Are filler words always bad?

No. A few make you sound natural. They become a problem when they appear in almost every sentence and distract from the message.

Does reading from a script stop filler words?

Mostly. When the next words are in front of you, there is little to search for. Fillers can come back when you go off-script.

How to stop saying “um” and “uh” on camera

Updated October 29, 2026 · Anthony Delmotte

Short answer. Filler words fill the silence while your brain looks for the next words. Replace them with a short silent pause, which sounds confident on video, and reduce the searching itself: know your next sentence, from a script or a clear outline, and slow down a little.

Why we say “um”

“Um” signals that you are still talking while you think. In conversation it is normal. On video it stands out, because the viewer cannot interrupt and every hesitation is recorded.

Pause instead

A one-second silence feels long to you and natural to the viewer. Practise closing your mouth at the end of a sentence and breathing before the next one. That breath is the pause.

Know the next sentence

Most fillers appear between ideas. A script, or at least the first words of each paragraph, removes the search. With a teleprompter, the next sentence is already in front of you.

Slow down

Speak fast and your mouth gets ahead of your thoughts; fillers fill the gap. Aim for 130 to 150 words per minute and check yours with our speaking rate test.

Count them, once

Watch a take and count the fillers. Do not try to fix everything: pick one habit, such as the “so” at the start of each sentence, and work on that for a week.

Don’t over-edit

Cutting every “um” in editing leaves jump cuts everywhere. A few hesitations sound human; aim for fewer, not none.