How to get rid of parasitic words in speech: effective tips

“I realized how much I was “infected” with garbage words when they began to penetrate not only my spoken speech, but also my correspondence with friends and colleagues.
I am a literate person, I write without mistakes, I try to use commas even in friendly correspondence. It was during one of these correspondences that I “stumbled” into thinking about whether I should isolate the word “type” in a sentence. And I realized that it was not needed here at all, it read stupidly and inappropriately. And if you say it out loud with a certain intonation, you can imagine me squatting with a cigarette and fingers outstretched. The picture, I tell you, is so-so. I began to listen to my speech and very soon discovered with horror that this “type” was organically integrated into almost every sentence. I listened to the voice messages exchanged with a friend, and there I clearly heard other words and interjections: “well,” “uh,” “m,” “along the way,” and the like.

I went ahead and re-read my outgoing emails in my inbox. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered many letters in which the first sentence began with “well”!

Then I firmly decided: something urgently needs to be done about this. And I asked the search query “how to get rid of a parasitic word like” in Google…”.

— Elena, 27 years old, graphic designer

After reading this short story, you may recognize yourself or someone you know. They are called parasite words for a reason: they penetrate our speech unnoticed, but it is not easy to get rid of them. Like parasites in the human body, they “eat” meanings, steal time and interfere with the perception of what is said. In this article we talk about how to spot junk words in your speech and what they can really say about you. Read on to find out how to stop using filler words and learn to speak beautifully.

Parasitic words in Russian

• Remember, you also sometimes use, appropriately and inappropriately, just to fill a pause, such parasitic words as “in short,” “like,” “as if.” And at the same time, many do not even think about the fact that the use of, for example, the last two expressions makes the object in question seem unreal.

We pronounce

• “He seems to be good” - an absolutely incomprehensible and completely unnecessary insertion of “as if” immediately gives the definition of “good” an ironic shade, which involuntarily makes one doubt the truth of the statement.
• The use of parasitic words not only clogs up speech, but also makes the thought that a person expresses incomprehensible and confusing. And vice versa, speech in which there are no unnecessary insertions, inappropriate interjections and other “husks” is clear, pleasant to the ear of the interlocutor, and endears him to the speaker. How to avoid possible ambiguous interpretation of your words and make your speech clear, intelligible and beautiful?

Other verbal trash

After you have finally gotten rid of the parasite words “like”, “well” and others, you can move on to further improving your speech. It is littered not only with such primitive words, but also with many others:

1. slang and jargon;
2. newfangled words;
3. English terms.

Slang and jargon are incomprehensible to many people. Newfangled words have not yet fully entered the Russian language, and sometimes, inserting them into familiar verbal constructions, you sound ridiculous. For most foreign borrowings in the Russian language there are analogues that are much more suitable in meaning.

A serious problem can be the use of such parasitic words in educational work: tests, essays, coursework. If you want them to be written in a scientific style, in clear and beautiful Russian, you should contact the student assistance service. Its specialists will make sure that not a single parasite ruins your student life!

What are filler words: examples

• interjections , which can be called conventional filler words, are very common in oral speech These are absolutely unjustified sounds with which the phrase is “broken”: “yesterday I was uh at the cinema and watched an interesting mmmm film.” It is hardly possible to imagine that the person pronouncing this remembered the words “cinema” and “film”; most likely, he simply does not pay attention to the purity of speech at all.

Have appeared densely in our lives

• Sometimes a person, trying to convey emotions, begins to abuse the means of their verbal expression. “You really have no idea how many mushrooms there are,” he says excitedly to his interlocutor, without thinking about the fact that “really” in this case does not carry much meaning and is a classic parasite.
• Words for “beginning” that precede the phrase itself, “in short,” “you see,” “in general” are not informative, but only overload the speech.
• Parasitic words, as a reverse reaction, appear when you address your interlocutor: “can you imagine”, “you know” ... You don’t expect him to answer you “I imagine”, “I know”?

