By Janine Castro, Geomorphologist, USFWS & NMFS, Portland, Oregon
so, um, ah, eh, I guess, nevertheless, inordinate, regardless, hopefully, essentially, actually, naturally, basically, what not, you know, if you will, well, clearly, in a manner of speaking, at this point, as a matter of fact, in terms of, like, interesting, really…
so, um, ah, eh, I guess, nevertheless, inordinate, regardless, hopefully, essentially, actually, naturally, basically, what not, you know, if you will, well, clearly, in a manner of speaking, at this point, as a matter of fact, in terms of, like, interesting, really…
(list kindly provided by Loren Fitch)
What is your filler word? If you don’t know, it is not because you don’t have a filler word, because we all do – mine is “so”. The first step in eliminating filler words from your presentation is identifying the culprits. Once we acknowledge the word, we can effectively get it out of our vocabulary. We can even ask for help from others. But beware, the removal of one filler word is often followed by the arrival of yet another.
Why do we have filler words? In small group communication, filler words are used to hold our place in the conversation. It indicates that we have not finished our thought and are not ready to “give up the floor”. When you are the presenter, the floor is yours and you do not have to defend it in the same way we do in dynamic conversations. As presenters, we generally use filler words because “quiet” makes us uncomfortable.
What is your filler word? If you don’t know, it is not because you don’t have a filler word, because we all do – mine is “so”. The first step in eliminating filler words from your presentation is identifying the culprits. Once we acknowledge the word, we can effectively get it out of our vocabulary. We can even ask for help from others. But beware, the removal of one filler word is often followed by the arrival of yet another.
Why do we have filler words? In small group communication, filler words are used to hold our place in the conversation. It indicates that we have not finished our thought and are not ready to “give up the floor”. When you are the presenter, the floor is yours and you do not have to defend it in the same way we do in dynamic conversations. As presenters, we generally use filler words because “quiet” makes us uncomfortable.
Why are filler words “bad” in presentations? Depending on our nervousness and rate of speaking, repetitive filler words start flashing like a strobe light to the audience. I once counted 54 “reallys” in a 10 minute talk”. That is over 5 per minute – more than one every 15 seconds! Filler words are bad because they can be very distracting to the audience, especially when the audience starts counting, but they also rob you of the opportunity to slow down and take a verbal pause.
Verbal pauses -- a moment of quiet -- allow your audience to absorb your message and to cognitively catch-up with you. They also allow you time to think. If the silence is too much for you to bear, employ a prop. The best prop for presenters is a coffee cup or glass of water. Use the verbal pause to take a drink. This actually relaxes the audience because they can see that you are in control.
Take a deep breath, slow down, and take a verbal break – no filler required.
Verbal pauses -- a moment of quiet -- allow your audience to absorb your message and to cognitively catch-up with you. They also allow you time to think. If the silence is too much for you to bear, employ a prop. The best prop for presenters is a coffee cup or glass of water. Use the verbal pause to take a drink. This actually relaxes the audience because they can see that you are in control.
Take a deep breath, slow down, and take a verbal break – no filler required.
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