woman-speakerWe write the way we speak, and that’s not always a good thing!

If you’ve ever read an unedited transcript of an interview, you know that it’s natural for us to use filler words in our speech. Most people use colloquial expressions and say a few “ums,” “ahs,” and other verbal fillers. It’s normal. However, to produce the transcript, some AI tools will edit the filler words, but only the obvious ones. It’s up to us to take it from there!

Here’s an example from a recent meeting I held to discuss the date of an upcoming event. Note how the transcript spits it out with filler words and lack of punctuation:

Well, it seems like the right time would be in January although I don’t know maybe we should consider February it’s still cold out and like people might still want to come or or not.

As you can see, you should always edit AI content writing. Filler words run rampant in meetings and can make their way into interview transcripts if we are not careful. They are natural and have a purpose in speech, but they are unhelpful in written prose. According to an article from the Harvard Extension School,.we use filler words as verbal placeholders to form a thought. The most common places we use them are at the beginning of a statement and between ideas. Experts suggest using an easy three-step process to eliminate filler words in your speech:  Pause. Think. Answer. If we let our thoughts catch up with our speech, we can deliver an answer without an “um” or an “er.”

We might want to apply the same principle to our writing. Pause. Think. Write. The sentences from my transcript, can be edited by eliminating the filler words.

Well, it seems like the right time would be in January although I don’t know maybe we should consider February it’s still cold out and like people might still want to come or or not.

We get an even better edit if we take out even more unnecessary phrases often used in speaking but unwelcome in written communication.

The right time would be January, although we should consider February since it’s still cold.

The edit reduced our word count by about half, from 35 to 18, but it took an extra effort beyond taking out unnecessary words. Good writing removes the words we use when we speak that are unnecessary or unhelpful in written communication. I call these words “talkisms.”

Talkisms

Talkisms are the words that writers use in their work that we often say. Talkisms add unnecessary words to sentences and must be edited to keep your communication concise for the reader. The talkisms in my example above are:

  • Well
  • It seems
  • I don’t know
  • Maybe
  • Like
  • Or not

podcastThese words reflect the speaker’s thinking but do not help to communicate the sentence’s message.

That said, talkisms do have their place. For example:

Dialogue. Talkisms are well-used in dialogue when expressing a character’s apprehension, dialect, or habit. For example, I’ve seen literary characters that repeat words or use annoying expressions repeatedly to establish their character. For example, a character may preface their answer to a question with “uh..” to communicate their misapprehension.

Informality. If you are writing something in a casual, unassuming tone to connect with your readers and you do not have a limited word count, you can include talkisms intentionally to connect to your readers. I do this in my blogs!

Transparent Opinion. Talkisms are unavoidable when you want to emphasize that your message is an opinion. In business, we never want to seem apprehensive, so don’t be surprised if a grammar checker takes out any hint of weakness in your writing. AI will suggest a change from “I believe we will do well in the third quarter” to a more confident “We will do well in the third quarter.” However, you may not feel comfortable writing such a version.

In general, we always want to write as succinctly as possible, which means avoiding talkisms. In particular, there are three types that we naturally use abundantly and require editing: written filler words, redundant expressions, and overblown phrases.

Written Filler Words

Most of us know better than to write “er” or “um.” However, there are other words that we commonly use in speech that should be avoided in writing because they typically do not add substance to the sentence. If you are editing for word count, these words can be an excellent place to start without compromising the sentence’s meaning. Here are 12 common examples of oft-spoken phrases and how they appear unedited in writing. Read each example sentence, and then reread them WITHOUT the highlighted filler word. Which sentence works better in writing?

JUST: I just know it’s the right thing to do.

VERY: It was a very wonderful party.

LITERALLY: I literally just saw her.

WELL:  Well, the test was hard.

YOU KNOW: You know she was really interested in me.

I MEAN: I mean it’s a hard thing to accept.

ACTUALLY: I actually managed to get there on time.

BASICALLY: We basically swept the state finals.

OKAY: Okay, I will grant your request.

COMPLETELY: They completely destroyed the competition.

