Delivery

Pause

Definition

A deliberate silence in speech. Used well, the most powerful tool a speaker has.

Most speakers underuse pauses because silence feels longer to the speaker than the audience. A 2-second pause feels eternal at the podium and barely registers in the room.

Pauses serve three jobs: replacing filler words, emphasizing the line that just landed, and giving the audience time to think. The single fastest improvement most beginners can make is replacing every "um" with a 1-second pause.

Related terms

Filler word

A sound, word, or phrase — like "um," "uh," "like," or "basically" — that fills a pause in speech without adding meaning.

Cadence

The rhythm and flow of speech — the pattern of pauses, emphasis, and pacing across sentences.

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