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Polish the delivery · Lesson 8 of 11

Fewer Ums: Why We Say Them and How to Cut Back

Learn why everyone says um, when it starts to matter, and a four-step routine to pause instead and count your ums.

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THE WRITTEN LESSONFollow along at your pace

Everyone says um. This lesson shows why, when it starts to matter, and a simple routine that helps you say it less.

Ums are normal

In one study of everyday conversations, people made about six slips for every 100 words, and um and uh were the biggest share. Some research even suggests that uh helps listeners get ready for the next word. So the goal is fewer ums, not zero. A talk with no ums at all is not the target.

A grid of 100 dots, one per word, with six of them filled in gold. Cards beside it read About 6 in 100 words, um and uh The biggest share, Uh may help listeners get ready, and Goal: fewer, not zero.(opens the full-size picture)
Six slips in 100 words is ordinary conversation.

Where ums come from

Ums tend to show up where you are planning what to say next. In one study, people who had to describe a picture used almost twice as many fillers as the people following along. Nerves alone did not seem to cause them. The um is a sign that your mind is busy finding the next words.

A bar chart titled Fillers per person: a tall bar for Describing, marked About twice as many, and a shorter bar for Following. Beside it, a thought bubble reads Planning what to say, and a storm cloud marked with a red cross reads Not just nerves.(opens the full-size picture)
Describing needs more planning than following, and brings more fillers.

Plan the hard parts

So the cheapest fix is to plan the parts that are hardest to plan on the spot. Write out your first sentence. Decide how you will move from one section to the next. And have a short answer ready for the question you most expect.

A card titled Plan the hard parts with three checked rows: Your first sentence, Links between sections (Part one to Part two), and Your likeliest question.(opens the full-size picture)
Plan three things: first sentence, links, likeliest question.

When it starts to matter

Do ums hurt? In one online study, listeners rated speakers lower at about 12 filler sounds a minute, which is one every five seconds. At five a minute, there was no measurable harm. It is only one study, so count your own ums before you worry. You may find you are already well under the line.

A bar chart of filler sounds per minute. A green bar at 5 is marked No measurable harm. A red bar at 12, marked 1 every 5 seconds, is marked Rated lower. A tag reads Only one study, and a hand counter reads Count yours first.(opens the full-size picture)
Five a minute showed no harm, twelve did, in one study.

One study, so count first

The 12-a-minute figure comes from a single online study. Use it as a rough guide and measure your own talk before you decide you have a problem.

The four-step routine

This routine worked in several small studies.

  1. Record yourself explaining something for two minutes. List your ums, and what came just before them.
  2. Catch each um as it happens. Replay the recording and tap the table, or ask a colleague to raise a finger.
Steps 1 and 2. A phone on a stand is recording, with a stopwatch at 2:00 and a hand counter. Step 1 Record 2 minutes: list ums and what came before. Step 2 Catch each one: replay it and tap the table, shown as a hand over a table, or raise a finger.(opens the full-size picture)
Record two minutes, then catch each um.
  1. When you feel an um coming, close your mouth, breathe, and pause in silence instead. A short pause sounds calm, not lost.
  2. Ask a listener to count your ums, and try to beat your last count.
Steps 3 and 4. A sentence reads We should, then a dashed empty gap, then start now, with the tags Pause instead and Calm, not lost beside a calm face. Step 3 Pause instead: close your mouth, breathe. Step 4 Beat your last count: ask a listener to count, shown as a counter and a seated listener.(opens the full-size picture)
Swap the um for a silent pause, then beat your last count.

YOUR TURN

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Read the full lesson script

In this lesson, you'll learn why everyone says um, when it starts to matter, and a simple routine to cut back.

First, ums are normal. In one study of everyday conversations, people made about six slips for every hundred words, and um and uh were the biggest share. Some research even suggests that uh helps listeners get ready for the next word. So the goal is fewer ums, not zero.

Ums tend to show up where you're planning what to say next. In one study, people who had to describe a picture used almost twice as many fillers as the people following along. Nerves alone didn't seem to cause them.

So the cheapest fix is to plan the parts that are hardest to plan on the spot. Write out your first sentence. Decide how you'll move from one section to the next. And have a short answer ready for the question you most expect.

When do ums start to hurt? In one online study, listeners rated speakers lower at about twelve filler sounds a minute, one every five seconds. At five a minute, there was no measurable harm. It's only one study, so count yours before you worry.

Here's a routine that worked in several small studies. First, record yourself explaining something for two minutes. List your ums, and what came just before them. Second, catch each um as it happens. Replay the recording and tap the table, or ask a colleague to raise a finger.

Third, when you feel an um coming, close your mouth, breathe, and pause in silence instead. A short pause sounds calm, not lost. Fourth, ask a listener to count your ums, and try to beat your last count.

So remember: ums are normal, so aim for fewer, not zero. Plan your first sentence and your links. And pause instead of saying um. Before the next lesson, record a two-minute explanation and count your ums. Next, you'll learn what to do with your hands.