# What are filler words? Definition and list of examples

Filler words are sounds and words that fill a pause without adding meaning, such as um, uh, like, you know, so and basically. Everyone uses them: they buy time to think and signal "I'm not finished". They become a problem only when there are so many that listeners notice them more than your point.

By the Speaking Coach team at Sodhera Intelligence. Updated 2026-10-22. Source: https://www.orecci.com/speaking-coach/glossary/filler-words/

## A list of common filler words

| Type | Examples |
| --- | --- |
| Hesitation sounds | um, uh, er, ah, hmm |
| Discourse words | like, so, well, right, okay, now |
| Phrases | you know, I mean, kind of, sort of, you know what I mean |
| Intensifiers used as filler | basically, actually, literally, honestly, totally |
| Tags at the end | and stuff, or whatever, and yeah, right? |

The same word isn't always a filler. "I like this plan" uses *like* as a verb. "It was, like, huge" uses it as a filler. "So we moved the launch" can be a real link; "So… um… so yeah" isn't.

## Why speakers use them

- **Planning.** The mouth gets ahead of the brain, and "um" holds the space while you find the next word.
- **Holding the floor.** A filler tells others you haven't finished, so they don't jump in.
- **Softening.** "Kind of" and "sort of" make a statement less blunt, overlapping with [hedging language](/speaking-coach/glossary/hedging-language/).
- **Nerves.** Silence feels longer under pressure, so people fill it.
- **Habit.** Some fillers become part of how a person talks with friends and carry over into interviews.

## How to count yours

Most people can't hear their own fillers while speaking. Talk for a minute about your day, then run it through the [filler word counter](/speaking-coach/tools/filler-word-counter/), or record yourself and tally them. Pick your most frequent one and work on that first; practical steps are in [how to stop saying um](/speaking-coach/guides/stop-saying-um/).

## Questions people ask

### Are filler words always bad?

No. A few are normal and can sound natural. Removing every one can make you sound stiff.

### How many filler words is too many?

There's no agreed cutoff. A useful test: if one filler shows up in most of your sentences, listeners will probably notice it.

### What can I say instead of um?

Nothing: a short silent pause does the same job and sounds more confident.

### Do other languages have filler words?

Yes, every language has its own, such as *euh* in French or *este* in Spanish.

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