Parasite words: psychology

• The use of parasitic words often stems from the psychological characteristics of a person and his character. For example, if you often say the word “just” , then it is quite possible that the opinion of you will be formed as a person who does not have his own opinion, in addition, is quite irresponsible .
• “by the way” out of place and out of place , an experienced psychologist will immediately characterize you as constantly trying to attract attention to himself .
• The address “you know,” as well as “you see,” “you hear,” with which many begin a conversation, hints at your talkativeness , which is sometimes not always appropriate and desirable.
• The use of such a parasite as “in short” is most often perceived by the interlocutor as an indicator of the superficiality of your knowledge and mastery of the topic of conversation.
• “I think” - this sometimes sounds categorical, unless, of course, the interlocutor at the moment was interested in your opinion.
• And if you insert the adverbial clause “in fact” into a phrase, you can give the impression of a snob who does not respect the point of view of others, but considers himself a truly expert in this matter.

Who can use

The values ​​that modern society imposes on us

It’s embarrassing to talk about this, but almost every one of us at least once fell into these psychological traps and began to think with cliches carefully placed in his head.

And it doesn’t matter that buying the latest model iPhone will mean you’ll have to eat noodles from bags for six months, and your expensive jeep will sit idle in the garage because there’s simply no money to maintain it.

Nowadays, psychologists identify such a phenomenon as imitation of the lifestyle of other social groups. In other words, these are attempts to imitate TV stars and businessmen who have enough money for any whim.

It is clear that a girl from a small town is unlikely to have enough money for a real haute couture dress, a luxurious vacation in the Maldives and breast surgery in an expensive Swiss clinic. The problem is that she will unconsciously consider herself inferior to some diva from the cover of a magazine and, over the years, will develop a gorgeous inferiority complex.

Everything is simple here: the more beautiful photos you have on social networks, the better and more successful you are. At least in the opinion of those who were unlucky enough to go on vacation this year or did not have enough money for an expensive restaurant.

Psychologists have a different opinion on this matter: they believe that those who like to show off their lives develop narcissistic qualities, and guests of their pages may begin to suffer from banal envy and even develop depression.

If she didn’t get enough, she’s not a mother. The life of many women after the birth of a child goes roughly under this motto. Especially if they are devoted readers of glossy magazines, on the pages of which a lot of advice on development and education is published.

At the same time, such an exemplary mother often has absolutely no time left for herself, and teachers and psychologists are already sounding the alarm, noting that due to parental over-concern, today’s children do not know how to make decisions on their own and are not able to concentrate on their studies.

As a result, we have almost completely lost respect for simple labor. Few of today's schoolchildren will openly say that they dream of becoming a seamstress or an electrician. And if you were born into a family of hereditary doctors, then you shouldn’t even mention a career as a hairdresser.

Because of the desire for quick success imposed by society, people are not going to become professionals in their field. They jump from one job to another in the hope that at least somewhere crazy money and universal recognition will fall on them without any effort.

Poor women are now literally caught between two fires. It seems that natural beauty is in fashion, and to maintain it a minimum of cosmetics is enough. But at the same time, we are taught that to be beautiful means to be aware of the latest fashion trends and to be able to apply makeup almost at the level of a professional makeup artist.

Imagine that you slipped on icy asphalt, fell right in the middle of a crowded street and injured your hand. Now try to guess how passers-by will react to this. At best, they will bypass you, at worst, they will surreptitiously film you on their phone. But someone who tries to come to your aid will be looked at askance: why did you bother, are you really ready to waste your precious time?

And, it would seem, what could be simpler and more natural than helping someone who needs it. Nevertheless, the time of the Timurites has happily ended, having been replaced by a fashion for indifference to others.

