Filler Words in Another Language: How to Speak More Naturally

You know what you want to say. You understand the question. You even know most of the words you need.

And then, suddenly, your brain needs a few seconds.

“Um…”

“Well…”

“I mean…”

“Like…”

You are trying to find the next word, remember the right grammar, and organize your answer at the same time. So you fill the silence while your brain catches up.

If this happens when you speak another language, you’re not doing anything unusual.

In fact, filler words and short thinking phrases are a normal part of spoken language. The problem isn’t that you sometimes say “um” or “well.” The bigger issue is when you rely on the same filler again and again because you’re uncomfortable with silence or don’t know how to handle a moment of hesitation.

So instead of trying to eliminate every filler word, a better goal is to learn how to pause, think, respond, and keep the conversation moving naturally.

That’s a much more useful speaking skill.

What Are Filler Words?

Filler words are words or short expressions people use while thinking, hesitating, connecting ideas, or managing a conversation.

Some common examples in English are:

• um
• uh
• well
• like
• you know
• actually
• I mean
• so

For example:

• “Um, I think I went there last year.”
• “Well, I’m not completely sure.”
• “I mean, that’s not exactly what I wanted to say.”
• “It was, like, really crowded.”

These expressions don’t always carry the main information in the sentence. Sometimes their purpose is simply to give the speaker a moment to think.

And that can be particularly helpful when you’re speaking a language you’re still learning.

Imagine someone asks:

“What did you do last weekend?”

You know the answer, but you need a second to organize it.

You might say:

“Well… last weekend I went to…”

That “well” gives you a little time.

There’s nothing wrong with that.

Why Do You Use More Fillers When Speaking Another Language?

Speaking another language can require a lot of mental work.

While having a conversation, you may be doing all of these things at once:

• understanding what the other person said
• deciding what you want to say
• searching for the right vocabulary
• choosing the correct grammar
• thinking about pronunciation
• checking whether your sentence sounds natural
• worrying about making a mistake

When you’re speaking your first language, much of this happens without conscious effort.

In another language, you may have to think about it.

That’s when hesitation appears.

You might know the word you’re looking for, but it doesn’t come to you immediately. You might know what you want to say but not know how to structure the sentence. Or you may simply become nervous because another person is waiting for your answer.

So you say:

“Um…”

And then:

“I think…”

And then:

“Maybe…”

And finally the sentence comes out.

That doesn’t mean you can’t speak the language.

It means your brain is working through the conversation.

You Don’t Need to Eliminate Every Filler Word

This is probably the most important thing to understand.

Natural speech isn’t perfectly smooth.

Listen carefully to conversations between native speakers and you’ll hear pauses, repetitions, corrections, unfinished sentences, and conversational expressions.

People say things like:

• “Well…”
• “Let me think…”
• “Actually…”
• “I mean…”
• “You know…”

They change their minds.

They restart sentences.

They pause to think.

They sometimes forget what they were about to say.

So don’t make “never say um again” your definition of fluency.

A better goal is:

Speak clearly enough to communicate, and become comfortable enough to pause when you need to think.

Compare these two examples:

“Well, I’m not sure. I think I’d choose Spain.”

and:

“Um… I… um… think… um… maybe Spain…”

The first speaker is hesitating, but the hesitation feels natural.

The second speaker is relying on fillers so heavily that they begin to interrupt the message.

That’s the difference worth working on.

Natural Fillers vs. Excessive Fillers

Not every filler is a problem.

A short expression can have a useful purpose in conversation. It can give you time, introduce an answer, soften what you’re saying, or help you move from one idea to another.

For example:

“Well, I’ve never thought about it that way.”

Or:

“Let me think. I think I’d rather live in Spain.”

These sound natural.

The problem comes when a filler becomes automatic and appears repeatedly without adding anything to the conversation.

For example:

“Um, I went to, um, this restaurant and, um, it was, um, really nice…”

The speaker probably doesn’t need to remove every “um.” The goal is to reduce the unnecessary ones and become more comfortable with pauses.

A useful question to ask yourself is:

“Am I using this expression because it helps me communicate, or because I’m afraid of silence?”

That question can tell you more than simply counting filler words.

Common English Filler Words and How They’re Used

If you’re learning English, it helps to understand how these expressions actually work in conversation.

Um / uh — Gives you time to think.

“Um, I’m not sure.”

Well — Starts or softens a response.

“Well, I think it’s a good idea.”

Like — Shows approximation or conversational emphasis.

“It took, like, two hours.”

You know — Creates conversational connection.

“It’s difficult, you know?”

Actually — Corrects or clarifies something.

“Actually, I meant Monday.”

I mean — Clarifies or rephrases an idea.

“I mean, that’s not what I wanted to say.”

So — Starts or moves into an explanation.

