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 fewer or better placed. Transcribe almost any unscripted talk word for word and you'll find disfluencies the audience never consciously noticed.
The goal of practice isn't zero disfluency, which sounds robotic. It's reducing them to a level where they don't pull focus from your ideas. Disfluencies also tend to rise when planning what to say is harder.
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.
Practice it, don't just read about it.
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