Filler words.

Good morning!

Do you know what filler words are? They are an important part of spoken English, and one that is not often talked about.

Today we will be reading an article by Kristen May on filler words.

Filler Words

Um, like, god, I mean, you know? Everyone’s speech is plagued with filler words and phrases. The problem with trying to eliminate verbal filler is the more you concentrate on it, the less you concentrate on what you actually want to communicate. There’s nothing more likely to bring out “um,” “uh,” or the dreaded “like” like being self-conscious about putting them in. But is “like” the useless filler it’s made out to be?

Obviously, you don’t want to pepper a presentation about climate change to the UN with “likes” and “uhs,” but scientists aren’t sure these terms are entirely meaningless. I, being Californian, know that saying the word “like” can mean you are about to launch into a summary of what happens that more perfectly captures the feeling of an encounter than literal interpretation does. (I asked him how when the next bus was coming and he was, like, “I don’t care, idiot.” And I couldn’t believe he was like that because I told him it was like, a fifty mile walk home.) Sometimes “like” can turn literal, and be used a verbal quotation mark which you use to launch into a direct quote, complete with the tone of the person you are quoting. “Like” has all kinds of meanings, depending on its usage.

Studies and analysis of people’s speech shows that a lot of personal communication can be achieved through what we think of as filler words. “I mean,” acts as a clarification or an emphasis. “You know,” can be used as cue for the other person to reply. “Um” and “uh” are signals that we’re thinking about something and the other person shouldn’t jump in until we’re finished. They also indicate that new, more complex information is coming. One study had people sit in front of an array of objects, then grab and manipulate a specific sequence of objects, as directed by a computer voice. Sometimes the computer voice said things like, “Move the box.” Other times it added a filler word, saying, “Move the, uh, box.” The task wasn’t complex, and people had no trouble following the directions. Still, they were quicker to follow directions that involved objects they hadn’t yet manipulated when their instructions included an “uh.” To listeners, “uh” indicates that something new, which requires more mental processing on the part of the speaker, is about to be introduced. This helped the study participants put themselves in the right mindset of choosing from the as-yet unfamiliar objects.

So even a word that’s no more than a grunt is helpful. Which is good, because all languages have verbal filler. American Sigh Language has a sign for “um,” and most languages have some monosyllable that has no meaning but indicates a pause. Other popular fillers are, “I mean.” Arabic, Spanish, Catalan, Bengali, Urdu, Punjabi, Turkish, and Serbian all have variations on it. “You know,” is represented in Welsh, Persian, and Icelandic. There are a lot of “actuallys” and “wells” scattered around language. Perhaps this tells us something about the structure of human thought. All languages have words for certain nouns, because they all need them. Filler words are less tangible, but may not be any less necessary.

Vocabulary

Plagued – to cause constant worry or distress to (someone).

Filler – a sound, word, or phrase (such as “um” or “you know?”) that people say during a pause when they are speaking.

Pepper – to put something in many places in (a story, speech, etc.)

Captures – to describe or show (someone or something) in a very accurate way by using writing, painting, film, etc.

Encounter – to have or experience (problems, difficulties, etc.)

Cue – a word, phrase, or action in a play, movie, etc., that is a signal for a performer to say or do something.

Array  – a large group or number of things — usually singular.

Grunt – a short, low sound from the throat.

Scattered – placed or found far apart.