MORE ON THE ‘UM’ FACTOR

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

* ‘Okay’ at the 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 similar 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).

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