Umm…

So…

Mmhmmm

In this earlier post, “Words and Phrases Smart People Never Use in Conversation,” we explained why filler words like these can make you sound less intelligent than you really are.

But hold on a second (well, 200 milliseconds, to be exact). According to N.J. Enfield, a professor of linguistics at the University of Sydney, filler words and tiny conversational pauses are actually important communication tools.

Yep, you read that right.

When interviewed by The Atlantic’s Julie Beck, Enfield elaborated on how little words and short silences act as “traffic signals” to keep dialogues from going off the rails. Here are a few interesting takeaways from the interview:

• When one person asks another a question, it takes approximately 200 milliseconds for them to respond – which is faster than the half-second it takes the human brain to retrieve the words needed to respond! In other words, humans put the conversational cart before the horse, relying on contextual cues (e.g., tone, content of speech) to anticipate when it’s their turn to talk next.
• Conversational minutiae – things like filler words and pauses longer than 200 milliseconds – are indispensable tools that keep the wheels of the “conversation machine” greased and steer communications in the direction people want them to go.
• If there’s more than a 200-millisecond delay from when one person stops speaking and the other responds, it’s a sign that the person responding either:
  • is having trouble finding the right words to say – typically because the question posed is difficult;
  • is delaying their response, because it’s likely not what the speaker wants to hear.
• Words like “mmhmmm” and “uh-huh” can greatly smooth the operation of the conversation machine. One study showed that distracting listeners from using these words appropriately caused the speaker to circle back more and repeat themselves when telling a story. In essence, offering a reassuring “mmhmmm” to a speaker makes them a more proficient, fluid storyteller.

Should you eliminate words like “uh” and “well” from your vocabulary?

Unless you habitually rely on them to introduce or bridge ideas, probably not. Instead, pay attention to how you use filler words, or ask someone you trust for their candid feedback. If you find that your speech is riddled with “ums,” for example, try mixing things up a bit – or opting for the occasional pause to keep your conversations on track.

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