FELLOW: His viewpoint was the same as his fellow classmates.

FORMER: Dan is a former veteran of Vietnam.

Therefore, check your writing (and your transcripts) for talkisms that can be deleted without changing the sentence or altering your communication. Watch for them to make easy edits that make a big difference in your written communication!

Redundant Expressions

Another type of “talkism” is the redundant expression. These are expressions composed of two words that should only be one. We say the two words together so often that we do not realize we are repeating ourselves if we write them down. In speech, we use redundant phrases to emphasize a point or explain our meaning, so it’s easy for them to slip into our first draft. Remember, if your written communication uses redundant expressions, you are unnecessarily bloating your prose.

Below are twelve examples of the redundant phrases I most often see, write, and correct. There are many, many more! Read the sentence without the highlighted word and note how eliminating the unnecessary adjective results in the same meaning for the sentence. The expression itself is redundant!

ACTUAL FACTS: You have to consider the actual facts of the case.

ADVANCE PLANNING: With a little advance planning, we can take that vacation.

BRIEF MOMENT: For a brief moment, I believed you.

END RESULT: We get the same end result regardless of the message.

EXACT SAME: We have the exact same t-shirt.

KNOWLEDGEABLE EXPERT:  Dr. Smith is a knowledgeable expert on human behavior.

MAY/MIGHT POSSIBLY: She might possibly be selected for the team.

MIX TOGETHER: We should not mix together our friends.

NEW INNOVATION/INVENTION: Dr. Smith unveiled a new innovation in psychological research.

ORIGINALLY CREATED: We originally created a new podcast.

PAST EXPERIENCE: She knew what to do from past experience.  

PERSONAL OPINION: It is my personal opinion that the movie will win the award.

Bloated Phrases

edit-key-keyboardBloated phrases are talkisms that bring clarity, emphasis, and even style to our speech. They trip off the tongue. However, bloated phrases should be trimmed to one or two words when we want to convey the same message in writing. Deflating a bloated phrase takes some clever editing and typically a change of verb or adverb within the sentence. AI can help, but as a human writer, you should be able to recognize them!

Here, again, are just 12 examples of the many bloated phrases I commonly edit. Some are easily replaced, while others require some wordsmithing. Read the first sentence and notice how the second one drastically reduces word count with the omission of the bold words yet does not affect the sentence’s meaning.

AT ALL TIMES

I must stay vigilant at all times.

I must always stay vigilant.

DUE TO THE FACT

We must close the Ohio store due to the fact that sales have fallen every month.

We must close the Ohio store because sales have fallen every month.

FOR THE MOST PART

She is happy in her new job for the most part.

She is reasonably happy in her new job.

IN THE EVENT OF

In the event of a fire, exit through the south door.

In case of fire, exit through the south door.

IN THIS DAY AND AGE

Cell phones are necessary in this day and age.

Cell phones are necessary today.

IN ORDER TO

Mom threw the ball in order to prove she was athletic.

Mom threw the ball to prove she was athletic.

MADE A COMPARISON

The book made a comparison between George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.

The book compared George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.

MADE A DECISION TO

I made a decision to leave my position.

I decided to leave my position.

ON A REGULAR BASIS

Alan brushes his teeth on a regular basis.

Alan brushes his teeth regularly.

RESULTED IN AN INCREASE/DECREASE

The tax hike resulted in a 5% increase in sales tax.

The tax hike increased sales tax 5%.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO/REMEMBER IS

The most important thing to do in case of emergency is stay calm.

In case of an emergency, stay calm.

YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO/NEED TO

If you want to win, you’re going to have to practice.

If you want to win, you need to practice.

If you write like you speak (and we all do at some point), I hope this discussion of talkisms will make you more aware of your writing and editing, especially when you edit transcripts or other spoken communication. Talkisms have their place in writing but can also add unnecessary words and time for the reader if used too liberally. Be kind to the reader. Get rid of those talkisms!

If we can help with an editing project, don’t hesitate to call Big Ideas Writing at 630-778-6182.