# Why did I sometimes leave filler words alone?

By [Craig Coffee](/craig-coffee)

In one conversation, someone was worried about using “like” too much and sounding unprofessional. We had only been discussing it for a few minutes. My response was that, right then, I wouldn't change it.

I wanted to reframe how the person was thinking about it. I said there were a lot of directions we could take, but this was how I would think about it for myself. They could decide whether it felt appropriate to them too.

## The thought I suggested

“Who cares that I say this word a lot,” was the way I began it. Then: “It helps my speech.” I was offering a different way to think about the word in the conversation we were having.

At that moment, I thought it was working for the person. I was concerned with confidence. I didn't want to turn something they were using to speak into one more reason to feel bad about themselves.

That was my response to that person in those few minutes. [Hearing what someone means by their question](/how-to-listen-to-someone-who-stutters) matters to me. Here, the question led to how they felt about their speech as well as the word they kept using.

## Related answers

- [Should I record myself when I practice speaking?](/recording-yourself-when-you-stutter)
- [What does fluency mean to me?](/what-fluency-means)
- [Do I have to talk quickly and be funny to be good at conversation?](/pressure-to-speak-quickly-when-you-stutter)

[Find your question](/questions)