In this video, I'm gonna give you 12 filler words and phrases that will immediately make your English sound more natural, more spontaneous and more like someone who actually thinks in the language.
I'll tell you what each one does, when to use it, and give you real examples you can start using today.
But I'm also going to tell you something important about the limits of fillers, because there's a version of this that goes too far.
And I have personal experience with exactly that.
Let's begin.
Before I give you the 12 filler words, I want to explain why they matter.
Because if you understand the function, you will use them correctly, not just mechanically.
Feeler words do two things simultaneously.
First, they signal that you're thinking in English.
When a non-native speaker goes silent mid-sentence, the listener's brain often interprets it as a language gap, as the speaker's searching for a word they don't have.
But when a speaker uses a filler like well, I mean, you know, the silence becomes thinking time, not a void.
It signals that the speaker is formulating a thought in the language not translating from another one.
That's a fluency signal, and it matters more than most learners realize.
Second, they manage the flow of conversation.
Real conversation is not a series of perfectly prepared statements delivered in turn.
It's often messy, overlapping, spontaneous.
Filler words are the tools speakers use to hold the floor while thinking, to soften a statement before making it, to signal agreement or surprise, or even pushback, all without breaking the rhythm.
A speaker who uses fillers naturally sounds like someone who belongs in the conversation.
A speaker who never uses them sounds like someone reading from a script.
Now, one important caveat here before we get to the list, this is incredibly important.
Fewer words are especially useful at intermediate level, at B1 and B2 levels, because they give you the spontaneity and flow you are still building.
But as you move towards C1 and C2, the goal shifts.
You start replacing fillers with precise words.
Instead of I mean, to clarify, you find the exact word that doesn't need clarifying.
Instead of basically, to summarize, you construct a tighter sentence.
Fillers are a bridge to fluency.
They are not the destination.
And I say this from personal experience because my own Achilles heel is the filler you know.
I use it a lot, sometimes a bit too much.
I catch myself doing it.
I have to actively monitor it because, at the level I'm operating at, your no should be appearing rarely, not as a default gap filler, every third sentence.
So use fillers, but use them with awareness, all right?
Now let's go through the 12.
Quick word before the list.
The only way filler words become natural is through speaking practice.
Reading them in a video description won't do it.
You need to use them in real conversations, under real pressure, until they stop feeling foreign and start feeling automatic.
The B2Edge app's AI speaking coach is built for exactly that kind of practice.
So if you want to learn more about how the app can help you get to a solid B2 level, look at the description.
Now the 12 fillers.
Number one.
Well, Well is one of the most versatile fillers in English.
It signals that you are about to say something that requires a little thought, a qualification, a nuanced answer, a slight pushback.
Well, it depends on the situation.
Well, I wouldn't say it's impossible.
Well, that's an interesting question.
Use it when you need a beat before a considered answer.
It sounds thoughtful, not hesitant.
Number two, I mean.
I mean is a clarifier.
You use it when you want to refine or expand what you just said, to make sure the other person understood what you actually meant.
It was a great film.
I mean, not perfect, but genuinely impressive.
I think he was right.
I mean, in that specific context.
It's also used informally to introduce an obvious point.
I mean, what did you expect?
Number three, you know, my favorite.
You know invites the listener into shared understanding.
It's a social signal that says, I think you can follow where I'm going with this.
It was one of those situations where, you know, you just have to make a decision.
She's very, you know, particular about things.
And here's my honest warning.
This one is easy to overuse.
I know it because I do it.
Once it becomes a default filler, appearing every few sentences regardless of context, it starts to sound like nervous speech rather than natural speech.
Use it, but count it.
Be very mindful of that.
Number four, like like, is the most informal filler on this list and the one most associated with younger american speech.
Marks approximation, introduces an example or signals that you're searching for the right word.
It was like really unexpected.
She said something like she didn't want to go.
Use it in casual conversation with peers, but avoid it in professional or formal contexts.
It reads as low register and can undermine credibility.
5.
Actually actually introduces a correction, a surprising piece of information or a gentle contradiction.
It's a softener that says, here's the real version of what just happened.
Actually, I think you'll find it's the other way around.
