How to stop saying ums and ahs

[brightsky]

I have an annoying tendency to say 'um' and 'ah', which in turn strangely causes me to get mental blanks. Any tips on how to mitigate this pet peeve? Thanks.

[WhoTookMyUsername]

practice, think of an argument or topic in your head and act like you were discussing it with your class. When you talk, think about what your saying and the natural continuation of this, sort of like a small ongoing plan in your head. Also, talk more slowly to give yourself more time to think

[m@tty]

Yeah, talk more slowly. Also, try and discard the thought that you have to be talking all of the time. A pause is beneficial every once in a while.

But, of course, you won't eradicate the habit over night, it will take time.

[brightsky]

Thanks guys! I'll try some of those.
@Bazza - often I have an idea in my head but midway through articulating it, the idea just vanishes, and I just suddenly lose track of what I'm saying and what the whole point of the conversation is about. I think it's more to do with the fact that I'm focusing too much on how to articulate the particular idea, instead of trying to retain the idea in my mind and conceptually develop it. This said, the 'planning' idea sounds good!
@ matty - sometimes, I feel that pausing seems very odd and awkward for both myself and the person I'm speaking to. I don't know, I think, intuitively, I just feel that saying "um" or something along those lines is more natural, although of course it won't play to my advantage in the long run. But I shall try and get rid of it, slowly and painfully...xD

[luken93]

Not sure if it's true but I heard EngLang doesn't have orals...

[Ghost!]

Not sure if it's true but I heard EngLang doesn't have orals...

Yeah, it doesn't.

[Hutchoo]

Not sure if it's true but I heard EngLang doesn't have orals...

Yeah, it doesn't.

I have to do one 0_o.

[Aurelian]

Thanks guys! I'll try some of those.
@Bazza - often I have an idea in my head but midway through articulating it, the idea just vanishes, and I just suddenly lose track of what I'm saying and what the whole point of the conversation is about. I think it's more to do with the fact that I'm focusing too much on how to articulate the particular idea, instead of trying to retain the idea in my mind and conceptually develop it. This said, the 'planning' idea sounds good!

Honestly, just practice. And I mean this in two ways; for prepared speeches, practice them before you deliver them. For debating-style more 'off the cuff' speaking, you'll just naturally get better and more fluid the more you do. So just get lots of practice!

[lexitu]

Tell people around you that you want to stop saying umm and get them to make you accountable to that.

[EvangelionZeta]

Aurelian is pretty much 100% correct.  With improvised speaking though, make sure you practice speaking as slowly as possible, and practice learning ways of segueing into "nice-sounding phrases", or otherwise just learning nice filler phrases which can replace "ummm" or "ahhhh" (eg. Find a random place where you can make an example, and to give yourself more time to think, make lots of hand gestures and be all "It's kind of like...it's kind of like...xyz!").  If you have any specific questions, feel free to MSN me. 

[werdna]

Just speak slowly.. but of course not incredibly slowly - that will only bore your audience. But if you pace your slowness, any mind blanks and errors will sort of 'blend in', they won't be as noticeable. If you're talking fast then all of a sudden say 'um' or there's an awkward silence, then it'll be glaringly obvious and your audience will gradually lose confidence in you, which will in turn make you more nervous. So, speak slowly and calmly. I learnt this the hard way!

[pi]

Join debating! Forces some quick-thinking. Helped a friend of mine stop using 'ums', 'ahs' and the annoying 'like'.

[Russ]

Eradicating them from an off the cuff speech entirely isn't really possible as far as I'm concerned, but they're really not noticeable or concerning unless it's every sentence.

[brightsky]

Join debating! Forces some quick-thinking. Helped a friend of mine stop using 'ums', 'ahs' and the annoying 'like'.

Haha, I'm already in debating, although I always pre-write my debate, which is bad, but it eradicates the awkwardness and nervousness you get from having forgotten what you were going to say. (I've seen some of the members of the opposition team violently shaking whilst presenting their debate 'off-the-cuff'.) I shall be forced to do some spontaneous talking in the near future, but I'm not an on-the-spot thinker, so I don't know how well that would end up..lol

[pi]

Join debating! Forces some quick-thinking. Helped a friend of mine stop using 'ums', 'ahs' and the annoying 'like'.

Haha, I'm already in debating, although I always pre-write my debate, which is bad, but it eradicates the awkwardness and nervousness you get from having forgotten what you were going to say. (I've seen some of the members of the opposition team violently shaking whilst presenting their debate 'off-the-cuff'.) I shall be forced to do some spontaneous talking in the near future, but I'm not an on-the-spot thinker, so I don't know how well that would end up..lol

"I've seen some of the members of the opposition team violently shaking"
Not MHS I hope?


Wait for the C-Grade secret topics. Perfect chance for some spontaneous thinking! Don't worry about 'off-the-cuff' debating, it can be pretty fun sometimes, and is usually much funnier than a prepared speech.