A core frustration of mine as a young child was my brother sitting across from me at the dinner table, putting up a finger every time I used the word “like.” The gesture wiggling its way into my head, I ultimately lost track of all the thoughts I was trying to express in the first place.
Infuriating … y’know?
It didn’t stop with him. And yet, no matter how many people criticized my use of filler words, I never stopped relying on them. I just kinda spoke less in their presence.
Many people can relate and have been on the receiving end of an angry adult yelling about stuff like effective communication and distracting and unnecessary language. While I can understand their point of view, I don’t think they quite understand the role these words can play in spoken language.
Let me explain.
Filler words can be a major asset for individuals who have, um, a more jumbled or complex thought process. They act as a kinda … stepping stone in a train of thought, where the idea is like a river: Only through pausing and gathering your footing at each stone do you make it across without falling into the water and losing sight of the end goal altogether.
The judgment cast upon these words in academic, professional and everyday scenarios creates an atmosphere where individuals feel uncomfortable expressing, like, their thoughts and ideas, taking away from a free-flowing discussion where everyone can participate.
Research shows that an increased use of filler words is more common in children and adults with ADHD or other cases of neurodivergence. The lack of focus, impaired memory, impulsivity and other fun complications that go hand in hand with ADHD kinda … create a massive jumble in the brain that stepping stones can help navigate.
The vocal repetitions, word fillers and pauses can be met with, um, impatience and misunderstandings from people who do not share the same experiences. This can be particularly harmful in early learning settings where children can feel that they aren’t as smart or coherent in comparison to others around them and can lose interest in their studies.
Filler word condemnation is also a prevalent issue in upper-level academic spaces, where students can feel discouraged from speaking up in a presentation because of the scrutiny that befalls their language choices. Academics require a sorta … specific sentence structure with big words that not only contain intriguing ideas, but also “sound smart.” This ideal inadvertently excludes those with a different cognitive process — whose process of bringing words out of the brain and into spoken language flows differently.
“The more pressure that is felt while speaking, the more, like, focused and insecure you become about your language, causing more filler words to spill out and your fear of losing your thoughts to grow,” Cem Öztürk PZ ’25 said when I briefed him on the topic.
Öztürk is right. When I tried to speak to friends about writing this article, I would be, like, too focused on my personal use of wording and would filler word vomit until I gave up.
Öztürk described a current professor whose use of filler words helps him track and follow the lessons in ways he has not previously experienced. He described how the “ums” and “likes” that annoy some of his fellow classmates act as the same stepping stones that help guide him through the idea or concept that is being taught.
This professor’s classroom should be the golden standard. It is crucial to recognize that everyone has a kinda … unique way of processing and expressing their thoughts. Filler words allow these many learning styles to flourish, as well as emphasize the content of one’s ideas rather than the manner in which they are presented.
By embracing filler words as a legitimate and natural part of communication, academic and professional spaces can become more, um, inclusive and accommodating for all.
Frances Smith PZ ’26 loves miniature ponies and the combination of hot water and lemon bars. This is her first article for TSL.
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