Parasitic words and their replacement

• Words that came from another language and became “connections” in sentences can be pronounced in Russian without compromising the meaning of what was said. The endless “okay” , often used inappropriately, is also quite understandable in the variant “good”, “okay”, “that suits me”. If you greet friends with the slang word "hi", try simply saying "hello", "hello", "good morning". And for those who, out of all the richness of the German language, have only mastered “Ferstein”, we can recommend saying “you understand.”
• Parasitic words from youth slang are also not appropriate in all situations. If you say about an actress in the theater that she “cool” and for this she has “respect and respect ,” theater regulars are unlikely to understand you. In this situation, try to express yourself as follows: “the actress played excellently, she is worthy of admiration.”
• Words altered from curses still carry the original meaning, which everyone understands perfectly well. Therefore, you should not use the word “damn” , because in the understanding of the interlocutor it still remains obscene. And if instead of “damn, don’t burden me” you say “no need to insist,” any interlocutor will understand you perfectly, regardless of his level of culture.
• Lisping in the style of “fish”, “sun”, “bunny” is acceptable only in relation to a small child; in other cases these are typical filler words. This kind of address to each other in front of strangers looks especially ridiculous and funny. Therefore, it is better to address even your most beloved “cat” only by name.
• “Classical” parasitic word “type”, parasitic word “in short” , which have become a real disaster of the modern colloquial Russian language. Watch your speech, catching yourself saying such words and avoiding it if possible. You don’t need to say “tell the teacher that I kind of went to the doctor,” instead construct the sentence like this: “tell the teacher that I don’t feel well and that’s why I went to the doctor.”
• The “mooing” or “mooing” really spoils the impression of your speech and the meaning of what you said . Instead of dragging out “well-ooh,” it’s better to pause for a couple of seconds, during which you will choose the right word.
• But there is nothing to replace words like “damn” or “well, that” , since they have no meaning. Therefore, they should simply be avoided.

Synonyms for the word “parasite” (as well as words and expressions similar in meaning)

Making the Word Map better together

Hello!
My name is Lampobot, I am a computer program that helps you make Word Maps. I can count perfectly, but I still don’t understand very well how your world works. Help me figure it out! Thank you!

I will definitely learn to distinguish widely used words from highly specialized ones.

How clear is the meaning of the word okontse
(noun):

Related words and expressions

Related words (by topic)

• People: bloodsucker, entomologist, bastard, parasite, freak
• Places: horde, anthill, terrarium, plague, sanitary and epidemiological station
• Items: weevil, dichlorvos, toxin, antibody, vaccine
• Actions: disinfestation, infection, contamination, bite, typhus
• Abstract concepts: infection, pathogen, cholera, virulence, plague

Associations to the word “parasite”

Sentences containing "parasite"

• If less water evaporates, the vegetables may rot during storage or small parasites
  , which will spoil the preparations.

Quotes from Russian classics with the word “parasite”

• Burnt-out people, just like internal parasites
  , crawled into the very core of cultured people.

Rhyming Words for "parasite"

What is a “parasite”?

The meaning of the word "parasite"

PARASITE, -a, m.

1.
Biol.
A plant or animal that lives on or inside another organism and feeds on the latter, usually causing harm to it.
Parasitic bacteria.
(Small Academic Dictionary, MAS)

Submit Comment

Additionally

The meaning of the word "parasite"

PARASITE, -a, m.

1.
Biol.
A plant or animal that lives on or inside another organism and feeds on the latter, usually causing harm to it.
Parasitic bacteria.

Sentences containing "parasite"

If less water evaporates, the vegetables may rot during storage or small parasites

, which will ruin the workpieces.

Only now are scientists seriously thinking about the fact that parasites

can be no less important parts of the ecosystem than lions and leopards.

Experts say that at least one type of parasite

certainly lives in the bodies of 85–95% of American adults.

