Kilo Lingo
English grammar Part of Chapter 3

CEFR A1-A2

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Test yourself (21 questions)

English Filler Words: um, well, so, like, you know

By Michael McGettrickUpdated 21 October 2026

Filler words are the small words of speech: um, well, so, like, you know. Take them out and the sentence is still right. Leave them all out and you sound like a robot. They do , and each job has its own words.

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Pick the right one

0/3

Tap the word that fits.

  1. What is her name? - ... I do not remember.

  2. We are all here. , who wants a coffee?

  3. It was a good film. , the end was bad, but it was good.

The whole set on one screen

the filler wordWhat do the colours mean?
JobWords
, , , , ,
, , , ,
, ,
listener?, ?, ?
softer, , ,

You do not need all of them. Learn and you can follow most everyday talk.

Inside a cafe: a woman with long hair and a bow and a man with a moustache sit at a round white table with a blue cup and a yellow cup of coffee and a green menu standing between them; a waiter, a man with a moustache, a bow tie and an apron, stands at the side writing on a notepad.
  1. ... , .
  2. , ?

The waiter starts with So. The woman needs a moment: Um... a tea, please.

Time to think: um, uh, well

These words say: , . They keep your turn, so the other person does not start to talk.

WordExampleNote
... .
, , .
... , .,
. .,
... . , sum

One well-known study of real speech (Clark and Fox Tree, 2002) found that speakers say uh before a short wait and um before a longer one.

also buys time, but it says more: .

  • ? - , . - not really.
  • ? - , . - yes, it is far.

Start or move on: so, okay, right, anyway

These words open a turn, or close one subject and start the next.

WordExampleJob
, ?
, .,
, ?,
, .
, .

So is the big one. In speech it often starts a story or a question, with no for that reason meaning at all:

, , ?

Anyway closes the subject. , . is a polite way to end a phone call. Small words like anyway and by the way have their own page: discourse markers.

Say it better: I mean, actually

You said it wrong, or not quite right. These words .

  • . , , .
  • . , , .
  • , . - here is the short story.

I mean is about words. To check what the other person said, ask a question: ?

Check the listener: you know?, right?

At the end of a sentence, these are . They ask: are you with me? You do not need to answer. A nod or yeah is enough.

  • , ?
  • , ? - I think so. Am I right?

You know can also sit in the middle while you look for a word:

, , .

Make it softer: kind of, sort of, like

These words make the next word , .

WordExampleMeaning
.
.
.
, , .,

Kind of and sort of mean the same. Kind of is more American; British speakers say both, and sort of a little more.

has one more job: after be, it says what someone said or thought. , ! means: she said no, or she thought no. It is speech only: never write it in an essay.

How many is too many?

One or two in a sentence sounds natural. One in every few words sounds nervous, or very young.

Too fewToo many
  1. It was good.
  2. Well, it was good.
  3. So, um, it was, like, you know, good.

The first sounds cold; the last sounds lost. Aim for the middle. In a job interview or a talk, a short silence is better than a long uhhhh.

Mistakes learners make

WrongRightWhy
kind a coldkind of cold .
You mean (mine)I mean, it was good. .
Actually for nowat the moment .
like in an essay filler .
um in every sentence .

What to do next

  1. Pick one word for each job: um, so, I mean, you know, kind of.
  2. Listen for them in a film or a song.
  3. Do the drills below.

Practise: test yourself

Pick the right one

0/5

Tap the word that fits.

  1. What is her name? - ... I do not remember.

  2. We are all here. , who wants a coffee?

  3. It was a good film. , the end was bad, but it was good.

  4. It is a long way, ? Two hours.

  5. Is he happy? - , he is not sad.

Sort into groups

0/6

What job does each word do?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Matching

0/5

Match each word to its job.

Spot the mistake

0/2

Each sentence has one mistake. Tap it.

Complete the story

0/3

Tap the word that fits each gap.

On the phone

Hi! , how was the party? - Good! ... it was a bit loud. - Oh no. Was Tom there? - Yes. He was funny, actually. - Ha! Okay, see you tomorrow!

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Frequently asked questions

What are filler words in English?
Small words that fill a gap in speech: um, uh, er, well, so, like, you know, I mean. They do not change the facts. They give the speaker time to think, or tell the listener what is coming. Every native speaker uses them, every day.
Is it bad to say um?
No. Native speakers say um and uh all the time, and listeners hardly notice. It only sounds bad when there is one in every sentence. In a job interview or a talk, a short silence is better than a long uhhhh.
What is the difference between um and uh?
They both say: wait, I am thinking. One well-known study of real speech (Clark and Fox Tree, 2002) found that speakers use uh before a short wait and um before a longer one. British speakers often write er and erm for the same sounds.
What does like mean in 'It was, like, really cold'?
Here it means nothing exact. It makes the words after it a little softer or less exact, and it gives the speaker a moment. With be, it tells you what someone said or thought: And she was like, no way! It is very common with young speakers, and it belongs in speech, not in writing.
What does you know mean at the end of a sentence?
It checks that the listener is with you, like a small question: It was a long day, you know? You do not need to answer it. A nod or yeah is enough.