What are vocal fillers and why should speakers minimize them?

Question

Accepted Answer

Words like "um," "uh," and "like" that distract from the message and reduce credibility. Vocal fillers are words and sounds like "um," "uh," "like," "you know," and "so" that speakers insert unconsciously during pauses in their speech. These fillers distract the audience from the message, reduce the speaker's perceived credibility and confidence, and can become extremely distracting when used excessively. Minimizing them through practice and awareness improves overall delivery quality.

Deliberate pauses used for emphasis and dramatic effect describe a positive delivery technique rather than a filler; strategic pauses are intentional and enhance the message, while fillers are involuntary and detract from it. Technical vocabulary that the audience may not understand describes jargon, which is a content and language choice issue rather than a delivery habit. Quotations from other speakers used to support the message describe source integration in speech content, not a delivery characteristic.

Vocal delivery is an important topic on the DSST exam. Students should understand the various elements of vocal delivery, including rate, pitch, volume, articulation, and the importance of minimizing fillers. Awareness of vocal habits is the first step toward improving delivery, and practice is the key to reducing filler usage.

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