You’re listening to a podcast with two Americans talking casually. One says: “So, like, I wasn’t sure what to do, um, and my boss was basically just, you know, waiting for an answer.” You understand each word, but the sentence still sounds a little strange to you. What are all those extra words doing there? Those are filler phrases, and they are one of the most common features of real spoken American English.
At Your Daily American, this is one of the questions we hear most from intermediate learners: “Should I use filler words too, or are they mistakes?” The short answer is: they are not mistakes. They are part of how Americans actually speak. By the end of this article, you will know the most common filler phrases in American English, what each one signals in a conversation, and how to use them at the right frequency so you sound natural, not scripted.
What filler phrases actually are (and why native speakers use them)
There are two types. The first type is vocal fillers, also called filled pauses. These are sounds like “uh,” “um,” and “ah” that a speaker makes while thinking of what to say next. They are not real words. They simply fill the silence while the brain plans the next idea.
The second type is phrase-level fillers, also called discourse markers. These are real words or short phrases: “like,” “you know,” “I mean,” “well,” and “so.” Unlike “uh” and “um,” these do carry a small amount of meaning. They help organize the conversation and signal things to the listener, which you will see in the next section. Both types are forms of speech disfluency, the technical term for natural interruptions in otherwise fluent speech. They are not grammar errors.
The main reason the brain reaches for a filler is simple: speaking speed and thinking speed do not always match. When you need a moment to find the right word or organize an idea, a filler holds your place in the conversation. It tells the listener, “I am still talking, please do not interrupt me.” Fillers also increase in high-pressure situations like job interviews or presentations, and this is true for native speakers too, not just learners.
The most common filler phrases in American English
Research on large databases of recorded American speech (called corpora) shows a consistent list of the most frequent fillers. Here are the ones you will hear most often, grouped by type.
Vocal fillers: uh, um, and ah
Linguists who study filled pauses note that “uh” and “um” differ in typical duration and function, though individual usage varies by speaker and context. “Uh” tends to appear mid-sentence when the speaker is searching for a specific word. “Um” often precedes a slightly longer pause, frequently before a bigger idea or a topic shift. “Ah” is also attested as a vocal filler in corpora and can mark a move from one thought to the next, though its use varies. In natural speech, all three blend in almost invisibly when used at a low frequency. Here is an example of how they sound in a real sentence:
“I was talking to my manager and she said, uh, the meeting is, um, moved to Thursday.”
Phrase-level fillers: like, you know, I mean, well, so, basically, right?
Each of these does a specific job. “Like” appears before descriptions, examples, or approximate statements. “You know” checks that the listener is following along. “I mean” signals a correction or clarification. “Well” and “So” open an answer or move between ideas. “Basically” wraps up a point. “Right?” at the end of a sentence asks the listener to confirm shared understanding. Notice how several of these appear together in one short exchange:
“So, like, I wasn’t sure what to order, you know? And the waiter was kind of, um, rushing us. I mean, not rude, but basically we had to decide fast.”
Pay attention to how the fillers feel in that example. No single word repeats too often. They space out naturally, and the message still comes through clearly. That balance is exactly what you are aiming for.
What each filler phrase signals to the listener
Here is something that surprises many learners: filler phrases are not empty. Each one carries a small communicative message. Understanding these messages helps you both use fillers correctly and understand native speakers more accurately.
- Um / Uh: “I am thinking. Please wait.”
- Like: “This is approximately what I mean” or “Here comes an example.”
- You know: “We share this understanding” or “Are you following me?”
- I mean: “Let me say that more clearly” or “I want to soften what I just said.”
- Well: “I am considering this before I answer.”
- Right?: “We agree on this, don’t we?”
Notice how “I mean” works as a softener in this example: “It was a long meeting. I mean, not terrible, but I was pretty tired by the end.” Without “I mean,” the sentence sounds more blunt. With it, the speaker is gently pulling back from a potentially negative statement. That is a skill, not a filler habit.
Register also matters here. In casual speech with friends or in an informal meeting, all of these fillers sound completely normal. In a formal presentation, a job interview, or a call with a new client, heavy use of “uh/um” and “like” can suggest that you are unprepared. The same phrase sounds natural in one setting and distracting in another. Context controls everything. For examples of typical conversational openings and responses you might hear in casual settings, see our guide to 25 small talk phrases Americans use every day.
