Language used to avoid pauses and to hold the floor, with examples like er, um, well, you know, is known as what?

Language used to avoid pauses and to hold the floor, with examples like er, um, well, you know, is known as what?

• A. Fillers
• B. Discourse markers
• C. Interjections
• D. Intensifiers

Answer: (A)

In spontaneous speech, language used to avoid pauses and to hold the floor consists of fillers. These are the sound or words like er, um, well, you know that you utter not for meaning but to stall while you think or plan what to say, and to signal you’re not finished so your turn isn’t taken away. They help manage timing and keep the speaker in control of the conversation. They’re different from discourse markers, which guide the flow of ideas (like well or therefore when used to connect thoughts); they’re different from interjections, which express emotions or reactions; and they’re different from intensifiers, which amplify meaning (like very or incredibly).