It’s easy to leave our audience behind when we slide through important words: names, places, acronyms, jargon, terms of art, foreign words.

Instead, I invite you to savor these words. Let them land. Enjoy them. Even if everyone knows the name, or we assume they do (“Kim Kardashian”), we need to slow down and deliver it with love (KIM KAHRDASHEEEAN). The same applies to names of places…Read on.

Um…So! I wanted to talk about, you know, like filler words, like “like.” And, “um.”

Filler words are really OK! We all use filler words when we are speaking unless we are reading from a text or have memorized a monologue. The problem arises when they dominate our speech. We might find ourselves using filler words more frequently when we are nervous, when we have not prepared, and out of habit.

Filler words can be actual words or just sounds that we use to fill a space when we might otherwise be thinking or breathing or just silent.

Common sounds: um, uh.

Common words: like, so, anyway, yeah, you know.

When we use words to fill the space, they are void of their meaning and definition. “Like” does not mean, “to have affection for,” or “is similar to.” “You know,” is not making a statement about someone’s knowledge.

Filler words I most often hear are:

“So,” to start any story, statement, speech, or answer. “So” is often the first words out of someone’s mouth.

“Like” is a word I hear taking over our language. We hear it as a filler word sprinkled liberally throughout sentences.

First, we become aware: Are we using filler words frequently? Then, we practice…Read on.