Filler Words: The List, and How to Cut Them on Camera

Filler words are sounds and short phrases that fill a gap in speech without adding meaning. Common examples are "um," "uh," "like," "you know," "so," "basically," and "right."

On camera they stand out more than in a normal chat, because the viewer is watching your face and has nothing else to focus on. This post lists the common ones, explains when each tends to show up, and shows how to cut them.

What are filler words?

A filler word is anything you say while your brain catches up to your mouth. It buys a half second to think.

Linguists group these under speech disfluency. Speakers of every language use sounds like these. So you are not doing something strange. Everyone does it.

The goal is not to remove every one. A few are natural. The goal is to stop them from piling up and getting in the way of your point.

What is a list of common filler words?

Here is a working list of filler words with examples, grouped by type.

Some of these are real words that carry meaning in the right place. "Right" is fine as a real question. It is a filler when it trails every sentence.

When do filler words sneak in?

Each filler has a usual trigger. Spot yours and you can plan around it.

• At the start of a take: "Um" and "so" fill the nerves of hitting record. Fix: start with a planned first line and a breath.
• Before a new idea: "So," "okay," and "well" are bridges between points. Fix: pause instead.
• When you search for a word: "Um," "uh," and "like" show up when you are not sure what comes next. Fix: write the line down, or slow down.
• When you feel unsure: "Kind of," "sort of," "basically" and "I just" soften what you say. Fix: say the claim straight.
• At the end of a thought: "Right?" and "and yeah" appear when you are not sure how to land. Fix: end on your last word and stop.
• When you speed up: Fast speech leaves less time to plan, so fillers rise. Fix: slow your pace slightly.

Are filler words always bad?

No. A few fillers make a speaker sound natural, and speech with none at all can sound scripted. A short "um" before a hard word is normal.

The problem is density and placement. One "um" in a minute goes unnoticed. An "um" at the start of every sentence tells the viewer you are not sure of what you are saying.

On a short video with only 40 to 60 seconds, there is little room for filler. Each one takes time that your hook or your point could use. For script length, see how long a 60-second script is.

How do I find my own filler words?

You often cannot hear them while you speak. You hear them on playback.

1. Record a one-minute take on your phone, talking about something you know well.
2. Play it back and tally every filler on paper.
3. Note which fillers show up most and where in the sentence.
4. Repeat tomorrow. Your top two or three are usually the same.

If you record in YapBetter, the review step lists the filler words it found, with timestamps, so you can jump to each one in the take. That saves you from tallying by hand.

How do I cut filler words on camera?

Four changes make the biggest difference.

Replace the filler with a pause

The filler fills silence. So allow the silence. A half-second pause sounds confident on camera, even if it feels long to you. See how to pause for effect.

Write shorter lines

Long sentences invite fillers because you must plan far ahead. Short lines give you fewer places to get lost. Compare:

So basically what you want to do is, like, open your settings and then you kind of go to privacy and turn that off.

Open Settings. Tap Privacy. Turn it off.

Use a script, and make it sound spoken

Most fillers come from searching for words. A script removes the search. But a script written like an essay sounds stiff when read. Write it the way you talk. See how to write a script that sounds spoken.

Practice the transitions

The seams between points are where "so" and "okay" live. Practice just those transitions until they are automatic. Or cut the transition and start the next point with its first real word.

For a full set of drills, read how to stop saying um.

What do I do about filler words in a video I already filmed?

You have three options:

• Cut them in the edit. Trim the "um" and close the gap. Do not cut so tight that the speech sounds robotic.
• Re-record the line. If one section is full of fillers, redo just those lines.
• Leave a few. A natural "uh" here and there is fine.

Re-recording is often faster than editing a dozen cuts. A teleprompter helps with re-takes, since the same words are right there. Paste your script into YapBetter to record line by line, or read about the AI teleprompter to see how the prompter and review work.

FAQ

What are the most common filler words?

"Um," "uh," "like," "you know," "so," "basically," and "actually" are among the most common in English. Your own list may differ, so check a recording.

What are examples of filler words in a sentence?

"So, um, basically I wanted to, like, show you how this works, you know." That one sentence has five fillers.

Is "like" a filler word?

It can be. "Like" is a normal word when it compares things ("it looks like rain"). It is a filler when it appears mid-sentence with no meaning ("it was, like, really good").

Should I remove all filler words from my videos?

No. A few are natural. Aim to cut the ones that pile up or that start every sentence.

How many filler words are too many?

There is no official limit. If you notice them when you watch your own video, your viewers likely do too. Fewer is better, especially in short videos.