Word Tracker
Word Tracker is a real-time speech feedback tool in Speech Companion that helps speakers identify and reduce filler words such as "um," "uh," "like," and "you know." It is designed to improve clarity, confidence, and pacing in high-stakes communication.
What Word Tracker Does
Word Tracker listens to spoken language during practice sessions and flags specific verbal habits in real time. It supports behavior change by making speech patterns visible and measurable. Users can review usage counts by session, compare trends over time, and target specific words or phrases that reduce message clarity.
The filler-word categories and detection priorities in Word Tracker are based on research by The Speech Improvement Company, which has coached over one million speakers since 1964. Over six decades of live coaching, TSIC identified the specific verbal habits that most reliably reduce perceived authority and listener trust, and Word Tracker translates those findings into automated, real-time feedback.
Why It Matters
- Reduces filler words that weaken authority and listener trust.
- Improves speaking precision during interviews, presentations, and leadership updates.
- Builds awareness quickly through immediate feedback loops.
- Creates objective metrics for communication coaching and progress reviews.
How to Use Word Tracker
- Open Speech Companion and start a practice session.
- Enable Word Tracker and choose your default or custom word list.
- Speak naturally through your script, outline, or rehearsal scenario.
- Review flagged words and total counts after the session ends.
- Repeat with one targeted improvement goal for the next session.
Best Practices
Start Small
Focus on one or two filler words first. Trying to remove every speech habit at once can reduce fluency.
Use Session Baselines
Track your first three sessions as a baseline, then measure reductions by percentage rather than perfection.
Pair with Playback
Use transcript or recording playback to identify where fillers spike, such as transitions or difficult questions.
Learn the Research Behind It
For deeper strategies on managing verbal habits and speaking fears, see Smart Speaking: 60-Second Strategies for More Than 100 Speaking Problems and Fears by Laurie Schloff and Marcia Yudkin, part of the TSIC publications catalog.
Common Mistakes
- Speaking unnaturally slowly only to reduce counts.
- Ignoring context where strategic pauses solve most filler usage.
- Tracking data without setting a specific rehearsal objective.
Further Reading from TSIC
These articles from The Speech Improvement Company explore verbal habits, pacing, and clarity — the core areas Word Tracker targets.
- Speaking Faster or Slower: Is One Better Than the Other? — Dr. Dennis Becker
- Pause and Consider Your Pauses — Robin Golinski
- Three Ways to Keep Yourself from Rambling — Laura Mathis
- Mind Your Language: The Impact of Idioms on Effective Communication — Monica Murphy
Browse the full archive at speechimprovement.com/blog.