How to Stop Saying the Word "Like"

Co-authored by Patrick Muñoz and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: July 29, 2024 References

If you can’t stop saying the word “like,” you’re not alone. Unfortunately, overusing that word can cause your friends and coworkers to make unfair assumptions about your education or intelligence levels. Thankfully, there are some solid ways you can stop saying the word “like” to sound smarter and keep your audience engaged for longer. Read through these tricks to change the way you speak for the better.

1

Tap your leg every time you say “like.”

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Pair the word with an action so you can catch it faster. If you’re talking and you say “like,” quickly tap yourself on the thigh or pinch yourself on the wrist. The more you notice it, the more you can break the habit. ^{[1]
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Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
Go to source}
- Keep the movement small so that it doesn’t distract you from what you’re saying.
- You can also pull on a hair tie around your wrist or flick yourself in the leg.

2

Record yourself speaking.

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Try to count the number of times you say “like” in 1 minute. Then, record yourself again, and try super hard not to say the word “like” at all. Try doing this a couple of times per day until you get into the habit of checking yourself on your own. ^{[2]
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Trustworthy Source
Harvard Business Review
Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices
Go to source}
- You can also download an app like LikeSo to automatically count the number of times you say “like” for you.

3

Listen to yourself as you talk.

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Think about what you say before you say it. If you’re talking quickly or you’re in a fast-paced conversation, you might be thinking about what to say next instead of what’s coming out of your mouth. Try to really slow down and contemplate every sentence before you say it to avoid saying “like.” ^{[3]
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- If you hear yourself say the word “like,” that’s okay! Just make a note of it and try not to say it again in the same conversation.

4

Pause and take a breath.

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Do this instead of saying “like” in between phrases. When you say a sentence and you come to a moment when you’d normally say “like,” just stop. Take a deep breath and let the silence fill the space in your sentence. ^{[4]
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Expert Source

Patrick Muñoz
Speech Coach

Expert Interview. 12 November 2019.}
- This can also help you avoid other filler words like “um” or “ah.”

5

Use approximations instead of “like.”

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You can use “roughly,” “approximately,” and “around.” These words are helpful in sentences where you’re trying to convey an approximate amount, like money spent or time wasted. Make your sentences sound more specific by saying things: ^{[5]
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- “We spent around $500 at the mall today.”
- “I wasted roughly 30 minutes driving back and forth.”
- “We’ve used approximately 60% of our inventory.”

6

Try “said” instead of “like” before a quote.

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You could also use “yelled,” “whispered,” or “shouted.” Saying “like” before a quote is a super common way this word gets misused, and it’s probably where you’ll hear yourself using it the most. Instead, try getting super specific with your descriptor. ^{[6]
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- Instead of saying, “I was like, ‘no way!’” say, “I thought to myself, ‘no way!’”
- Instead of saying, “He was like, ‘I’m not interested.’” say, “He said, ‘I’m not interested.’”

7

Don’t modify adjectives and adverbs.

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You don’t need the word “like” to emphasize your point. By omitting the word “like,” you can actually strengthen your sentences and speech. Stick to words like “very” or “incredibly” to make your sentence stronger. ^{[7]
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- For example, instead of saying, “He was, like, so angry,” say, “He was very angry.”
- Instead of saying, "The sky was, like, so blue," say, "The sky was a deep blue color."

8

Expand your vocabulary.

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The more words you know, the easier time you’ll have. Try reading new books, playing word games like Scrabble, or keeping a thesaurus handy to look up synonyms. If you can think of something else to say besides “like,” you’re already halfway there! You could try phrases such as “for example,” “nearly,” or “about.” ^{[8]
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- You can also download apps like Word of the Day to get new words sent directly to you.

9

Try to only use the word “like” properly.

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You could say “I really like chocolate” or “He acts like his father.” If you keep the definition in mind, you can tell when you’re using “like” the right way and when you’re using it as a filler word. ^{[9]
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10

Watch out for other filler words.

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“Um,” “ah,” and “er” can also get repetitive. As you cut down on your use of the word “like,” be careful you’re not replacing it with something else! When in doubt, just don’t say anything. ^{[10]
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- You might also find yourself saying “you know,” “well,” and “okay.”

Community Q&A

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Question

What other words can I use for like? I have to many "likes" in my paragraph.

Community Answer

You can use "similar to" in the sense of "The noodles were like rubber." When using the word "like" to express approval, as in "I like pie," you can say "I enjoy pie" or "I love pie" or "Pie is awesome." If you're using the word "like" as a filler word, the way this article is talking about, just remove it entirely.

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Question

What form of speech is "like" considered?

Community Answer

As a term of enjoyment, like is used as a verb, or an action word. When saying it as a term of similarity of comparison, it is a preposition.

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Question

Why do people overuse the word "like"?

Community Answer

Some people have trouble thinking of the words they want to use, so they'll use "like" as a placeholder. Other people might not have a very large vocabulary, so "like" is a fallback word that they use often.

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Tips

Try talking in front of a friend or family member and asking them to interrupt you every time you say "like" to help you catch and correct yourself.

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The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

It's common to use fillers more in phone conversations than face to face, so try to plan what you will say if you're making a phone call.
Really try to talk a bit slower when trying to stop saying "like" so you can realize when you say "like."

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How to Stop Saying the Word "Like"

Steps

Tap your leg every time you say “like.”

Record yourself speaking.

Listen to yourself as you talk.

Pause and take a breath.

Use approximations instead of “like.”

Try “said” instead of “like” before a quote.

Don’t modify adjectives and adverbs.

Expand your vocabulary.

Try to only use the word “like” properly.

Watch out for other filler words.

Community Q&A

Tips

Tips from our Readers

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