How to Stop Saying “Um”: Eliminating Filler Words in Your Homily

Every preacher has done it. You reach the end of a thought, your mind searches for the next one, and into that small gap slips an "um," an "uh," or a "you know." A few of these are harmless, but a homily peppered with verbal filler can blur your message and distract the assembly from the Word of God you are breaking open. The good news is that filler words are a habit, and habits can be unlearned.

Why Filler Words Happen at the Ambo

Filler words are not a character flaw. They are a reflex that fills silence while your brain catches up to your mouth. When you preach, you are doing several things at once: recalling your content, reading the room, managing nerves, and projecting your voice. The moment a thought stalls, the reflex kicks in and produces sound to cover the gap.

The most common culprits are:

• "Um" and "uh" — the classic placeholders while you retrieve your next point.
• "Like" and "you know" — conversational tics carried over from everyday speech.
• "So," "basically," "actually" — sentence-starters that have lost their meaning.
• Repeated phrases — "and so what I'm saying is" used as a runway before each idea.

The root cause is almost always the same: you are speaking faster than you have prepared to speak, so your mouth outruns your mind.

Embrace Silence as Your Ally

The single most powerful replacement for a filler word is nothing at all. A confident pause does the work an "um" was trying to do, but it adds gravity instead of clutter. Silence lets a point land. It invites the assembly to lean in. From the pew, a two-second pause feels purposeful; it almost never feels as long as it does to you.

Train yourself to treat every "um" impulse as a cue to close your mouth and breathe. This is closely tied to your overall rhythm, which is why learning the craft of pacing and pauses pays off across your whole delivery.

Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt. — Colossians 4:6

Slow Down and Prepare the Path

Most filler comes from racing ahead. When you slow your overall tempo, you give your mind time to find the next sentence before your voice needs it. Slower preaching is also easier for the assembly to follow and pray with.

Preparation removes the gaps where filler grows. The better you know your structure, the fewer moments your mind goes searching:

1. Know your transitions. The seams between points are where "um" lives. Rehearse the bridge sentences until they are automatic.
2. Internalize, do not memorize. Aim to know the flow of your homily, not every word. This frees you from the panic of a forgotten line. If you want to move beyond a manuscript, see our guide to preaching without notes or using them well.
3. Mark your breathing points in your text so that pauses are planned, not accidental.

Record Yourself and Listen Honestly

You cannot fix what you cannot hear. Most preachers are genuinely surprised by how often they say "um" until they listen to a recording. Use your phone to capture a homily at Mass or during practice, then listen with a pen.

• Count your filler words. A simple tally creates instant awareness.
• Note where they cluster. They usually appear at the same kinds of moments: transitions, the start of a story, or after a question.
• Re-record the same passage and aim to cut the count in half.

This kind of honest self-review also surfaces other habits worth refining, including voice, projection, and microphone technique that shape how the assembly receives every word.

Build Confident New Habits

Replacing filler is a matter of patient repetition. Try these practices over a few weeks:

• Practice the pause out loud until silence feels comfortable rather than alarming.
• Use a gentle accountability partner — a deacon, spouse, or trusted parishioner who will signal you kindly.
• Begin sentences with a breath, not a sound. The breath becomes your new placeholder.
• Be patient with progress. You will still slip occasionally, and that is fine. Awareness, not perfection, is the goal.

Remember that your aim is not flawless polish but clarity, so the Holy Spirit's message reaches the assembly without static.

A Final Encouragement

Cutting filler is not about performance; it is about reverence for the Word and love for the people who came to hear it. Every pause you reclaim becomes space for the Gospel to breathe. Be patient with yourself, keep listening to your recordings, and trust that small, faithful adjustments will steadily make your preaching clearer and more confident. The congregation will not notice the absence of "um." They will simply find it easier to hear God speaking through you.