Article by Featured Author
Posted December 2024There are two schools of thought on the spoken word. One school takes the position that grammar is not that important, that word selection is an approximate process, and that speech can be filled with utterances that contain no meanin—as long as one generally conveys an idea that allows the listener to get the gist of what one is trying to communicate. If you favor this school of speech, read no further and find something else to do.
Another school of thought views speech as an art that uses established rules of grammar, precise word selection, and concise phrases unburdened by filler words that add nothing to the idea being conveyed. Such speech is accurate and exact and clearly communicates thoughts. It flows smoothly and does not contain unnecessary words or phrases. If this style of speech is to your liking, read on to see how you can embrace this approach.
When a speaker is not sure what to say next or if there is any type of pause, some will resort to the use of a filler word as a crutch. The filler word can start a sentence, be offered mid-sentence, or come at the end of the spoken word. Filler words are often repeated in the course of speech. When I participated in a Toastmasters program while attending the Army War College, the participants would offer a series of short speeches that were critiqued by the listeners. One person would be designated to serve as the “Uh Counter” to listen carefully and note the number of times the speaker said “uh” during the presentation. This basic exercise encouraged us to be conscious of our speech and to eliminate the use of the dreaded “uh.” Today I notice so many speakers will begin their spoken word with a guttural “Uh” as if that is necessary to start a sentence when they don't know quite how to begin. They utter this filler word while choosing their initial words. Better to remain silent until the words one wants to use come to mind and then begin talking. Other speakers will sprinkle “uhs” in the middle of a sentence or anywhere, interfering with the flow of real words.
For years and years, the go-to filler phrase was “You know.” This phrase was uttered after sentences for unknown reasons. Perhaps the speaker was not certain that her thoughts had been conveyed and was questioning the listener to see if there was a mutual understanding of what had just been said. Perhaps the speaker was seeking affirmation on the part of the listener. Perhaps the speaker simply needed some words to fill a vacuum at the end of a sentence and before starting the next sentence. In so many conversations and addresses the phrase was merely an empty one that added nothing to the meaning and was just there to detract from the message that was attempting to be imparted. Awkwardly, it had a tendency to force the listener to respond.
In recent years, the filler phrase “You know” at the end of the sentence has been supplanted by two words—one spoken at the beginning of the sentence and one at the end. In speech in the media, in PTA meetings, in the classroom, or in church sermons, one can hear sentences being started with the word “so” and at the end of the sentence the word “right” being spoken. Neither adds anything to the meaning of the sentence, but are used as crutches by the speaker to start and end a sentence. I regularly listen to a program on Mississippi Public Broadcasting (not “In Legal Terms” with our beloved Adam Kilgore) which offers sound advice and excellent insights for daily living. Substantively, it is helpful and valuable and imparts advice and suggestions from an experienced professional. However, every sentence tended to start with the word “so” and every other sentence ended with “right.” I find such utterances distracting because they take away from the thought of the sentence. More effective would be a sentence that begins with a subject or phrase and ends with the period at the end of the sentence. The speaker can pause at the end of the sentence to allow the point to sink in and be digested in the mind of the listener without having to repeatedly say “right.” Especially in academia, speakers are prone to begin with “so” to get out of the starting blocks.
It is interesting to compare our oral and written communication. The filler words of which I spoke would never be put down on paper or screen. Before our eyes they clearly display their unnecessary nature and are simply not used. Would that our speech could mirror our writing.
I challenge you to put on your listening ears and note the frequency with which “so” and “right” enter speech, and then ask yourself what purpose did they serve in that situation. We can take this lesson to heart in our own oral communication as we speak to a judge, a jury, a client, or a colleague or as we deliver our opinion or advice at a HOA or PTA meeting.