I wasn't gonna go, but actually I'm glad I did.
Actually is particularly useful for polite pushback disagreeing without sounding aggressive.
Number six, basically.
Basically signals a summary or simplification.
He says, I'm about to give you the core of this, stripped of complexity.
Basically, we ran out of time and had to cut it.
The idea is basically that you practice a little every day.
Like you know, basically can become a crutch if overused.
When it appears before every sentence, it loses its summarizing function and just becomes noise.
7.
Write.
Write checks for agreement and understanding.
It's a conversational ping.
It invites the listener to confirm their following or signals that you've finished a thought.
So, the idea is to practice every day, right?
We need to leave by 6, right?
Otherwise, we'll miss it.
It's also used as a transition.
Right, so where were we?
Number eight, honestly.
Honestly signals that what follows is a candid, unfiltered opinion.
It prepares the listener for something direct, a real take, not a diplomatic one.
Honestly, I didn't think it was that good.
Honestly, I have no idea what happened.
It adds warmth and authenticity.
It says, I'm being straight with you here.
Number nine fair enough.
Fair enough is a concession marker.
It signals that you accept someone's point, even if you don't fully agree, and that you're not going to argue about it.
I get why you made that decision.
Fair enough, that's a valid point.
Fair enough, It's one of the most underused fillers among non-native speakers and one of the most natural sounding.
It makes you sound like someone who listens and considers, not just someone who waits for their turn to speak.
10.
I'd Say I'd say softens an opinion or estimate.
It says, this is my honest assessment, though I acknowledge I could be wrong.
I'd say it took about three hours.
I'd say she was right, but I understand why he disagreed.
It sounds more conversational than I think, and more natural sounding than in my opinion.
Use it when you want to share a view without sounding dogmatic.
11.
Let me think.
Let me think is an explicit request for processing time.
Unlike a silent pause, it signals that you're actively working on the answer, not stuck, not lost, just thinking.
Let me think.
I'd say the best option is the second one.
That's a good question.
Let me think about that for a second.
It's particularly useful in professional contexts.
It makes you sound considered and deliberate, not hesitant.
Finally, number twelve, look.
Look is a scene setter.
It signals that something important or direct is coming.
It says, pay attention, because what I am about to say matters.
Look, I think we need to be honest about this.
Look, it's not a perfect solution, but it's the best we have right now.
You see, it's direct without being aggressive.
It's the filler you reach for when you want to cut through the noise and make a clear, honest point.
Alright, 12 filler words.
Let me leave you with the honest version of how to use them.
At B1 and B2, these are tools for spontaneity.
They give you the connective tissue your speech needs to stop sounding like a reading exercise and start sounding like a real conversation.
Use them actively.
Practice them deliberately.
Let them become automatic.
But as you advance, as their English moves towards C1 and beyond, start monitoring them.
Start asking, is this filler doing real work in this sentence, or is it just a habit?
Is basically actually summarizing something, or am I just using it because silence feels uncomfortable?
The goal is not to eliminate fillers.
Native speakers use them all the time and always will.
The goal is to use them with awareness, to let them serve the conversation, not fill the gaps in our vocabulary.
I use you know quite a bit.
I know it.
I monitor it.
I don't beat myself up about it, but I don't ignore it either.
That's the 40% doing its job.
Remember the 40% focus on accuracy I always talk about?
Noticing, refining, improving.
Your English sounds natural when the fillers disappear into the conversation.
It starts to sound affected when the fillers become the conversation.
That's why you have to be careful.
If you want to practice using these in real conversational contexts, not just memorizing them from a list, the B2H app is where I would send you.
Real dialogue, real pressure, real feedback on whether your English is actually landing naturally.
Link in the description for you to learn more about it.
And here is your challenge for this week.
Pick three fillers from this list just three and commit to using each one at least five times in real conversations or writing this week.
Not all 12 at once.
Three, consciously, deliberately, until they start to feel like yours.
That's how a natural speech is built.
One filler at a time.
I'm Thiago.
Thanks for hanging out with me today.
And if you want to keep learning more, I highly recommend to check out this lesson next.
I'll see you in the next one.
