Filler Words Might Not Be What They Seem — Part I

A fresh perspective on crutch words and phrases + 3 helpful exercises to sound more literate

So, in this post, I actually want to share quite helpful information on filler words. I will give you literally the most common fillers and advice in order to avoid unnecessary redundancies. Well, let’s start!

How do you like this introduction? Do you think there’s a place for such content in a competent conversation, let alone an academic essay? I bet you wouldn’t want your writing to look like this. The abundance of filler words (or crutch words) is a big problem. They are empty, conversational elements that contribute no value to communication and make your message confusing.

In fact, any word can become a filler if it’s overused or misapplied in text. Thus, locating filler words in the writing is not always easy. In this post, I want to share several efficient tricks to decrease the number of crutch words in your texts.

Spoiler tip: if you doubt whether the word is in the right place, it’s most likely placed wrongly and can be removed.

Top 15 Worst Filler Words & Their Substitutes

Let’s begin with the list of words that always function as excessive fillers and have no place in academic writing. The most overused and useless words are:

1. Like
2. Actually
3. Really
4. So
5. In order to
6. Due to the fact
7. In fact
8. Seriously
9. Basically
10. Well
11. Literally
12. Totally
13. I mean
14. I guess
15. At the end of the day

This is my NO-list for writing. We use many other conversational filler words, such as “um,” “er,” or “oh,” which I haven’t included in this list, as now I want to focus on written texts.

What can we do with all those parasites in our writing pieces?

You don’t need to substitute every single filler word! This will cause unnecessary redundancy. So, use the alternative phrases selectively and re-read the text to keep the number of fillers minimum.

The most elegant way to substitute them with more meaningful words is the usage of transitions. They will serve as signposts for your readers, giving them a clue about your logical connections and the flow of the text.

Unobvious Crutch Words and Phrases

Besides the familiar Well, So, Actually, and others, mind the not-that-evident crutch words. These words look fine at first glance but don’t add meaning to the text and act as fillers in most cases. Here are a couple of examples:

• Absolutely — we often want to strengthen the meaning of qualities (e.g., absolutely weak), but this word only adds redundancy.
• Actual — this word looks especially awful when accompanying “facts.”
• Advance planning — it seems like planning can’t be retrospective in any case, right?
• Added bonus — another example of avoidable tautology.

The list can go on forever, with many avoidable words in your sentences. So, I recommend reading the text several times to spot and remove such issues.

When Filler Words Are Not THAT Bad

First, you need to note that every word’s choice is context-dependent. The same word might look odd in one place and add the required meaning in another one. Thus, even filler words can be appropriate in the right context and with proper usage.

Here is the list of exceptions you may rely on:

• Filler words can soften the statement and make it look less aggressive.
• You want to write in a conversational tone for specific purposes.
• You need to add strength or reservation to your claims.

Filler words are not that bad, as writing without them may look dry and disconnected. The rule of thumb is moderation, as the quality of your content depends on the number and frequency of filler word usage.

3 Exercises to Make Your Writing Look Cleaner

If you want to train your writing skills and deal with filler word usage, here are a couple of practical exercises for your guidance:

1. Intentional overuse. It might sound questionable, but try using as many filler words and phrases as possible — address the problem by closely examining it. With this mock writing exercise, you will see how some words don’t match the context and worsen the quality of a text. Once you see junk vocabulary in an exaggerated form, avoiding filler words in further writing will be much simpler.
2. Reading aloud. It’s harder to notice crutch words if you’re reading silently, but reading aloud is different. This practice allows you to perceive the text with your mind and ears at the same time. Thus, two sensory systems will spot the discrepancy quickly. You can also record your reading and listen to the text like a detached reviewer. Yet, this method is ineffective for people with poor listening comprehension.
3. Slow reading. Finally, I advise you to read the text closely and slowly dig deep into the meaning of every word. This way, you will perceive it not as content but as a set of words, which is easier to scrutinize and audit.

Well, Let’s Wrap It Up

So, how many filler words from the list do you tend to use without realizing it? Did you try any of the exercises out? Any progress in better management of filler words?

I do hope you’ve found this material useful. Share your lifehacks and insights about filler words in the comments!

Stay tuned for Part 2, where I will focus on the worst speech fillers and share tips for avoiding them.