A FILLER WORD IS OFTEN DESCRIBED AS A WORD WITH LITTLE SEMANTIC VALUE. HOWEVER, ITS PRIMARY FUNCTION IS NOT SEMANTIC. FILLER WORDS SERVE TO ADD EMOTIONAL NUANCE, FILL AWKWARD PAUSES, AND INDICATE HOW OUR CONVERSATION PARTNERS ARE THINKING. OTFEN, IT IS PRECISELY FILLER WORDS THAT EXPRESS THINGS NON-FILLER WORDS STRUGGLE TO CONVEY. WHAT EMOTION, TONE, AND MELODY DOES AN "UM" OR A "YOU KNOW" CARRY?
I MEAN WHAT I SAY IS AN EXTENDED PAUSE FOR THOUGHT AND A LOVE SONG.