How to Eliminate Crutches and Fillers for a Fluent Speech

Identifying your own verbal tics (um, this one, that is...).

Verbal fillers, also known as crutches, are sounds or words such as "um," "ah," "this," "that is," "well," or "you know" that we use to fill pauses in our speech.

Although their moderate use is natural in any conversation, their excessive repetition can be very harmful.

A speech riddled with crutches projects an image of insecurity, doubt and lack of preparation.

The first and most crucial step in eliminating them is self-awareness.

We must make a conscious effort to listen to our own speech to identify what our specific verbal tics are and how often we use them.

Why they appear: lack of preparation, nervousness or searching for words.

Crutches do not appear by chance; they are a response to cognitive or emotional overload.

They generally arise for three main reasons:

Lack of clarity of thought: when our thoughts are not well structured or we are not sure what we want to say next.

Nervousness or discomfort: In high-pressure situations, such as public speaking, verbal fillers act as an auditory "security blanket" to calm anxiety.

Word search: We use them to fill the silence while our brain searches for the right word or memory we want to express.

Understanding their origin helps us address the root problem rather than just treating the symptom.

The technique of replacing the crutch with a brief silent pause.

The most effective strategy for combating crutches is simple in conception but requires deliberate practice: instead of filling a void with a sound, we must learn to embrace silence.

The technique is to consciously replace each urge to use a crutch with a brief silent pause.

It may feel awkward at first, but the effect on the audience is transformative. A pause is not perceived as hesitation, but as deliberation and control.

It conveys that the speaker is thinking carefully, which adds weight and seriousness to his or her words, unlike the hesitation that suggests an "um" or an "this".

Recording and self-assessment exercises to reduce its use.

The most effective way to put the pause technique into practice is through recording and self-assessment.

A practical exercise is to record an audio or video of yourself talking about any topic for a minute or two.

Then, listen to it or watch it with a single mission: count the number of times you use your identified crutches. This exercise dramatically increases self-awareness.

As an add-on, you can write your most frequently used phrases on a sticky note and stick it in a visible