Why do we, like, hesitate when we, um, speak? - Lorenzo García-Amaya
For as long as we’ve had language,
some people have tried to control it.
And some of the most frequent targets
of this communication regulation
are the ums, ers, and likes
that pepper our conversations.
Ancient Greek and Latin texts warned
against speaking with hesitation,
modern schools have tried
to ban the offending terms,
and renowned linguist Noam Chomsky
dismissed these expressions as “errors”
irrelevant to language.
Historically, these speech components
had been lumped
into the broader bucket of “disfluencies”—
linguistic fillers which distract
from useful speech.
However, none of this controversy has made
these so-called disfluencies less common.
They continue to occur roughly
2 to 3 times per minute in natural speech.
And different versions of them can
be found in almost every language,
including sign language.
So are ums and uhs
just a habit we can’t break?
Or is there more to them
than meets the ear?
To answer this question, it helps
to compare these speech components
to other words we use in everyday life.
While a written word might have
multiple definitions,
we can usually determine its intended
meaning through context.
In speech however, a word can take
on additional layers of meaning.
Tone of voice,
the relationship between speakers,
and expectations of where
a conversation will go
can imbue even words that seem like filler
with vital information.
This is where “um” and “uh” come in.
Or “eh” and “ehm,” “tutoa” and “öö,”
“eto” and “ano.”
Linguists call these filled pauses, which
are a kind of hesitation phenomenon.
And these seemingly
insignificant interruptions
are actually quite meaningful
in spoken communication.
For example, while a silent pause
might be interpreted
as a sign for others to start speaking,
a filled pause can signal
that you’re not finished yet.
Hesitation phenomena can buy time for your
speech to catch up with your thoughts,
or to fish out the right word
for a situation.
And they don’t just benefit the speaker—
a filled pause lets your listeners know
an important word is on the way.
Linguists have even found
that people are more likely
to remember a word
if it comes after a hesitation.
Hesitation phenomena
aren’t the only parts of speech
that take on new meaning during dialogue.
Words and phrases such as “like,”
“well” or “you know”
function as discourse markers,
ignoring their literal meaning to convey
something about the sentence
in which they appear.
Discourse markers direct
the flow of conversation,
and some studies suggest
that conscientious speakers
use more of these phrases to ensure
everyone is being heard and understood.
For example, starting a sentence
with “Look...”
can indicate your attitude and help
you gauge the listener’s agreement.
“I mean” can signal that you’re about
to elaborate on something.
And the dreaded “like”
can perform many functions,
such as establishing a loose
connection between thoughts,
or introducing someone else's
words or actions.
These markers give people a real-time
view into your thought process
and help listeners follow, interpret,
and predict what you’re trying to say.
Discourse markers and hesitation phenomena
aren’t just useful
for understanding language—
they help us learn it too.
In 2011, a study showed toddlers
common and uncommon objects
alongside a recording referring
to one of the items.
When a later recording asked them
to identify the uncommon object,
toddlers performed better if that
instruction contained a filled pause.
This may mean that filled pauses
cue toddlers to expect novel words,
and help them connect new words
to new objects.
For adolescents and adults
learning a second language,
filled pauses smooth out awkward
early conversations.
And once they’re more confident,
the second-language learner can signal
their newfound fluency
by using the appropriate
hesitation phenomenon.
Because, contrary to popular belief,
the use of filled pauses doesn't decrease
with mastery of a language.
Just because hesitation phenomena
and discourse markers
are a natural part of communication
doesn’t mean they’re always appropriate.
Outside of writing dialogue, they serve
no purpose in most formal writing.
And in some contexts, the stigma
these social cues carry
can work against the speaker.
But in most conversations,
these seemingly senseless sounds
can convey a world of meaning.
