It was a light bulb moment for me when I sat in a debate practice and my coach started to make us aware of our use of filler language. From this moment on, I started to pay a lot of attention to my own fillers. With time, I became aware of the extensive use of fillers by some Butler students and I got so fed up that I did not hear their message anymore, but just counted their fillers. Time for a quick fix with a Bulldog that was just fixed by a Butler coach.
I was reminded of what my parents said before my exchange year in the U.S. They argued that I already spoke like a politician because in whatever I said, I linguistically built myself a backdoor that would give me a way out of it. Having lived in the “land of the free”, I learned the only thing you can trust is saying, ´Yes, I promise´. Everything else is vague and means ‘do not count on me’. Be clear minded about how you say something and be clear with what you say.
Greetings from the College of Education
Karlin J. Tichenor, PhD, a professor in the College of Education, shared his displeasure with the present day use of fillers and offers insight on how to circumvent them.
“Fillers are imprecise language,” Tichenor said. “The person who uses fillers has not thought about what they ultimately want to say or they lack confidence, “The word ‘like’ is especially challenging because it almost makes you realize the person is not really sure, clear or that they are not that articulate about their thoughts.”
Fillers bring an imprecision in a conversation, which we all should aspire to keep out of our speech. Furthermore, the message may get lost and what remains is an impression of an insecure person. Personally, I caught myself unwillingly counting other people’s number of fillers rather than focusing on getting their message.
“I think the average person actually rushes into speaking before they’ve thought,” Tichenor said. “Filler words are an excuse for the fact that I’ve not thought about my thinking. … If you actually listen really well, you need to process what’s been said and that, I think, makes up for the … fifteen seconds of time between my response and your words because I need to think about what you actually said and allow it to integrate into my mind, but I don’t think people do that very well.”
What the professor strikes out here is a stark contrast between the American culture and his own way of processing information and following up on it. Tichenor ended with an eye-opening insight.
“The people who speak less often are heard more often because they’re not always speaking,” Tichenor said. “So people really pay more attention when they speak because they know that person is thoughtful. They also know that when they speak it’s rare and so they don’t want to miss anything.
Students’ reflection
Mitchell Adams, a junior strategic communication and sports media double major reflected on his view of filler usage and shared his personal tip.
“The social language changes, [and] people integrate new words into their conversations,” Adams said. “For me, it was always about actively speaking, really thinking about the words you’re saying … We do use vocal fillers, and if you’re cognizant of that and put effort into trying not to, gradually you’ll use them less and less.”
I agree with Adams and take the problem by its root: the western school system that rewards the quick respondents rather than those who think longer about their answer. Professors, please try something new: Ask your question and wait 15 seconds before taking an answer. I realized that even as the person asking, I started reformulating how I asked the question. As a respondent, I started to use less fillers and clearer language.
Jon Clark, a senior marketing and business technology and analytics double major gave his experience and tips from his work in the Speaker’s Lab.
“A lot of people use filler words when they’re trying to impart a lot of information in a short amount of time,” Clark said. “People get stressed out; they think that they have to keep talking, and then they use words to fill in the blanks in between the actual content that they’re imparting into the audience … My favorite piece of advice is to have people stop whenever they do use a filler word and wait five seconds. That gives them time and reinforces that they should take a break after each of their pieces of information.”
Small step, big win
Neil Armstrong once said: “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind”. In the realm of communication, the small step is the conscious effort to leave fillers out of your speech. While the process requires significant mental discipline, the result is a giant leap for the quality of our interactions. It is the difference between a message that is merely heard and one that is truly understood.
By eliminating vocal clutter, we bridge the gap between thinking and speaking. We move away from the backdoors of vague language and toward a level of precision where our words carry real weight. When we stop filling the silence with ‘um’ or ‘like,’ we allow our ideas to stand on their own. We trade the frantic pace of the quick response for the deliberate power of the thoughtful answer.
As I continue my journey as a Butler Bulldog, I’ve realized that the most valuable thing I can offer is not just my perspective, but my presence. Taking those extra seconds to process information before responding isn’t just a technique; it’s a sign of respect for the listener and the integrity of the conversation.
Every time we choose a pause over a filler, we make a small step toward a better, more articulated mutual understanding.