Using filler words is more normal than you think

You, like, don’t need to worry, you know?
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It can be, like, quite annoying when, erm, someone always uses, er, filler words, if you know what I mean?

Yes - using these kinds of words, also known as discourse markers, is often associated with low intelligence and ineptness.

But it's something a lot of people do, and according to Professor Michael Handford, professor of applied linguistics and English language at Cardiff University, this assumption is unfair.

He explains that people often subconsciously use these words, such as ‘like’, ‘so’, ‘erm’ and ‘uh’ to fill pauses, so that they don't seem rude.

“If you invite somebody to a party and they say no without any of those markers they will probably appear rude,” he told The Independent.

“If you say ‘um, well, you know, sorry’ it makes it much more polite. They play a really important politeness function.”

Another reason for filling sentences with these words or sounds is that the person is trying to process information that might be more complex.

“This is important for the speaker and the listener as well,” Professor Handford explained.

“If you did speak how people write people wouldn’t be able to understand you as we can’t process that much information… As speakers we are often aware, if we speak too complexly the listener might not understand. We use these items, pretty unconsciously, to help the person process what we are saying.”

Using filler words is often associated with the young – millennials get a bed rep for filling sentences with ‘like’.

But while certain discourse markers are specific to generations, the functions of the words and the reasons people use them doesn’t change between generations.

For example, you may hear older people saying "and so on" - it serves the same purpose, which is to fill empty space.

These kinds of words also exist in other languages, showing just how normal they are, and they definitely aren’t a sign of lower intelligence.

But if you are worried you use them too much, especially in interviews or meetings, you can try to avoid this by worrying less about seeming polite, and being as prepared as possible so your brain doesn’t feel the need to fill in your mind blanks.

So that’s, erm, pretty reassuring then!

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