Filler words

[Depilego]

Do people who speak Spanish have the same speech issues as people who speak English?

For example, when listing to someone give a lecture, or talk in English, every third word they say "umm", or when you ask them a question "ahhh", before they answer.

I just saw a video and this girl said "um" every third word for 20 mins. It was incredibly annoying. :impatient:

I'm thinking it's going to be harder to learn Spanish (listening) if they do the same thing. I'm not going to know which are actual words, and which are just speech issues.

I guess I'm just wondering if it's something that I need to look out for when I'm trying to listen to Spanish.

[Rusty]

You're referring to filler words (muletillas, in Spanish).
Some muletillas are listed below.


{||}Spanish | English
{|}este | um, uh
{|}pues | well, then
{|}bueno | ok, alright, well
{|}vale | ok, alright, well (used in Spain)
{|}como | like, um
{|}entonces | so
{|}así que | so
{|}a ver | let's see
{|}digo | I mean, or rather
{|}o sea | I mean, in other words
{|}es decir | I mean, or rather

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

There are many filler words in Spanish.
Some of the ones you'll hear quite often in Mexico: "este", "mmm", "eeeh", "¿no?", "¿ajá?", "¿sí?", "entonces" (or in colloquial speech, "tons")... They don't really mean anything; they're just used to keep talking while you find the idea you want to express.

In any case, don't worry, just try to grab general ideas, instead of understanding every word, and you'll start identifying them little by little.

Rusty beat me to it, but one more reply won't do any harm. :D

[Depilego]

Why do we need a filler word? Instead of just talking.

[Rusty]

They're used while gathering our thoughts.

There are people who work very hard at not using them, especially public speakers (think representatives, spokespersons and toast masters). But even they, when they go off script, may end up with a few unwanted fillers. They seem to pepper our speech whenever we're thinking about what we'll say next.

[Depilego]

What's weird is that I see people using them when writing to. When you have to read someone's paper, and it's filled with "um" and "like", etc...

[Aprendo]

What's weird is that I see people using them when writing to. When you have to read someone's paper, and it's filled with "um" and "like", etc...

In writing, that's really bad, IMO.

Junior high school students?

[Depilego]

Junior high school students?

No. Lots of people on Facebook and YouTube. Some people in my college classes.

[aleCcowaN]

In writing, that's really bad, IMO.

Junior high school students?

It's a Vine™ thing. They need padding to reach 6 seconds.

[Glen]

Why do we need a filler word? Instead of just talking.
For those of us who speak slowly they're useful for keeping impatient people (known as sentence-finishers) from interrupting us before we're done speaking.

A variation I hear (and use myself) on the aforementioned este is to draw out the second syllable into a long esteeeeeeeee, which seems to work even better for keeping other people from butting in.

Rusty put forward a good list. Another variation I hear on pues is pos but I've been criticized for using it!

[Rusty]

A variation I hear (and use myself) on the aforementioned este is to draw out the second syllable into a long esteeeeeeeee, which seems to work even better for keeping other people from butting in.That first syllable can be elongated, too, Glen.
I've seen it written eesteeee and eessteeee.

The word 'pos' is a variation used in Mexico. I've also seen 'pus', 'ps' and 'po' (Chile).

[AngelicaDeAlquezar]

"Pos", "pus" and "ps" are very often heard in Mexico, but they're associated with uneducated speech, so it's uncomfortable to hear if it's not used in the right register. :)

[Depilego]

For those of us who speak slowly they're useful for keeping impatient people (known as sentence-finishers) from interrupting us before we're done speaking.

But I hear people do this the most when making speeches or presentations of some type, where no one would be interrupting them. If someone is standing in front of a group of people, making a speech, like the President does, no one will be interrupting them, if they don't use those filler words.

I could see in normal conversation, but in speeches it has to be different.

[Rusty]

Um, it happens to, like, the best of us. :D

Filler words can be avoided, in all honesty, but who doesn't like to insert a little realism into our speech (and into our speeches)?

[Perikles]

I've probably said it before, but in the village I live in here in Tenerife, every single sentence starts with "joder" and ends with "c-o-ñ-o". These are fillers which replace capital letters and full stops (sorry - periods). Very often, the material in the sentence is missing altogether, such as the time when during the annual village fiesta the fireworks set light to the countryside, and the bomberos were heard running around shouting "joder, c-o-ñ-o" to each other.

[poli]

If it's any consolation, a vast swath of American English speakers pepper their speech with f words and mf words and sh words. It can be really dull.

I know someone who says, "it's all good" as a filler -- sometimes more than once in a sentence. I don't know what's worse, the f word or it's all good. As filler they have about the same meaning.

Nice to hear from you again, Peri.