Helpful Hints: Eliminate the Ah’s and Um’s

I feel you. I joined Toastmasters because I struggle with with what we call ‘filler words’ or ‘filler sounds’ myself. The fight against Ah’s and Um’s is perhaps one of the most common problems in public speaking and interviews.

When we get nervous, we find ourself filling the dead air while our brain works on the next thought. Unfortunately, in an interview, this makes us sound less articulate and less intelligent. It is a natural human bias of our victims (listeners).

If you have landed here on the run up to an interview, you probably don’t have time to join Toastmasters. So, the next best thing I can think of is downloading a speech monitoring app, or just recording yourself with your cell phone and forcing yourself to listen after you practice in mock interviews and paid coaching sessions.

Shout out

Thank you to SpeakerHub for the inspirations. The following are 6 apps that you can use, (some only work on Android) to help you get your ‘filler word’ problem under control as you prepare for your next product management interview.

The List

1. Ummo - (note as of 7/10/2020 it is not available on any app store)  The app records your speech, then generates a transcript highlighting where you used filler words.

   Android | iOS

2. Orai - It records your talk/speech/session and gives you instant, action-oriented feedback. This will help you improve pronunciation, pauses and energy levels, while offering speaking tips to help you improve the flow.

   Android | iOS

3.  LikeSo - Game based, app will help you practice eliminating these words in unpracticed speech.

   Android | iOS

4. Ah Counter - While we wait for Ummo to sort things out (iOS only), this app counts ahs, ers, ums, repetitive words and inappropriate interjections for one speaker or many.

   iOS

5. Dinging Ah-Counter - A little noisy (Android only), this app provides real-time 'ding' audio feedback when a speaker use any word or sound as a crutch.

   Android

6. Speech Master - A little noisy (Android only), this app provides real-time 'ding' audio feedback when a speaker use any word or sound as a crutch.

   Android

Other Resources

If realizing your filler word problem has you questioning how public speaking skills impact your career success, we suggest you take a look at these articles:

1. Science of People - Public Speaking Apps

2. Virtual Speech - Speaking & Voice Analysis Apps

3. SpeakerHub - Presentations, Filler Words, Timing and other Apps