Source of the article: https://kartaslov.ru/%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BC%D1%8B-%D0%BA-% D1%81%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%83/%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B8%D1%82

Parasitic words: examples

There are probably too many such words to count, because they often become parasites in the context of what is said. But there are certain examples that are worth listing, so that everyone can control their speech and think about whether they are too often “wasting” such parasitic words as:

• This
• Exactly this
• Briefly speaking
• As if
• That is
• However
• All in all
• Like
• Let's say
• Means
• Well
• So
• OK
• How to say
• Seems
• Here
• You know
• Probably
• So to speak,
• Crap
• In fact
• No or yes
• Basically
• Understand
• Just
• Hard to tell
• At all
• Actually (or strictly speaking)
• By the way
• Listen (can you hear)
• For example
• Really
• Specifically
• I guess
• As the saying goes
• Actually
• What's his name
• All that

This, of course, is not all, but the most frequently used words and phrases, which are parasites if used in speech not in their main meaning.

Full list

Modern filler words

• Among the parasitic words that have appeared in recent years, the leading ones are such expressions as “like”, “nice”, “as if”, “really”, “specifically”. All of them were originally slang, used in certain social groups. Many words come from films or youth TV series.
• And, of course, unfortunately, many “garbage” words arise, the basis of which is profanity. The same “damn”, and with it “eprst” or “eper theater” , are nothing more than swear words pseudo-adapted to social and cultural norms.

The harm of parasitic words

It would seem, what’s so scary about them, about such repeated parasitic words? Of course, they do not pose a mortal threat, but they are harmful in the following ways:

1. The interlocutor, listening to such “insertions”, perceives what is said worse, since the coherent presentation is interrupted, in addition, such filler words are unpleasant to the ear.
2. in the filler words .
3. By using such “trash” words, you emphasize the limitations and poverty of your vocabulary.
4. Frequent use of unnecessary words can indicate to your interlocutor that you are worried or simply not confident in yourself.
5. If you don’t just use “uh” or “well” to fill a pause, but interrupt your speech with swear words, this indicates a low level of culture, which will reduce the number of people who want to communicate with you.
6. By overloading your speech with a large number of additional words, you reduce the chances of the interlocutor understanding you.
7. Parasitic words are dangerous because the person uttering them often does not notice it himself, but those around him draw certain conclusions.

Harmful words

Why shouldn't you use unnecessary words in your speech?

Your ability to speak is one of the key points to achieve your goal, mutual understanding with your interlocutor, to convince and elicit feedback from others listening to you.

Frequent repetition of the words of parasites causes irritation and hostility in people. It is unlikely that the interlocutor will want to continue the conversation with you while listening to the next “uh”, “well”, “in short, like”, etc. Also, frequent repetition of such expressions is a consequence of a small vocabulary or illiteracy. Inappropriate speech parasitic figures of speech can indicate anxiety or even low self-esteem of a person. It so happens that people find it most pleasant to have a conversation with a strong, independent person who is unlike other people. It is these types that are most often the center of good attention. “Bad” words can appear in speech due to an excess of emotionality. When words are not enough to convey feelings. Word parasites are a common problem of the 21st century. They are passed down from generation to generation and are not important.

The benefits of filler words

• Of course, parasitic words are not always harmful. Sometimes they are used deliberately to give speech a certain emotional coloring, acting as a kind of marker to emphasize belonging to a particular social class. In this case, they serve to simplify the creation of an atmosphere of mutual understanding and “simplify” speech.
• In a sense, the use of filler words helps thinking. While uttering the meaningless “this one, what’s his name,” a person at this time selects the right word.
• Such words, appropriately and timely chosen and expressed, can in a certain way defuse a tense atmosphere and serve as a reason for laughter.
• They add emotional coloring to the dialogue , but only if they are expressed as an independent word, and not an introductory one.
• And finally, filler words are often an element of acting, necessary to embody a credible image on screen or on stage.

How to get rid of parasitic words in speech?

