Using Speech Tics Like Er and Um

Why We Do It: Um, ah, like, you know, sort of… Believe it or not, each quirk means something. “Um and ah signal a current or coming hesitation,” says linguist Geoffrey Nunberg, while like is shorthand for “It felt like,” a way of putting your listener in the moment. “You know establishes solidarity. And sort of suggests that you’re not sure if the words you’re using are entirely appropriate.” We use these words when we’re planning what to say next, to keep the floor, and to fill silence. But overuse them and you risk boring (and losing) your audience.

How to Stop It: If you punctuate every other sentence with tics, slow down when you speak. This puts distance between your thoughts and words, giving you time to plan ahead, so you’ll automatically cut down on fillers. Another strategy is to maintain eye contact while talking; then, as you feel yourself heading for a tic, slowly look down. Concentrating on moving your eyes will keep you from speaking, says communication strategist Andrew Gilman. Stay quiet until you look up again, which you can do once you’ve formulated what to say next. The pause will add emphasis to your point.

If you have to do a lot of public speaking, focusing on your audience will help you speak more deliberately, which mitigates all kinds of tics. But it can be tough to know where and when to look if you’re telling a story to a large group. Think “single thought, one person” (or STOP), Gilman says, and for each new point you make, lock eyes with a different person.