How to Stop Saying “Um” & Other Filler Words: 13 Helpful Strategies

Public speaking coach Patrick Muñoz teaches how to avoid “um” and sound more confident in presentations

Co-authored by Patrick Muñoz and Dan Hickey

Last Updated: January 30, 2026 Fact Checked

• Avoiding Filler Words
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• Why We Say “Um”
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• Is “Um” really so bad?
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• Video
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• Expert Interview

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Do you find yourself saying “um,” “ah,” “like,” or “you know” a lot? You’re not alone—many of us use these filler words while public speaking to avoid awkward pauses, but they don’t have to be a permanent feature of your speech. We spoke to professional public speaking coach Patrick Muñoz to bring you the best tips for avoiding “um” and other filler words to improve your public speaking skills and sound more professional in no time. Keep scrolling to learn more!

Best Ways to Stop Saying “Um”

Public speaking coach Patrick Muñoz advises taking pauses while you speak, slowing down your talking pace, and taking deep breaths to avoid using filler words like “um.” Here are some more strategies:

• Record yourself talking and point out every time you say “um,” “like,” or “ah.”
• Organize what you want to say logically to create natural transitions.
• Practice what you want to say beforehand.
• Calm your nerves before you start speaking to sound confident and professional.

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Tips to Stop Saying Filler Words Like “Um”

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   Pause instead of using filler words. Embrace the silence instead of filling it all the time. Most of us use filler words like “um,” “ah,” or “you know,” to fill pauses as we talk. Instead, try allowing yourself to just be silent for 1 to 2 seconds. Use the time to gather your thoughts and plan out what you’re going to say next.

   • Muñoz agrees, adding, “In those moments when you're about to say ‘um,’ be silent. Take pauses when you speak, so that you don't have to be constantly talking at a rushed rate. By taking pauses and being more deliberate in your speech, you can start to eliminate unnecessary ‘ums.’”
   • It can be tough to train yourself to do this, especially if you get nervous talking in front of others. Try to keep it at the forefront of your mind, and practice it over and over until it becomes second nature.

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   Patrick Muñoz is an internationally recognized public speaking coach focusing on vocal power, accent, dialects, voiceover, acting, and speech therapy. He is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies.
2. 
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   Slow down and remember to breathe. “Start to speak more slowly and deliberately,” Muñoz suggests. “That goes back to breath. Slow down your breathing and make sure you’re breathing when you speak. That way, you'll be able to slow down your speech and be more deliberate.”

   • Give yourself time to take full, deep breaths while you’re speaking. “Some of us think every moment has to have sound or there has to be words coming out,” Muñoz adds. But remember, “what seems like eons for you is just a momentary pause for somebody else.”
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   Keep your sentences short. Wordy sentences may make you rely on filler words more. In general, try to keep each sentence in a speech or presentation between 15 and 20 words. The shorter your sentences are, the tighter your speech will sound, which will help you avoid saying “um.”

   • Plus, short and snappy sentences keep your audience more engaged, which is a great public speaking technique.
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   Make direct eye contact with someone. When you're engaged with someone, you're less likely to say “um.” As you talk, try to pick out someone in the audience and hold their gaze as long as you can. You might just find that this trick stops you from saying “um” or “ah” as you collect your thoughts.

   • If you’re giving a presentation online, try making eye contact with someone via your webcam.
   • Muñoz adds that making eye contact with someone in the audience can also help you feel more comfortable.
5. 
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   Relax your nerves. If you're calm and relaxed, you'll use fewer filler words. Public speaking can be nerve-wracking, and many people feel stressed before giving a speech or presentation. Do some deep breathing exercises to calm your nerves, and focus on the message of your speech instead of how people are perceiving you. As Muñoz puts it, “the best thing about being a good speaker is being relaxed and in your body.”

   • While you talk, try to focus on one person in the room. Speak directly to them to avoid thinking about the crowd.
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   Eliminate distractions. Stay focused on what you're saying. A ringing phone or a pinging computer might make you pause and use a filler word. Silence your cell phone and any notifications before you start talking.

   • This is especially important when giving a presentation online. Getting a Slack or Teams message can be very distracting, so set yourself as “away” before you start.
7. 
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   Stand with confidence and own your space. There’s some truth to the old saying, “Fake it ‘til you make it.” When you’re feeling insecure or nervous, you probably tend to slouch, cross your arms, speak more quietly, put your hands in your pockets, or—you guessed it—start using filler words and phrases like “um,” “like,” or “you know.” Some research suggests that simply changing how you present yourself can project confidence and improve the clarity of your communication (and help you stop using excessive “ums”).

   • Stand tall with an open posture (no crossed arms, slumped shoulders, or hands in your pockets).
   • Maintain a grounded stance and minimize small, hesitant movements. Instead, use confident gestures that make you seem in control.
   • Use eye contact and a warm smile to make a connection with your audience.
8. 
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   Ask a friend to listen to you talk. Have a friend or colleague point out every time you say “um.” It can be hard to notice when you’re using filler words on your own. Practice what you want to say out loud, and have someone clap or snap their fingers every time you say “um” or “you know.” As Muñoz says, you have to “be aware that you say it” to stop. The more you notice it, the more likely you are to quit saying it!

