The short version
- Filler words give you two or three seconds to think and tell the other person you're still talking.
- Learn a few for each moment: starting an answer, losing a word, correcting yourself and listening.
- Pick two a week and use them on purpose every time you practise until they come out on their own.
Sit near two people chatting in a bar in Spain and you'll hear pues, bueno and a ver all the time. These Spanish filler words don't add much meaning. They give the speaker a second to think, and they tell the listener "hang on, I'm still going".
English speakers do exactly the same thing with "well", "so" and "let me think". The difference is that when you're learning Spanish, you need those seconds far more than a native speaker does. And if you don't have a Spanish word to fill the gap, you end up in silence, or saying "um" in English.
This post covers the fillers that are worth learning first, when to use each one, and how to get them into your speaking.
Why fillers matter more for learners
When you're speaking a new language, a pause of three seconds feels like a minute. It often feels that way to the other person too. They're not sure if you've finished, so they jump in, finish your sentence or switch to English.
A filler holds your place in the conversation. It tells them you're thinking and haven't finished. That takes a bit of pressure off both of you, and it often gives you exactly the time you needed to find the next word.
Fillers also make you sound more natural. A learner who says Pues… bien, la verdad sounds more at ease than one who says Bien after a long pause, even though they said the same thing.
The fillers to learn first
You don't need dozens. These are the ones you'll hear every day in Spain, and between them they cover most situations.
| Filler | Roughly means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Pues… | Well… | Pues… no sé, la verdad. |
| A ver… | Let's see… | A ver… creo que el martes. |
| Bueno… | Well… / Right… | Bueno, más o menos. |
| Es que… | The thing is… | Es que no tengo tiempo. |
| La verdad es que… | To be honest… | La verdad es que me gusta mucho. |
| O sea… | I mean… / So… | O sea, que no vienes. |
| Mira… | Look… | Mira, yo creo que sí. |
| ¿Sabes? | You know? | Estaba cansadísimo, ¿sabes? |
A couple of notes. Es que is often used before an excuse or an explanation, so it's perfect when you need to say why you can't do something. Mira usually sounds friendly in Spain, even though "look…" can sound a bit sharp in English.
Fillers for specific moments
It helps to group fillers by what you need them for. Then when the moment comes, you have one ready.
When you're starting an answer
Someone asks you a question and you need a second. Pues…, A ver… and Bueno… all work here. Pues is the most common and the easiest to say.
When a word won't come
These let you keep going instead of stopping dead:
- ¿Cómo se dice…? (How do you say…?)
- ¿Cómo se llama…? (What's it called…?)
- La cosa esa… (That thing…)
- El chisme ese… (That thingy…), which is very informal and very Spanish
Often the other person will give you the word, which is one of the easiest ways to learn it.
When you want to correct yourself
- Bueno, no… (Well, no…)
- Quiero decir… (I mean…)
- Mejor dicho… (Or rather…)
For example: Vivo aquí desde hace dos años. Bueno, no, tres.
When you're listening
Filling your side of the silence matters too. Short listening words show you're following and keep the other person talking.
| Spanish | English | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Ya. / Ya, ya. | Yeah. / I know. | You understand or agree |
| Claro. | Of course. / Sure. | Something makes sense |
| Vale. | OK. | You accept something |
| ¿Sí? | Yeah? / Really? | You want them to go on |
| ¿En serio? | Seriously? | You're surprised |
| Normal. | Fair enough. | What they did sounds reasonable |
Here's how several of these sound together:
The echo trick
This is the quickest way to buy time, and it doesn't need any new words.
When someone asks you something, repeat the key part back before you answer. ¿Qué hiciste el fin de semana? becomes ¿El fin de semana? Pues… and then your answer. ¿Te gusta vivir aquí? becomes ¿Vivir aquí? A ver…. It sounds completely natural, it gives you a few seconds, and it confirms you understood the question.
Spanish speakers sometimes do a fuller version of this with que: ¿Que qué hice el fin de semana? (What did I do at the weekend?). You'll hear it a lot, but the short version is easier to start with and works just as well.
Fillers to be careful with
Some fillers are fine but easy to overuse, and a few don't fit Spain.
Este… is a very common filler in parts of Latin America, but in Spain you'll rarely hear it used that way. Here people say esto…, eh… or em…. Also go easy on en plan (like…). It's very informal and mostly used by younger people, so it can sound odd from a learner in a normal conversation.
O sea is useful, but some learners start putting it in every sentence, the way some English speakers use "like". Once or twice in a conversation is plenty.
And don't use fillers to avoid ever finishing a sentence. They're there to buy a few seconds, then you carry on.
How to make them automatic
Reading a list of fillers won't help much in a real conversation. They have to be in your mouth already, which means saying them out loud, a lot.
Pick two fillers for this week
Start with pues and a ver. Two is enough. Write them on a sticky note and put it where you study.
Use them in every answer you practise
Whatever topic you're working on, start every answer with one of your two fillers. Out loud, every time. It feels forced for the first few days, and that's fine.
Answer quick questions with the echo trick
Use the questions below. Read one, repeat the key part back, add a filler, then answer.
Questions to practise fillers with Question Meaning ¿Qué tal el fin de semana? How was your weekend? ¿Qué haces en tu tiempo libre? What do you do in your free time? ¿Por qué aprendes español? Why are you learning Spanish? ¿Qué vas a hacer esta noche? What are you doing tonight? ¿Te gusta vivir aquí? Do you like living here? Add two more next week
Keep the first two and add bueno and es que. After a few weeks you'll have a small set that comes out without thinking.
This fits into any practice you're already doing. If you're rehearsing a conversation, as in this post on why you go blank when you speak, just add fillers to your answers. They combine well with the ideas in how to stop translating in your head, too: shrink the sentence, start with pues, and go.
Recap
- Fillers give you a few seconds to think and keep your place in the conversation.
- Start with pues, a ver, bueno and es que.
- Have one ready for each moment: starting, losing a word, correcting yourself and listening.
- Repeat the question back to buy extra time.
- Learn two a week and say them out loud in every answer you practise.
Fillers work best alongside conversations you've actually rehearsed, so you have something to say once you've bought the time. That's what 100 Spanish Conversations is built around. If you'd like to try your new fillers on real people, record a short answer and post it in the Skool community.
Leeroy studied Spanish for years before moving to Spain and finding he couldn't hold a conversation. He built Basically Spanish around the method that fixed it. Questions? leeroy@basicallyspanish.com