It has been noticed that most often parasitic words begin to sound at the moment when there is a hitch or pause in a conversation or monologue. Most often, this is due to the fact that the speaker does not think of the right word and, trying to remember it, he involuntarily “fills” this pause with filler words. What to do to avoid such a situation?

Get rid of

• It’s best to really pause, just a short one, a few seconds. Then you will not distract your memory with unnecessary words, but will force it to work specifically on topics related to the subject of conversation. In addition, during a pause, your interlocutor can think about what you said. And, of course, short-term silence will make a much better impression on others than “well”, “that’s it”, “what’s his name”...
• Practice. Talk to people, speak at meetings, participate in discussions, thereby improving both your vocabulary and speaking skills. It is very important to be among intelligent people more often, to listen to their correct speech, taking it as a model.
• When you are painfully searching for the right word, you may realize yourself that you are ready to use some word just to end the prolonged pause. If you find yourself wanting this, hold your breath or take a deep breath. This will help you avoid using a filler word and will give you time to find the right word or its synonym.
• Try to involve friends or relatives in solving the problem. Let them, when communicating with you, point out every filler word uttered during the conversation. You can even keep a record - this will be useful in order to understand how often you abuse this verbal garbage and draw conclusions. In addition, knowing that you are being controlled, you will involuntarily monitor your speech, so it will gradually become a habit. You can even introduce a system of fines for every unnecessary word spoken.

Interesting ideas

• Talk without haste or excitement. They are the ones who “crumple” thoughts, forcing you to jump from one to another, thereby losing the thread of the conversation or presentation of the topic. This is a doubly good technique, since people perceive calm, coherent speech much better.
• Read as much as possible so you will subconsciously perceive the correct meaning of words and the principles of constructing sentences, enriching your speech and making it correct. Try to retell what you read in your own words, monitoring yourself or with the help of friends.

Fighting methods

There are two global strategies in this battle: the complete eradication of “weed” words and the replacement of parasitic words with neutral options. The first option is preferable, the second is easier. It can be seen as an initial stage before such words are completely abandoned. To replace, you need to select lexically correct and stylistically neutral expressions:

• "hence";
• “you see”;
• “further”;
• “as you understand”;
• "meanwhile."

If you are ready to finally say goodbye to “pest” words, then you need to learn to replace them not with other expressions, but with pauses.

You should not be afraid that you will be interrupted at this time: if the topic of the conversation is really important and interesting, the interlocutor will calmly wait 2-3 seconds while you select the word that is necessary in context.

To develop this habit, we recommend using the following tips.

Practice

Like any skill, the habit of speaking without filler words must be developed. This will require constant practical exercises: speaking in front of an audience, frequent conversations with different people. During them, you need to carefully monitor your speech, recording the use, or, conversely, a conscious refusal of verbal garbage.

Holding your breath

The easiest way to control speech is by holding your breath: when thinking about what word you want to say next, hold your breath, take a short pause and, if a parasitic word is already on your tongue, “swallow” it. This is one of the most effective ways to get rid of parasitic words in speech.

Conscious pauses

After you have learned to “swallow” harmful words, the next step is the transition from forced pauses to conscious ones. When constructing sentences, assume in advance where it is better to place a semantic emphasis, which can be emphasized with a pause. Pauses not only give the speech persuasiveness and weight, but also provide the necessary respite before continuing. This way you can mentally make sure that you are not going to say any more filler words.

Calm

Calmness is the main enemy of verbal garbage. Most often, filler words seep into our speech when we are worried and in a hurry. Except in emergency cases, remember that the high speed with which you convey information does not make it easier to perceive. Staying calm, you will be able to clearly formulate your thoughts and convey them in their pure form, without parasitic words.

External control

Of course, it can be difficult to track the presence or absence of filler words in speech. Ask someone close to you to help: let them draw your attention to any spoken “pest” word. From the outside, speech is perceived much easier and any mistakes are immediately more noticeable. Thanks to this method, you will be able to observe the dynamics of getting rid of harmful words.