Filler Words.

I have this terrible habit where I say, "You know" and "I mean" a lot, seriously a LOT. I do it all the time in real life and in tournaments. It gets super annoying because it bothers the judges and people I hang out with. I basically say it as much as your average teenage girl says the awful filler word "like".

I was wondering, what are your filler words and what did they used to be? How often do you say them? And how do you or did you stop saying them so much?

Pinkie: For me it was "like". I used to say it in speeches maybe once every two sentences at least. Basically the trick with filler words is to be aware when you say them. Once you start taking note each time you say them, your brain slowly stops saying them automatically, because you always find yourself concentrating on them. Took about a year for it to fully go away but I've learned to be completely in control of it now.

admin: That's great! I think one of the reasons I say "I mean" is because I speak so compulsively I have to clarify every little thing I say because I don't fully understand what I mean. It bothers me that I can't slow down even when I realize I'm speaking so fast that I can't catch up with my mouth and that I can never formulate what I want to say intelligently. That's one of the reasons I started debate, so I could learn to control and understand myself.