence, between ideas, around a difficult word or when you are deciding how to finish. the location matters more than the total.

replace the filler with a deliberate pause

a filler word buys your brain a moment. keep the moment; lose the noise. when you feel an “um” coming, close your mouth, breathe and let the silence hold the space.

the pause will feel longer to you than it sounds to someone listening. Harvard Extension School recommends pausing before you begin and whenever you need to gather the next thought. silence can make the sentence after it sound more deliberate.

do not rush to compensate after the pause. begin the next phrase at the same steady pace you wanted before it.

stop speaking before you know the next sentence

many fillers appear because your mouth starts before your thought is ready. this is common when you feel you must answer an interview question immediately or keep every second of a presentation filled.

take one beat before your first word. for a longer answer, decide on two or three points, then begin. you do not need the exact sentences in advance, but you should know the route. a clear route gives your brain fewer decisions to make while you are talking.

rehearse the joins between ideas

people often practise their strongest lines and ignore the transitions. then an “um” arrives while they search for the next section.

write down only your main points and practise moving from one to the next. use a short transition when it helps:

• “the first thing i noticed was…”
• “what changed after that was…”
• “the practical result was…”
• “there are two reasons for that…”

these are useful signposts, not scripts. choose language you would actually say, and do not replace “um” with another phrase you repeat automatically.

use the pause drill

choose an easy topic, such as what you did yesterday or how you make a familiar meal. speak for one minute. every time you lose the next word, stop completely for one breath before continuing.

record three rounds:

• round one: notice — speak normally and count the fillers afterwards.
• round two: replace — turn each urge to fill into a silent pause.
• round three: connect — keep the pauses while looking at the camera and finishing each thought clearly.

review one thing at a time. if round two has fewer fillers but your pace becomes rushed, work on pace next. trying to repair voice, eye contact, posture and wording in the same take makes it hard to know what helped.

practise with the pressure you expect

a smooth answer at your desk may change when you stand up, share slides or face an interview panel. once the pause drill feels comfortable, practise in the position and format you will use.

stand if you will present standing. look into the camera if the interview is online. rehearse with your slides visible if they affect your timing. the more familiar the transitions feel in context, the less likely you are to fill them automatically.

what not to do

• do not apologise for an “um” — correcting yourself aloud creates a bigger interruption than the filler.
• do not memorise every word — forgetting one line can create more panic and more fillers.
• do not replace one habit with another — “so”, “right” and “basically” can become new verbal crutches.
• do not count while you are speaking — review the recording afterwards so your attention stays on the listener.
• do not chase zero — clarity and connection matter more than a flawless tally.

a simple practice plan

record one sixty-second answer today and identify your most common filler and its usual location. tomorrow, repeat the answer and replace only that moment with a pause. on the next take, keep the pause and work on finishing the sentence at a steady pace.

once that change feels natural, try a new question. see it, name it, change one thing, repeat. that is how a noisy habit becomes a quiet pause you can trust.