Inspired by an infographic by London Speaker Bureau.

How often do you say 'ummm'?

For most of us, public speaking ranks high on their worst fears.

As the nervous energy rises inside you, all your bad habits rise to the surface — the most common of these is the use of filler words 'ummm', 'so', etc.

Using these filler words is a credibility killer.

Mastering your internal nerves takes time and experience, and even then, it doesn't ever truly disappear.

While I was studying Product Design at University, I spent a lot of time presenting work and listening to others present.

This constant exposure to public speaking helped me overcome a lot of these bad habits — but even now, I still find that a little 'ummm' sneaks out.

I’ve still got much to learn about being a better public speaker, but I know these notes have given me a few more ideas and techniques to use.

Whether you’re giving a speech, sharing your ideas in a meeting or facilitating a brainstorm, I hope these 11 tips help you to stop filler words from creeping into your lives.

If you have any other tips to stop saying filler words, let me know in the comments.