“So, what happened was…”

One important point: these aren’t always filler words.

Well, actually, like, so, and I mean can have a real function in a sentence. Their meaning depends on context.

That’s why simply making a list of “bad words” and trying to remove them isn’t a very effective way to improve your speaking.

It’s better to understand how people actually use them.

Filler Words Are Different in Different Languages

One of the interesting things about learning another language is discovering that conversations don’t work exactly the same way everywhere.

Languages have their own conversational habits.

A word or expression that feels completely natural in one language may sound strange if you translate it directly into another.

This is one reason a sentence can be grammatically correct but still sound slightly unnatural.

You may be transferring a conversational habit from your first language.

That’s why listening to real conversations is so valuable.

Don’t only listen for vocabulary.

Pay attention to what people say when they:

• need time to think
• change their mind
• correct themselves
• don’t know something
• want to explain something differently
• disagree
• soften an answer
• start telling a story

These small expressions are part of the language.

You learn them by noticing how people actually speak, not just by translating individual words.

What to Say When You Need Time to Think

You don’t always need to say “um” when you need a moment.

You can learn short phrases that naturally give you time while also communicating something useful.

For example:

• “That’s a good question.”
• “Let me think.”
• “I’m not sure.”
• “How can I explain this?”
• “Let me put it another way.”
• “I don’t know the exact word.”
• “What I mean is…”
• “I haven’t really thought about that before.”

Imagine someone asks:

“Why did you decide to learn Spanish?”

Instead of:

“Um… I… um… because…”

you could say:

“That’s a good question. I think I wanted to be able to speak with more people when I travel.”

The first sentence gives you a moment to think, but it also sounds like something a real person might say.

You don’t need to memorize ten different phrases.

Choose two or three that feel natural to you and practice using them.

Learn to Pause Without Panicking

Many language learners become uncomfortable when there is silence.

You finish one sentence and suddenly feel that you have to start the next one immediately.

You don’t.

A short pause is normal.

If you need a moment to find the right word, you can simply stop for a second.

“I went there with my… [pause] …cousin.”

That’s perfectly understandable.

You don’t have to fill every second with sound.

Try to think of speaking as:

Pause → Think → Speak

rather than:

Panic → Fill the silence → Rush → Make a mistake → Panic again

The more comfortable you become with short pauses, the less pressure you’ll feel to use fillers automatically.

And something interesting often happens: once you stop being afraid of silence, you may find that you actually need fewer fillers.

Don’t Speak Faster Just to Sound Fluent

It’s easy to confuse speaking quickly with speaking fluently.

They’re not the same thing.

If you’re constantly trying to speak faster, you may:

• lose track of your sentence
• forget words
• pronounce things less clearly
• use more fillers
• correct yourself more often
• become more nervous

Speaking a little more slowly can actually make your communication stronger.

You don’t need to sound like the fastest speaker in the room.

You need to be comfortable enough to express your thoughts.

Speaking quickly is a style. Speaking comfortably is a skill.

Give yourself permission to slow down when you need to.

How to Reduce Filler Words Without Becoming Robotic

If you notice that you use the same filler repeatedly, don’t try to eliminate all fillers at once.

Start by noticing your pattern.

1. Record yourself

Choose an easy topic:

• your weekend
• your hometown
• your favorite movie
• your job
• a recent trip
• something you learned recently

Speak for two or three minutes without preparing your answer.

Then listen to the recording.

You might discover that you say “um” much more often than you thought.

Or perhaps you repeatedly say “like,” “you know,” or “actually.”

That’s useful information.

2. Choose one filler

Don’t try to fix everything at once.

If “um” is your biggest habit, focus on that first.

When you notice yourself about to say it, try a short pause instead.

Don’t worry if you still use it.

You’re building awareness.

3. Replace some fillers with silence

Instead of:

“Um, I went to Spain last year.”

try:

“[pause] I went to Spain last year.”

At first, the silence may feel strangely long.

It probably isn’t.

You’re simply becoming more aware of it.

4. Learn useful thinking phrases

When a meaningful phrase is appropriate, use one.

“Let me think.”

“I’m not sure how to explain it.”

“What I mean is…”

“I don’t know the exact word.”

These expressions can help you keep communicating even when your language isn’t perfect.

5. Record yourself again

Talk about the same subject a second time.

This time, focus on pausing rather than filling every gap.

Then compare the recordings.

Don’t only ask:

“How many fillers did I use?”

Also ask:

• Did I sound more relaxed?
• Did I rush less?
• Were my pauses more natural?
• Was I easier to understand?
• Did I recover more easily when I forgot something?

Those are much better signs of progress.

Sometimes the Filler Isn’t the Real Problem

Imagine that you speak quite comfortably when you’re alone.

You can record yourself without much difficulty.

