Source: http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/are-you-making-these-5-common-interview-mistakes/
Some 5th graders oral book report: “Okay, so, um, this report is about like where this, uh, person like finds this sort of thingy and it looks like a key, you know, and it unlocks a door thing to like a… a… passageway and um the main dude goes through the passageway and like just read the book to find out. So yeah.” Although most people don’t say the words this severely, this is an example of the use of filler words.
A filler word is a word that is used to fill in the gaps. For example, um or like. Not like as in relating things or saying that you enjoy something, but like as in using it in between words. An easier way to think of this is how a valley girl talks: “Like, he just sort of, like, annoyed me like heck, you know? OMG! I know what we should seriously do to, like, fix my mood! We could, like, go to the mall!” Annoying, isn’t it? If you just take the moment to pause, and not use a filler word, then you could capture the attention of the audience or person you are speaking to. By doing this you make the announcement fascinating. These kind of words were created to make the speaker not anxious and scared about silences in between. For, with them, if this happens, they could always cover up with a simple “um”.
Don’t be afraid. Take a chance. A world without filler words is a world of intelligence.
Some Filler Words
- Like
- Um
- Uh
- You know
- So yeah
- So
- Er
- (repeating a word)