One of the roles at a Toastmasters meeting is the Ah Counter. The Ah Counter takes note of overused filler words (ah, um, like, etc.) used by speakers and reports on their findings towards the end of the meeting. I have felt uncomfortable with this role at times because it feels negative to report that someone used 5 ahs and 3 ums in their speech. To make the role more positive I usually offer the advice that a simple pause can replace an ah and improve communication.
I was pleased to see a recent blog post on this topic, What Should You Do About Filler Words and Sounds? One of the interesting takeaways was that absolute zealous avoidance of filler words is not needed.
It may surprise you to learn that the research shows that when you say, “ah” or “uh” or “um” as a way of filling the space while you think of what to say next, you increase your audience’s comprehension of what’s coming.
Instead, it's the overuse of filler words that causes communication to be less effective. Maybe we should forgive ourselves for a few ums. What do you think?
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