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How do you stop "ermming" and "umming"?

by michael_nguyen
11 replies
Hello Warriors

When I speak, or do presentations I sometimes do the "ermm" "umm" and it pisses me off. I know what I'm talking about but not sure why I do it. I think it's grown on me as so many people do it. Maybe my English is bad? I've noticed that (I might be wrong) the volcabulary of those that those that erm and umm are not as good as those that speak fluently.
If you do erm and urmm but not bothered then good on ya!

I've tried to fix this by speaking slower but 1 or 2 of them always creeps in. What do you think the solution is if there is one? I can only think that to fix this is to improve my volcabulary. Again you might find that my volcabulary skills are limited in this post

Thank you for your replys

Best regards
Michael
#ermming #stop #umming
  • Profile picture of the author n7 Studios
    Speaking and presenting are like any other skill - they need to be practised and learnt.

    The one thing I learnt was don't be afraid of silence! A silent pause allows you time to collect your thoughts on what you're going to say next and allows your listeners to absorb what you've just said.

    Taking this further, you can ensure that your key points, thoughts etc. are placed towards the end of a sentence before you break for a pause to provide some dramatic or positive effect, as it'll allow your listeners to take on board what you've just said, let it sink in, and give you time to move onto the next part.
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  • Profile picture of the author Happy_Balance
    N7 had good advice, also:

    Play a fun game:
    You need...
    1) A watch with a second hand, or small timer.
    2) A couple of friends who aren't afraid to try something different.

    The Simple Rules:
    a) Take turns talking for 60 full seconds (or 90, 120, etc), without saying a single "pause word".
    b) If you say a single 'umm', 'uh', 'you know', etc., then you lose that round. Success = 1 point (or however you want to score)
    c) Long pauses are not allowed either.
    d) Rotate turns both speaking, and choosing the subject.
    • Someone else picks the subject (a word or phrase), and tells "the current speaker" only a second or two before they have to start talking.

    Try this sometime, it can be a ton of fun*
    *Depending on the people who you are with.
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  • Profile picture of the author Loren Woirhaye
    Many of the world's most persuasive people still have
    verbal tics like umms and erms. These are less noticeable
    the things like "you know" used a lot.

    I think the trick is to speak more slowly and pause longer
    between your sentences. When you are groping for
    words or concepts you'll use filler language - that's what
    the erms and umms are.
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  • Profile picture of the author CDarklock
    Originally Posted by michael_nguyen View Post

    When I speak, or do presentations I sometimes do the "ermm" "umm" and it pisses me off.
    Want to know a secret?

    Audiences like some of that. It means you're not a robot reciting a script. You're a real human being who is really talking to them.

    There's a level of it where you start to look like an idiot, but you'd pretty much have to do it in every other sentence.

    While we're on the general subject, do you know what to do when you forget what you were going to say?

    You go "Umm... wow, I, uhh... forgot what I was going to say." And you smile, and laugh, and your whole audience laughs with you because they've done that too. And it's okay, because you're human, just like them. And they like you, because you're flawed, just like them - and they appreciate that.

    At the risk of sounding like an arrogant jerk, I actually have to avoid preparing for public speaking, because I'm such a ruthless perfectionist that I don't seem human anymore if I polish things up. It feels unnatural and dishonest.

    And trust me on this: having the opposite problem is not really a problem. I wish that I had this problem.
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  • Profile picture of the author InternetMarketingIQ
    seems to come out in people that are nervous. listen to people who are not nervous and you seldom hear it.
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    • Profile picture of the author GT
      Great tips and insight in every one of these replies!

      The key to reducing "crutch words" in your speech, like ums and ahs, is confidence. You gain confidence by first knowing your material thoroughly and second, by practicing your presentation in advance.

      Also, the more experience you get at speaking in public, the more confidence you will develop, the more relaxed you will become, and the less likely you will be to let crutch words get the best of you.

      As CDarklock said, you don't have to worry about eliminating every crutch word because a few here and there do help to make your presentation appear more "natural". Also, as you become more confident as a speaker, your presentation will become more dynamic and captivating to the audience, so even if you do have the odd um or ah, the audience probably won't even take notice to it!

