Speech disfluency
Definition
Any interruption in the flow of spoken language — including filler words, false starts, repetitions, and self-corrections.
Disfluencies are universal. Even highly polished speakers produce them; they're simply edited tighter or used more strategically. Every TED talk, when transcribed verbatim, includes disfluencies the audience didn't consciously notice.
The goal of practice isn't zero disfluency — that sounds robotic. It's reducing them to a level where they don't pull focus from your actual ideas.
Sources
- Bortfeld et al., "Disfluency rates in conversation," Language and Speech (2001) — Language and Speech
Related terms
Filler word
A sound, word, or phrase — like "um," "uh," "like," or "basically" — that fills a pause in speech without adding meaning.
Discourse marker
A word or phrase used to manage the flow of speech — like "so," "well," "you know," or "I mean" — without contributing core meaning.
Pause
A deliberate silence in speech. Used well, the most powerful tool a speaker has.
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