But when another person asks you a question, suddenly you say “um” five times in one sentence.

The problem may not be your vocabulary.

It may be pressure.

You might be thinking:

• “What if I make a mistake?”
• “What if they think my accent sounds strange?”
• “I need to answer quickly.”
• “They’re waiting for me.”

That pressure can make you rush, hesitate, and rely more heavily on fillers.

In that situation, simply telling yourself to “stop saying um” won’t solve the whole problem.

You need more opportunities to speak in situations where making mistakes is normal.

That’s one reason real conversation practice matters so much.

What to Do When You Forget a Word

Forgetting a word is one of the most common reasons language learners get stuck.

You start a sentence.

Then suddenly:

The word disappears.

You might be tempted to stop completely.

Instead, keep communicating.

Imagine you forget the word umbrella.

You could say:

“I forgot the word, but it’s the thing you use when it’s raining.”

Now the conversation can continue.

You could also say:

“What’s the word for that?”

or:

“I don’t know the word in English.”

These are useful communication skills.

You don’t need to know every word to have a conversation.

You need to know what to do when you don’t know one.

If vocabulary gaps are one of the situations that make you freeze, you can also read our guide on what to say when you don’t know a word.

Practice Filler Words Through Real Conversations

You can learn a lot about fillers by studying examples, but eventually you need to use the language.

Try practicing through:

• language exchange conversations
• conversation clubs
• online speaking sessions
• talking with a friend
• short voice recordings
• role-play conversations
• one-on-one language practice

And don’t give yourself the goal of speaking perfectly.

Give yourself a smaller goal.

For one conversation, your goal might be:

Pause instead of panicking.

The next time:

Use one natural thinking phrase.

Another time:

Keep speaking when I forget a word.

These small goals are easier to notice and practice.

Over time, they become more automatic.

A Simple Filler-Word Practice Exercise

You don’t need a complicated speaking routine.

Try this:

Record

Choose a simple topic and speak for two minutes in the language you’re learning.

Don’t write a script.

Listen

Listen to yourself once without judging every mistake.

Notice where you used fillers.

Notice

Choose your most common filler.

Maybe it’s:

“Um…”

Maybe it’s:

“Like…”

Maybe it’s:

“You know…”

Repeat

Record yourself talking about the same subject again.

This time, whenever you feel the urge to use your usual filler, try a short pause.

Compare

Listen to both recordings.

Ask yourself:

Did I sound more comfortable?

That’s the point of the exercise.

You’re not trying to produce perfectly filler-free speech.

You’re learning to manage the moments when your brain needs time.

Pay Attention to Fillers When You Listen

One of the easiest ways to learn natural conversation is to start noticing what happens between the important words.

When you’re watching a video, listening to a podcast, or having a conversation, pay attention to what speakers say when they need time.

Listen for expressions such as:

• “Well…”
• “I mean…”
• “Actually…”
• “Let me think…”
• “You know…”

Then ask yourself:

Why did the speaker use that expression?

Were they:

• thinking?
• correcting themselves?
• introducing an answer?
• changing direction?
• softening something?
• buying a little time?

This is a different way of listening.

Instead of only collecting vocabulary, you’re learning how the language behaves in real conversation.

That’s where a lot of natural speech lives.

Fluent Speech Isn’t Perfect Speech

It’s easy to create an unrealistic picture of fluency.

You imagine a fluent speaker as someone who:

• never pauses
• never forgets a word
• never makes a grammar mistake
• always knows exactly what to say
• speaks quickly and confidently

Real conversations aren’t like that.

People pause.

They change their minds.

They correct themselves.

They repeat things.

They sometimes forget words.

They start a sentence and take it in another direction.

The difference is that experienced speakers usually know how to recover and continue.

That’s an important skill for language learners too.

If you pause for a moment and then continue, the conversation hasn’t failed.

If you forget a word but describe it, the conversation hasn’t failed.

If you correct yourself, the conversation hasn’t failed.

Communication doesn’t have to be perfect to work.

The Goal Is Natural Conversation

So, should you stop using filler words?

Sometimes, yes.

If you’re saying “um” every few seconds because you’re uncomfortable with silence, becoming more aware of the habit can make your speech clearer.

But don’t turn filler words into another thing you have to be afraid of.

You don’t need to eliminate every hesitation.

You don’t need to speak at the speed of a native speaker.

And you don’t need to produce perfect sentences before you open your mouth.

You need to be able to pause, think, recover and continue.

Sometimes that means saying:

“Well, let me think…”

Sometimes it means taking a quiet second.

Sometimes it means admitting:

“I don’t know the exact word.”

And sometimes you really will say:

“Um…”

That’s okay.

The goal isn’t to sound like you’ve memorized every sentence before you speak.

The goal is to feel comfortable enough to keep the conversation going.