   • “I do this in my coaching sessions,” Muñoz says. “If it’s a really bad case, I’ll get a bell, and anytime someone says ‘um,’ I’ll go ‘ding!’”
   • You can use the same trick to stop saying “like,” too!
9. 
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   Record yourself talking. Listen to a recording of yourself to see how often you use filler words. You might not be able to catch yourself saying them in the moment, which is why a recording can help. Listen to yourself talk, and write down specific areas where you use filler words the most. Then, write down what you want to say during that part of the speech to avoid saying “um,” “like,” or “ah.”

   • Muñoz agrees that this is a good strategy: “Investigate on your own by self-monitoring. Record yourself and listen back, or look at any presentation or talk you’ve given and listen back. Once you identify [your filler words], you’re ahead of the game.”
   • After you record and listen to yourself once, try your speech again on a second recording. Listen to yourself and spot the differences between your first and second try. Chances are, you’ll notice improvement right away!
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    Organize your information into chunks. Create a natural flow of content so you know what to say next in your speech or presentation. A lot of times, we rely on filler words as we plan out our next sentence. When you’re writing a speech or presentation, try to organize your information as logically as possible to avoid any awkward moments. That way, you’ll be much less likely to use a filler word as you talk.

    • For instance, maybe you’re giving a speech on the project that you and your team completed at work. To organize things logically, you could start with the planning phase, go into the working phase, and wrap up with the publishing phase.
    • You could also tell a story. Write out a beginning, middle, and end for a logical organization tactic. This way, you don’t have to think as hard about what comes next because it’s all part of a single narrative.
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    Plan out your transitions. Write out what you’re going to say to move from subject to subject. According to Muñoz, planning what you’re going to say prevents you from making anything up on the fly, which will help avoid saying “um” or “ah.” Plus, transitions help keep the audience engaged and focused. Great transition phrases to use include:

    • “Now, let’s move on to…”
    • “Now I want to talk about…”
    • “Let’s transition into talking about…”
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    Rehearse what you want to say beforehand. Knowing what you want to say will help to avoid filler words. The more you practice a speech or presentation, the more you’ll avoid stumbling over your words. Write out an outline of what you want to say to plan your speech ahead of time.

    • Try keeping an outline of your speech with you whenever it’s time for you to talk. That way, you can glance at it for a quick reminder whenever you need to.
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    Keep practicing to make avoiding filler words a habit. Avoiding filler words can take time, so keep at it. You probably won’t eliminate all the “ums” from your vocabulary on your first try, and that’s okay! Aim for improvement, not perfection, to reach your goal.

    • Using a few filler words as you talk actually makes your speech seem more natural and less stiff. Experts recommend removing 90% of the filler words from your vocabulary, but leaving in the 10% to make you more relatable.
    EXPERT TIP

    

    Patrick Muñoz

    Voice & Speech Coach

    Patrick is an internationally recognized Voice & Speech Coach, focusing on public speaking, vocal power, accent and dialects, accent reduction, voiceover, acting and speech therapy. He has worked with clients such as Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, and Roselyn Sanchez. He was voted LA's Favorite Voice and Dialect Coach by BACKSTAGE, is the voice and speech coach for Disney and Turner Classic Movies, and is a member of Voice and Speech Trainers Association.

    

    Patrick Muñoz
    Voice & Speech Coach

    Take 30 seconds and talk on any topic to practice. For example, speak about peanut butter and why you like it, and record yourself. Listen back and ask if you used any filler words. Practice helps remove those words and makes for a more professional speech.
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Section 2 of 3:

Why do you say “um” so much?

1. 
   “Um” and other filler words buy you time while you plan what to say next. Instead of letting the air go dead by pausing and thinking, many speakers tend to use “um,” “uh,” “like,” or other simple words and sounds to show that they’re thinking aloud and putting together their next thought. In fact, holding out filler words like these is a subconscious signal to others that you’re not done speaking yet and don’t want anyone to interrupt (this is called “turn holding”).

   • “Um” is also a very easy and natural sound for native English speakers to make, meaning it’s a go-to filler syllable. Other languages use different sounds (for example, “ehh” is a common filler in Spanish).
   • “Um” is most likely to creep in at the beginning of a statement or at a transition point between ideas (the times where we’re most likely to overthink what to say next).
   • Filler words can also make you sound more casual or relatable, since “filler-less” talk is associated with political, formal, and corporate speech mannerisms.

Section 3 of 3:

Are filler words really so bad?

1. 
   Filler can be distracting for listeners, but it doesn’t automatically make you a bad speaker. There’s a cultural idea that speaking decisively and authoritatively is “good,” and that using filler words or passive language is “bad.” In some cases, this might be true. In a political debate, for example, you’ll probably be more drawn to the candidate who speaks clearly and with fewer words, whereas someone using wordy sentences and filler syllables may seem hesitant and less prepared. But, real life isn’t a debate—we all use filler words in casual and professional conversations now and then!

   • Filler words like “um” can make you seem more relatable and approachable and reflect ideas like humor, confusion, and irony. While it’s usually good to limit fillers to sound more confident, they occasionally have a valid use.
   • Issues pop up when filler words are used excessively. If you say “like” multiple times per sentence, your audience will probably notice and have to filter through your filler words to take in your message. In this case, the filler is taking away from your presentation and ideas and could be trimmed down or eliminated to make your thoughts more impactful.
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