Filler Words are one of five key interview communication metrics that Rezi AI Interview assesses you on. It measures how often you use involuntary filler sounds like “um,” “uh,” “er,” or “ah” when answering interview questions.
Filler words are natural when thinking on your feet, but excessive use can disrupt your flow and weaken your authority. Rezi AI Interview helps you minimize filler words so you sound more prepared, credible, and easy to follow in job interviews.
Check out more interview guides:
- How to Use the STAR Method in an Interview
- Common Interview Questions & Good Answers
- Phone Interview Questions to Prepare For
- Unique Interview Questions to Ask Employers
- How to Practice With Rezi AI Interview
What Are “Filler Words” in Rezi AI Interview?
Filler words refer to unintentional sounds, not conversational phrases. These include:
- “Um”
- “Uh”
- “Er”
- “Ah”
- “Hm”
Filler words don’t add meaning to your answer. When used too frequently, they clutter your message and distract interviewers from your actual experience. This can make even the strongest answers come across as uncertain or underdeveloped.
Why You Should Avoid Filler Words in Job Interviews
Interviewers rely on clear delivery to evaluate your experience. Excessive filler words can break listener focus, make you sound unsure or unprepared, interrupt otherwise strong answers, and reduce perceived confidence and authority.
Using fewer filler words helps your communication sound calmer, more deliberate, and more professional.
How Rezi AI Interview Assesses Your Filler Words
Rezi AI Interview tracks how often you use filler words like “um” and “uh” to help you speak more clearly in job interviews. The goal here is to help you replace filler sounds with intentional silence, which sounds more confident and controlled.
As a general guideline, strong interview communication typically includes no more than 1–2 filler sounds per minute.
How to Reduce Filler Words in Job Interviews
Here’s how to improve your filler word usage in interviews:
- Pause instead of filling silence. A brief pause sounds more confident and controlled.
- Anticipate transitions between ideas. Most filler sounds appear when switching thoughts. Mentally prepare your next sentence before speaking.
- Think before speaking. Planning your next sentence or just slightly ahead reduces the urge to vocalize hesitation.
- Slow down cognitively, not verbally. Think more deliberately about what you’re going to say next.
- Practice with short recordings. Record 60-second answers and track how many filler sounds you use. Repeat until usage drops to below 1–2 per minute.
Examples of good and bad replies with filler words
Example interview question: “What was a difficult bug you encountered?”
Bad reply with high filler usage: “Um, there was this, uh, issue where the app was, er, crashing, and we kind of had to, um, look into it.”
This interview response example implies high filler usage because:
- Frequent involuntary filler sounds
- Breaks listener focus
- Makes the answer feel uncertain and unpolished
Good reply with minimal filler words: “The application was crashing during authentication because multiple login requests were triggered in parallel, which caused shared state to become inconsistent. We resolved this by enforcing a single in-flight authentication request and queuing any additional attempts until the first request completed.”
This interview response example suggests minimal filler usage because:
- Silence replaces filler sounds
- Clear, focused, and uninterrupted delivery
Extra Tips for Reducing Filler Words in Job Interviews
Here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Allow yourself to take short pauses to think about what you’re going to say next
- Use structure to guide transitions
- Accept silence as normal and professional
- Focus on clarity instead of speed
These practices sharpen your communication not just for interviews, but for important meetings, public speaking, and professional presentations.
Common Filler Word Mistakes That Can Hurt Job Interviews
Avoid these mistakes:
- Filling every pause with sound
- Rushing answers to avoid silence
- Thinking aloud instead of pausing
- Letting nervousness dictate delivery
When filler words increase, interviewers may struggle to focus on your experience even when your answer is strong.
Improve Your Job Interview Performance Now
Rezi AI Interview helps you refine your interview skills so you never undersell your experience again. Turn your background into a compelling story that wins the job.
