Becoming Well-Spoken: How to Minimize Your Uh’s and Um’s

I definitely need this one! A friend said that she was turning my "Friday Fishwrap" videos into a drinking game...she was going to take a drink every time I said Uh and Um. Although that isn't the reason I've stopped doing them. Actually, I don't have a reason...I've just stopped.

Today's blog post is from "The Art of Manliness":

In the pursuit of becoming a better man, becoming well-spoken is a task that should not be overlooked. How you speak is a huge component of the impression you make on others, and thus your potential influence on them. People will form judgments about your education, intelligence, background, and personality simply based on the sound of your voice and the language you use to express yourself.

They then go on to list several traits of being well spoken:

• Creating well-formed sentences
• Being articulate
• Having a large and diverse vocabulary
• Speaking clearly (not mumbling)
• Having a good pace, tone, and intonation (not too loud, fast, or monotone)
• Being fluent – words come easily to you
• Being able to explain things easily
• Being straightforward and meaning what you say
• Being thoughtful and courteous to the needs of the listener
• Using little filler and empty language

We hope to cover all of these traits eventually, but today we’re going to concentrate on the last item on the list: removing the filler — particularly the um’s and uh’s — from your speech.

And now a description of filler:

What is filler? Filler consists of empty, extraneous language that pads your sentences without adding any additional meaning. It’s like empty calories – it’s there, but it doesn’t nourish. Examples of fillers include words and phrases such as “I mean,” “sort of,” “ya know?” “well,” and of course, “like.”

But the most famous fillers of all — the type that comes in for the most attention and disdain – are “uh” and “um.” To many, um’s and uh’s are tantamount to “verbal viruses” that clog up the language of the uncivilized and uneducated. Many public speaking experts recommend attempting to scrub your speech clean of this pesky padding.

Here are some reasons that we use these particular fillers:

Um’s and uh’s indicate that the speaker is “in trouble.”

Um’s and uh’s act as placeholders to let people know you’re going to continue speaking.

Uh’s can be a cry for help.

Um’s and uh’s indicate that we’re not as confident about what we’re about to say. 

Um’s and uh’s indicate that you’re searching for the right word. 

Um’s and uh’s are more common when you’re speaking about an abstract topic.

Here are some tips to minimize your use of fillers:

Limit distractions.

Don’t put your hands in your pockets.

Prepare rigorously.

Tell a story. 

Talk face-to-face if you can.

Try to relax and be less self-conscious.

Keep your sentences simple and short. 

And here's an interesting final point:

And now we get to the crux of the stigma that surrounds um-laden speech. If you find yourself noticing um’s as someone speaks, chances are it’s because you’re focusing on the speaker’s style instead on his content, and the reason you’re doing that is because the content isn’t very interesting and worthy of attention. As the author of the study concluded: “Um’s will not be associated with poor speech, but noting ums will be…Just about every speaker produces um’s, but the good speakers, by keeping substance, not style, the center of attention, will effectively hide their hesitancies.”

 Interesting days

Today - World Consumer Rights Day, Brutus Day, Buzzards Day and True Confessions Day

Tomorrow - Freedom Of Information Day, Panda Day, Lips Appreciation Day and No Selfies Day

Next Wednesday - Goof Off Day, World Water Day and As Young As You Feel Day

April 15 - Take A Wild Guess Day, Record Store Day, Auctioneers Day, Microvolunteering Day and Tax Day in the United States