Damaging verbal filler words are used in speech. But these are not very necessary. These may include words like “ummm, ya, I mean, like, ya know, you know, uh-huh” etc. Unusual tongue noises, throat clearing, lip smacking or specific bodily movement which are necessarily not related any message or topic of discussion. It may also include any non-meaningful verbal noise. These all are nothing but damaging verbal filler words. This type of speech activities are common in many teenagers. It happens most often during important business discussions or while making critical discussions. These cause severe speech disruptions and affects the levels of confidence to a great extent.
The following are the causes of using verbal filler words while speaking:
- Nervous Behavior: Anxiety can always impact your speech. It affects you while coordinating your thought, speech and anxiety.
- Reinforced Habit: Habitual fillers are obvious in many who find their ideas or thoughts moving must faster than your words. It has become a habit in many. They use it to buy time to organize thoughts and express. Fillers like “sure” are used to arrange thoughts before speaking. Most of the people do it being unaware of the use. It can damage your reputation to a very great extent.
Increasing Awareness About It To Control It:
- Identify Personal Filler Words: Try to find if it is due to nervousness or is it a reinforced habit. List all your filler words along with the situations where you use them. Once you are aware of them, you have succeeded 80%.
- Keep a Tally: Keep a scratch paper near you. Add a tally mark on it each time you use the filler word. This will improve the awareness which will help you end this condition. You need to know how often you use them to discontinue them.
- Find Support: Support from a trusted peer can be of great help. He / she can give monitor your filler word usage and signal you. You will feel serious and work cautiously on it.
