Exactly, uh, yes: Whoever uses filler words is considered insecure

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Filler words are garbage words?

Not because of it, says linguistics

Photo: scyther5 / iStockphoto / Getty Images

At school I had a merciless teacher.

If you answered his questions with a hesitant "Uhh..." he would slam his palm down on the tabletop and yell: "Uh, that's wrong!" There was no second chance.

As a result of this didactically controversial method, I gave up the habit of saying “uh”.

At least I thought so.

When I played back a recorded conversation the other day, I could hardly believe it.

I said "uh" nine times in the first two minutes alone.

My former teacher's hand would have bled.

Are filler words really that bad?

The thing was always clear to me: anyone who struggles for words, whoever gets into a skid, and whoever uses filler words such as “uh” or “so to speak” comes across as insecure, dubious, as if they don’t trust themselves and their arguments.

Apparently many see it that way.

The literature on linguistic self-optimization is booming.

There are videos explaining how to speak persuasively.

Politicians are trained off the “uh”;

it is radically removed from radio reports.

And my teacher is not alone in his efforts either: According to the British daily newspaper »The Guardian«, a London school is trying to prevent students from saying »basically« – just as if filler words were one annoying disease that should be cured quickly.

But where does the inflationary use of fillers come from anyway?

In what situations do we use them?

And most importantly, is it really that bad?

Fortunately, there is Daniel Gutzmann.

The linguist researches filler words at the Ruhr University Bochum, you could call him the uh researcher.

Right at the beginning of our phone call, he makes it clear: »To dismiss filler words as unnecessary is going far beyond the goal.«

The context is crucial, says Gutzmann.

In writing, they are usually not necessary.

They don't play a role in a recipe, and we wouldn't expect them in a user manual either – that is, whenever the goal is to provide information or instructions.

This is due to their expressive function: filler words do not describe and therefore do not contribute to the actual content.

Filler words add color to our language

It is completely different in the interaction between conversation partners.

Gutzmann says: »If we omit all filler words in oral communication, we would come across unnecessarily formal, very stiff or artificial.« His formula is: The more interactive language, the more important are uhs, jas and so to speak.

But anyone who thinks that filler word is filler word is wrong.

The term is unscientific, says Gutzmann.

In linguistics there are different types of filler words - with different functions.

There are the so-called modal particles;

»yes«, »because«, »yes«, »times« or »exactly« are all part of it.

Some languages ​​do not require any modal particles at all, but they are particularly popular in the German language.

They fill a gap in thought or speech, but "above all, they tell us something about the person - how they feel, what attitudes they have or how the content of what is said is to be located between the interlocutors," says Gutzmann.

For example, "yes" in "Hamburg is located on the Elbe" refers to information that is already known, while a simple "Hamburg is located on the Elbe" is sold as new information.

“Um” and “exactly” are booming

My Ähs, on the other hand, belong to a different category, as do the Genos, which are also particularly popular among the filler word fanatics in my circle of friends and among my colleagues.

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The filler word "um" occurs mainly in the spoken language, but its written use has also increased significantly, as this graphic from the Digital Dictionary of the German Language (DWDS) shows

Photo: DWDS

In technical terms, they are called discourse markers, discourse particles or hesitation markers.

An "exactly" or an "uh," says Gutzmann, help the person speaking to make sure.

And: “You signal to the audience that things are about to continue, that you as the speaker are staying on the ball.” Gaps are dangerous, they could unintentionally indicate the end of a part of the speech.

But with an "uh" everything stays in flux, the attention of the listeners is kept.

Even more: As early as 2007, a Scottish research team found out that flawless speeches by politicians are not easier to remember, on the contrary.

If an »uh« or »uh« was mentioned, the audience prepared for a difficult word – and later was able to better remember what was said, especially the words emphasized by »uh« and »uh«.

We firmly believe: filler words are better than their reputation.

Jogi Löw has shown that you can also overdo it with them.

In an interview after the 6-0 debacle against Spain in the Nations League, the former national soccer coach said “somehow” eleven times, which was interpreted as a sign of his helplessness about the result.

That filler word from the Löw fundus belongs to a third category of filler words, the hedge expressions, just like "so to speak", "absolutely" or "I'll tell you".

"They are called that because you can hide behind them," says Gutzmann.

Anyone who uses them makes no claim to the complete truth of the statement.

more on the subject

• Duden Editor-in-Chief on Anglicisms in the German language: »That's great, that's creative« An interview by Barbara Supp

• Youth word of the year: Writing about cringe is just cringeBy Carola Padtberg

However, Gutzmann considers the assumption that hedge expressions or hesitation markers generally express uncertainty to be speculative.

"A person who uses more fillers doesn't have to be inherently an insecure person," he says.

Rather, it has to do with how practiced you are, how well you can deal with pauses for thought.

But if filler words aren't so bad, why do we get annoyed when someone uses them all the time?

Why did my teacher get so angry with every "uh" back then?

Our feelings deceive us

According to linguist Gutzmann, one cannot necessarily trust one's own perception here either.

»Our sense of which words are used frequently can be deceptive.

Once we have noticed our preference for a word, our senses are sharpened and we notice it again and again.« This phenomenon is not purely linguistic, he says – and compares it to the fact that we suddenly notice shoes from a specific brand more often when once we saw them consciously.

Anyone who, despite everything, is struggling with the many uhs in the presentation or at the meeting can reformulate instead, i.e. repeat what was said in other words.

This gives you time, avoids gaps and at the same time strengthens your understanding of your own statement.

In addition, Gutzmann advises, a simple question can help: "Do I want to come across as authentic in front of my colleagues - or like the Chancellor in his New Year's speech?"

I myself have come to terms with my filler-word propensity.

In the future, too, I will introduce myself to my teacher with every »Er«.

But instead of banging on the table, he now claps his hands enthusiastically.