How to Stop Saying Um: 7 Proven Techniques

Filler words like "um," "uh," and "like" fill the silence while your brain catches up — but they cost you authority. Here is how to eliminate them.

1. Measure First

You cannot fix what you do not measure. Record yourself and count your fillers-per-minute. Most people are shocked to find they average 5–8.

A silent pause reads as confident and thoughtful; a filled pause reads as uncertain. Train yourself to pause instead of filling.

Fillers spike when you outrun your thoughts. A 120–160 words-per-minute pace gives your brain room to keep up.

SpeakFlare counts your filler words on every Zoom and Google Meet call and shows the trend over time, so you can prove the habit is fading.