How to use filler phrases naturally without overdoing it
The problem starts when every sentence begins with “like” or “basically.” At that point, fillers become verbal tics and speaking crutches, habits the speaker no longer controls. A useful way to think about it: fillers should be invisible to the listener. When your listener starts noticing them, the frequency is too high.
Corpus-based research offers a useful benchmark here. Some studies suggest that credibility effects begin around one filler per 78 words (roughly 1.3 per 100 words) in professional settings, with consistent overuse linked to a measurable drop in perceived speaker credibility. Below that threshold, most listeners do not register the fillers at all. Above it, the fillers start pulling attention away from the message itself. Acceptable frequency also depends on context, speech rate, and how well the speaker and listener know each other. The goal is not zero fillers. The goal is awareness. Several corpus studies support these kinds of benchmarks and the credibility effects tied to filler frequency.
Some fillers travel between contexts more easily than others. “Um” and “well” work in both casual and professional speech when used sparingly. “Like” and “you know” are strongly casual. Use them with friends or in relaxed team meetings, but not in a formal presentation. “I mean” and “so” cross registers more comfortably. Here is a quick comparison:
Casual: “Like, I totally get what you’re saying, you know?”
Professional: “I mean, so, to build on that point, the data shows a clear trend.”
Both are natural in their own register. The deciding factors are which filler you reach for and whether the setting calls for it.
How many filler phrases are too many?
There is no single magic number, but a practical rule is this: if you can count your fillers easily while listening back to a recording, there are probably too many. Corpus studies point to roughly one filler per 78 words as the level where listeners in professional contexts begin to take notice. In casual conversation, the threshold is higher because both speakers expect a more relaxed rhythm. The exercises below will help you find your personal baseline and adjust from there.
Simple exercises to start practicing today
The most effective way to improve your filler use is to build awareness first, then practice production. These two exercises give you a clear starting point.
The record-and-review method
This is the exercise we recommend most often at Your Daily American, and it works because most speakers genuinely do not know which fillers they overuse until they hear themselves.
- Record yourself answering a simple question for one to two minutes. It can be any topic: your job, your weekend, a movie you watched.
- Play the recording back and count how many times you use each filler phrase.
- Note where the fillers appear most: at the start of answers, mid-sentence, or at transitions between ideas.
- Record again, and this time try replacing overused fillers with a short silent pause instead.
A brief silent pause is actually a strong communication tool. It gives the listener time to process your words and signals confidence rather than hesitation. Practiced speakers use silence on purpose.
Shadowing with real American transcripts
Find a short audio clip with a transcript. A news interview, a podcast segment, or a casual YouTube conversation all work well. Read the transcript aloud, including every “um,” “like,” and “you know” exactly as the speaker used them. Do not skip the fillers. The goal is to train your mouth and ear to produce them in the same natural rhythm that native speakers do, not to add them randomly to any sentence. Resources like Speechling’s list of 15 common English filler words can help you identify which fillers to focus on during shadowing.
This kind of practice is at the center of what Your Daily American is built for. The platform focuses on how American English is actually spoken in real life, not just how it appears in textbooks. The resources on pronunciation, connected speech, and conversational patterns are designed to help you place these phrases in the right spots within natural speech. For related pronunciation challenges, see our article on English words non-native speakers mispronounce most often.
Filler phrases are a feature, not a flaw
Filler phrases are not mistakes. They are part of the living rhythm of real American English. Most native speakers use them regularly in everyday conversation, from casual chats to workplace discussions. For beginners who want to practice everyday conversation routines, our common American small talk phrases for beginners guide is a helpful starting point.
The difference between a filler that sounds natural and one that pulls the listener’s attention comes down to two things: function and frequency.
Use a filler because it is doing a job. Hold the floor, soften a statement, mark a thinking pause, or signal to the listener that an example is coming. Keep the frequency low enough that listeners hear your message, not your verbal fillers. Start with the practice exercises above. Pay attention to how American speakers around you use these phrases in real life, resources like Duolingo’s guide to English filler words can help you spot common patterns. The more you notice them in context, the more naturally they will appear in your own speech. That is how fluency is built: one small, natural habit at a time.
