How to Stop Using Filler Words in IELTS Speaking

"Um." "Uh." "Like." "You know." "Basically." "Actually."

Every English speaker uses filler words. Native speakers use them. IELTS examiners use them. In everyday conversation, they are perfectly normal. But in the IELTS Speaking test, excessive fillers directly affect your Fluency & Coherence score.

The key word is excessive. An occasional "um" while thinking of the right word is human and natural. The examiner will not penalise you for it. But if every sentence starts with "uh" and "like" appears three times per response, the examiner hears disfluency — and your Fluency score drops.

This guide explains why we use fillers, which ones hurt your score most, and gives you five practical techniques to reduce them before your exam.

Why We Use Filler Words

Fillers serve a purpose. They are not a sign of stupidity or poor English. They are a signal that your brain is working — processing the next thought, searching for a word, or structuring an idea.

There are three main reasons candidates use excessive fillers in IELTS Speaking:

1. Language-Related Hesitation

You know what you want to say but cannot find the English word quickly enough. So you fill the gap: "I think the... um... the government should, uh, invest in... like... education."

This type of filler is the most penalised because it signals limited language access.

2. Content-Related Hesitation

You have not decided what to say yet. You are still forming your thought. "Well, um, I think... I mean, it depends, you know..."

The examiner can usually tell the difference between thinking about what to say (acceptable) and struggling to find how to say it (penalised). Band 7+ descriptors specifically note that hesitation should be "content-related" rather than "language-related."

3. Habitual Fillers

Some fillers are just habits. You say "like" and "you know" because you always do — not because you are struggling with English. These are the easiest to fix because they are not caused by a language gap.

Which Fillers Hurt Your Score Most?

Not all fillers are equal. Some are more noticeable — and more penalised — than others.

Most penalised (language-related):

• "um" and "uh" (frequent, extended pauses)
• Long silences (3+ seconds without speaking)
• Repeated false starts: "I think... I mean... What I'm saying is..."

Moderately penalised (habitual):

• "like" (used as a filler, not a comparison)
• "you know" (used repeatedly with no purpose)
• "basically" (at the start of every answer)
• "actually" (used as a default opener)

Least penalised (strategic pausing):

• "Well..." (natural thinking pause)
• "That's a good question..." (buys 2 seconds naturally)
• "Let me think about that for a moment..." (explicit and confident)
• Brief, natural pauses between ideas

The difference between the last group and the first group is control. Strategic pauses sound confident. Excessive fillers sound uncertain.

5 Techniques to Reduce Filler Words

Technique 1: Replace Fillers with Silence

This is the most powerful technique and the hardest to learn. When you feel an "um" coming, close your mouth and pause silently for half a second instead.

A brief silent pause is actually better than a filler. It sounds confident and deliberate. The examiner hears a speaker who takes time to think before speaking — not a speaker who is struggling.

Practice drill: Record yourself answering a Part 1 question. Listen back and count every filler. Re-answer the same question, consciously replacing each filler with a brief silence. It will feel unnatural at first. That is normal.

Technique 2: Use Discourse Markers Instead

Replace fillers with purposeful discourse markers that buy you thinking time while sounding natural:

Instead of	Say
"Um..."	"Well, ..."
"Uh... I think..."	"Actually, I'd say that..."
"Like, you know..."	"What I mean is..."
"Basically..."	"In a nutshell, ..."
(long pause)	"That's an interesting point. I think..."

These markers are functional — they signal to the examiner that you are about to make a point, not that you are lost.

Technique 3: Slow Down Your Speaking Pace

Most filler words appear when you speak faster than you can think. Your mouth outruns your brain, and fillers rush in to fill the gap.

Deliberately slowing down by 10-15% gives your brain enough time to prepare the next phrase before you finish the current one. The result: fewer gaps, fewer fillers, and a smoother delivery.

Practice drill: Set a timer for 2 minutes. Answer a Part 2 cue card at your normal pace. Then answer the same card again, deliberately speaking slightly slower. Count the fillers in each version.

Technique 4: Plan Your First Sentence

The moment when fillers are most common is at the beginning of an answer — when you have not yet decided what to say. If you plan your opening sentence, you eliminate the most filler-heavy moment.

For Part 1: Take a breath after the question, formulate your first sentence mentally, then speak. This adds 1-2 seconds but eliminates the "Um, well, I think, uh..." opening.

For Part 2: Use your 1-minute preparation to write down the first sentence of your response. Starting confidently sets the tone for the rest.

For Part 3: Listen to the full question, take a breath, then begin with a discourse marker: "I believe that..." or "From my perspective..."

Technique 5: Record and Self-Monitor

You cannot fix what you do not notice. Most candidates are unaware of how many fillers they use.

Weekly practice routine:

1. Record yourself answering 5 Part 1 questions (2-3 minutes total)
2. Listen back and tally every filler (um, uh, like, you know, basically)
3. Note which fillers you use most frequently
4. Re-answer the same questions, focusing on eliminating your top filler
5. Compare the two recordings

Most candidates see a 50% reduction in fillers within 2 weeks of regular self-monitoring.

When Fillers Are Acceptable

Fillers are not always bad. In certain contexts, they are natural and expected:

• One "well" or "let me see" per answer — This is a natural thinking marker.
• A brief "hmm" when considering a complex Part 3 question — Shows genuine thought.
• An occasional self-correction — "I goed — I went to the store" is better than letting the error stand.
• A natural "you know" to add conversational tone — Once or twice per test, not every sentence.

The goal is not to eliminate every filler. The goal is to reduce them to a natural frequency — 1-2 per answer rather than 5-6.

For a complete understanding of how fillers affect your Fluency & Coherence score, see how IELTS Speaking is scored. For strategies on extending your answers without fillers, see how to talk for 2 minutes in Part 2.

Quick Reference: Filler Reduction Checklist

• Record yourself weekly and count fillers
• Identify your top 2 most frequent fillers
• Replace them with brief silence or discourse markers
• Slow your speaking pace by 10-15%
• Plan your first sentence before speaking
• Practice Part 2 responses with a timer (aim for 2 minutes)
• Target: no more than 1-2 fillers per answer in Parts 1 and 3

Practice with Speaking Feedback

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