How to Stop Saying 'Like' and 'You Know' All the Time
'Like', 'you know', 'basically' and 'so' are discourse fillers: real words doing a small job, such as softening, quoting or checking the listener is with you. To cut them, find your one or two habits by recording yourself, learn what job each does, replace it with a better word or a short pause, and drill one filler at a time for a week.
Why "like" is different from "um"
"Um" and "uh" are hesitation sounds. They fill a gap while you plan the next words. The fix for them is mostly a pause, which the stop saying um guide covers.
"Like", "you know", "basically", "so", "actually" and "literally" are different. They're real words doing a small job in the sentence. You can't simply replace them with silence, because the job still needs doing, or the habit comes straight back. You first need to know which job your filler is doing.
What each filler is doing
| Filler | The job it's doing | Example |
|---|---|---|
| like (before a quote) | Introducing what someone said | "And she was like, 'No way.'" |
| like (softening) | Making a claim less firm | "It was like twenty people." |
| like (thinking) | Holding your turn while you find a word | "It's, like, a really, like, important thing." |
| you know | Checking the listener is with you, inviting agreement | "It's just hard, you know?" |
| basically | Promising a summary, often before a long explanation | "So basically, what happened was…" |
| so (at the start) | Starting your turn, linking to the question | "So, I've been in marketing for five years." |
| actually / literally | Adding emphasis that the sentence doesn't need | "I literally just finished it." |
| I mean | Correcting or restarting a thought | "It's fine, I mean, it's not great." |
Some of these are perfectly normal in casual speech, and you don't need to remove them from chats with friends. They become a problem in interviews, presentations and meetings, when they repeat often enough that listeners notice them more than your point.
What to say instead
Match the replacement to the job.
| Filler and job | Replace with |
|---|---|
| like (quoting) | "she said", "she asked", "I thought" |
| like (softening a number) | "about", "around", "roughly", or the real number |
| like (thinking) | A short pause with your mouth closed |
| you know (checking in) | Nothing, or an actual question: "Does that match what you've seen?" |
| basically (summary) | Just give the summary; drop the word |
| so (starting an answer) | Start with the content: "I've been in marketing for five years." |
| actually / literally | Drop it, or use a specific detail for emphasis |
| I mean (restarting) | "In other words", or stop and restate cleanly |
Two before-and-after examples:
Before: "So basically, I was, like, managing the whole launch, you know, and it was literally the busiest month."
After: "I managed the whole launch. It was the busiest month of the year."
Before: "And the client was like, 'Can we, like, move it up?' And I was like, okay."
After: "The client asked if we could move it up a week. I said yes, and here's how we did it."
The second versions aren't stiff. They're just shorter, and the point arrives sooner.
The tracking drill
You can't fix a habit you don't hear. This drill takes about ten minutes a day for a week.
- Day 1: Record and count. Talk for two minutes about something easy: your job, your weekend, a film. Paste or speak it into the filler word counter, or listen back and tally by hand.
- Find your top one. Most people have one or two fillers that make up most of the count. Ignore the rest for now.
- Identify its job. Use the table above. Is your "like" quoting, softening or thinking?
- Days 2–6: One filler, one replacement. Record two minutes each day on a new topic. Each time you feel your filler coming, use the replacement instead. Expect it to feel slow.
- Day 7: Re-count. Same topic as day 1. Compare.
- Then the next filler. Move on to your second habit only when the first is clearly down.
Tracking one filler at a time matters. Trying to cut all of them at once usually makes people hesitant and stiff, and the "um"s go up.
Catching it in real life
- Ask one trusted person to signal you, say by tapping the table, in casual conversations for a week.
- Watch the first sentence. "So" and "basically" mostly appear at the start of answers. Planning your first few words removes many of them.
- Slow down slightly. "Like" as a thinking filler appears when your mouth gets ahead of your thoughts.
- Practice in low-stakes conversations. Habits change in everyday speech first, then they hold under pressure.
Speaking Coach's feedback after each session counts your filler words and quotes something you actually said with a suggested alternative ("You said … / Try …"), which makes it easier to spot your own pattern.
Questions people ask
Is saying "like" a lot unprofessional?
In casual conversation it's normal. In interviews and presentations, frequent "like" can distract listeners and make you sound less sure. Aim to reduce it in those settings rather than ban it everywhere.
Why do I say "you know" so much?
Usually because you want to check the listener agrees or is following. Replace it with a real question now and then, or trust that they're following and let the sentence end.
Is starting sentences with "so" a filler?
Sometimes. "So" at the start of an answer often just means "I'm starting now". Begin with your first real word instead, and your answers will sound more direct.
How long does it take to stop saying "like"?
It varies. Many people notice a clear drop within a week or two of focused daily practice on one filler, especially if they record themselves and count.
Does the filler word counter catch "like" when it isn't a filler?
It can't always tell "I like coffee" from a filler "like". Read the highlighted transcript, not just the number, and count only the ones that were fillers.