We have all had a conversation with a woman who uses the word “like” repeatedly while talking. It’s almost as if she can’t find her words fast enough and instead fills the gaps with the word “like.” You know this woman; some of you are this woman. You walk into a co-worker’s office mid-morning and say “omg, like, today, like, on my way to work, I was like driving, and like this driver just like came into my lane and I like had to swerve to like, get out of the way.”

Like, huh? You lost me.

Often times, women fill the silence between their words with “like” and “um” rather than just pausing, taking a breath, and continuing their train of thought. And, because of these gap fillers, some women are not communicating effectively. Unfortunately, using “like” unnecessarily, makes people tune you out, not take you seriously, or label you as ditzy.

Next time you have a conversation with someone, try to recognize if you actually need to use the word “like” to make a comparison or give an example, or if you are using the word “like” merely as a gap filler. If it’s the latter, work towards speaking slower and eliminating these gap filler words. You will be surprised at how much more sophisticated you sound.