MORE ON THE ‘UM’ FACTOR

Ah’s’, ‘um’s’, ‘er’s’, ‘aw’s’, and other speech fillers are diminishers of oral skill. Consider the following as extending this tendency.

* ‘okay’ at start or end of sentences.

* ‘guys’ as a word of address to a mixed audience.

* ‘gonna’ rather than ‘going to’.

* Don’t overdo ‘so’, particularly as a never ending joining word.

* ‘could, could’ (double clutching)

* ‘I was, I was’ (double clutching)

* ‘Wh, when’ and simillar double vocal movements.

* ‘and, um’; ‘um and so’; ‘you know’ ad infinitum.

* ‘um and or” ‘um it’s it’s …’.

* ‘aaaand’; ‘o n e’ (word stretching).