How To! with Mike Pesca How to Not Say "Um"
Mar 31, 2026
Michael Chad Heppner, a communications coach who trains kinesthetic techniques to cut filler words. Nate Silver, data journalist and FiveThirtyEight founder, volunteers his rapid-fire speaking for live diagnosis. They explore why filler words appear, kinesthetic exercises like walking the fingers and the talking-stick pause, and how treating speech as a physical skill can slow pace and create thoughtful pauses.
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Avoid Trying To Suppress Um Directly
- Avoid thought suppression like 'just don't say um' because it backfires.
- Heppner cites Adam Galinsky's work: trying to suppress a filler actually increases it, so build muscle memory instead.
Speaking Is A Physical Skill
- Speaking is a physical skill, not just a mental one.
- Michael Chad Heppner explains airflow, vocal folds, and treating the voice like a musical instrument to build deliberate speaking habits.
Uniform Speaking Patterns Reveal Trainable Habits
- Consistent speaking patterns suggest integration rather than panic-driven breakdowns.
- Heppner observed Nate speaks 3.2–4.5 words/sec across contexts, meaning strengths can be refined rather than rebuilt.
