
Apr 12, 2017 ● Peter Jones
Why It’s Okay To Use “Um” and “Like” When You Talk—Really
Yes, you should never use filler words like “um” and “like” in your writing. But sometimes, in conversation, you might find you need to buy yourself a bit of time to gather your thoughts and figure out what it is you’re trying to say.
It's true that most job interview advice blogs will tell you to avoid using them at all costs, because they can make you sound unintelligent or unprepared. But filler words are a natural part of the way people speak these days, so if you can utilize them economically and well in your conversation, you just might be able to get the best of both worlds. You’ll have the time to formulate your sentences and keep your speech clean and less muddled, but you won’t get carried away with your constant "umm"ing and "like"-ing.
Filler words are used for the following reasons.