      And once you become sufficiently experienced, your confidence level will be so high that you may be able to give effective presentations with very little advance preparation, just like CDarklock. That is the level of public speaking to which we ALL aspire!

      GT
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  • Profile picture of the author don21stc
    As several Warriors have said, a few umms and errrs make the speaker at least sound natural and sometimes positively lovable if the overall drift of what's being said still flows and makes sense.
    In fact, the reputation of a prominent British politician called Boris Johnson is founded on him appearing to be a bumbling buffoon, which he probably is, but he's very popular and by no means unique.
    One thought that occurred to me on this subject is that nobody ever umms and errrs when they are singing - so maybe some technique could be evolved from this phenomenon?
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  • Profile picture of the author Raiel Schwartz
    A few "umms" and "errs" does sound natural, because it is natural.

    However...

    If you are able to maintain posture and composure, your message will sound much more effective.

    Stand up straight, look strong, and speak in a slow, confident tone. As others have said "umms" and "errs" and other verbal hiccups are a result of trying to catch up with your thoughts.

    The slower and louder you speak the more others will be able to hear you and the more your message will "flow".

    It will feel "unnatural" at first, because you aren't use to speaking in a loud, controlled, confident tone. But it will do wonders for your presentations because people love seeing a confident and engaged speaker.

    There are actually a few books you can check out that can probably help you on this.

    One book that I like is the definitive guide to body language. How you look while you are talking is sometimes more important then the message itself.

    Best of luck
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  • Profile picture of the author Loren Woirhaye
    Perhaps the greatest orator of the last century was
    Martin Luther King. Amazing speaker. In the recordings
    I have heard it sounds like he's reading a speech - there
    are no verbal tics. He also spoke in a mind-altering
    monotone, and not to entertain or inform, but to
    change hearts and minds.

    President Obama is a great speaker too, and his speech,
    when he's improvising, is peppered with verbal tics.

    I think it depends on the context in which you're speaking
    and how you want your audience to react.

    One NLP method is to get recordings of great speakers and
    "model" their patterns and vocabulary, even body movements.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bart Loos
    Originally Posted by michael_nguyen View Post

    Hello Warriors

    When I speak, or do presentations I sometimes do the "ermm" "umm" and it pisses me off. I know what I'm talking about but not sure why I do it. I think it's grown on me as so many people do it. Maybe my English is bad? I've noticed that (I might be wrong) the volcabulary of those that those that erm and umm are not as good as those that speak fluently.
    If you do erm and urmm but not bothered then good on ya!

    I've tried to fix this by speaking slower but 1 or 2 of them always creeps in. What do you think the solution is if there is one? I can only think that to fix this is to improve my volcabulary. Again you might find that my volcabulary skills are limited in this post

    Thank you for your replys

    Best regards
    Michael
    Hey Michael,

    First thing.. the more you focus on the "'umms" the more it's gonna bugg ya. And it becomes a much bigger problem then it really was, Insecurity is already w8 around the corner.

    So let it go. As the other warriors already said, its a natural thing.

    Though something you might give a try is to switch from 'umms' to 'and'

    Have fun

    Bart
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    • Profile picture of the author tenaciouscreations
      I used to have great difficulty not using crutch words when giving speeches or presentations. Other than that I thought I was a pretty good speaker. However in order to improve my speaking skills (everything can always be better) I joined a local Toastmasters club. You can find if there is one in your area by going to www-toastmasters-org (sorry I cannot post links yet).

      There is a small fee but trust me it is worth it. Toastmasters has a proven system to improve ones public speaking as well as leadership skills. But I have found the more you get involved in the group the more you will take away from it. You'll soon find you have developed an awesome arsenal of tools you can use in any business and not just for public speaking. Plus you learn how to communicate more effectively. Which is a plus for just life in general.

      Even if you never plan to speak in front of an audience but only do web videos it is a worth while endeavour. Check a meeting out, most clubs will let you sit in on meetings for free as much as you like. If there is more than one club in your area check out a few so will you find one that will suit you. Best of all there is never any pressure and I have never yet been to a club that has not provided a lot of positive reinforcement. I strongly encourage you to check out a meeting near you.

      Ben
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