Should You Edit Out Every 'Um' and 'Er' From Your Podcast?

Should You Edit Out Every 'Um' and 'Er' From Your Podcast?

You’ve recorded a great episode. You’re deep in the edit. And suddenly… the spiral begins.

Should you cut out every little “um”? Every “er”? That awkward pause your guest took to find their words?

It’s a question that came up at the Atomicon Fringe event, hosted by the brilliant Louise Brogan and Izabela Russell; during a series of roundtable conversations with creators and listeners alike.

And the answers surprised us.

We heard from a group of people who don’t host their own podcasts but listen to a lot of them. And their take? A few ums, ers, and stumbles actually made hosts feel more relatable. More human. More trustworthy.

That doesn’t mean you should leave everything in. Too many filler words can make a host sound unsure or underprepared. But trying to scrub your episode into robotic perfection? That’s not helping either.

So here’s the takeaway:

• You don’t need to cut every um and er.

• Focus on flow and clarity.

• Keep the moments that feel natural, and trim only where it helps the message.

Podcasting is about connection. And no one connects with perfect.

Massive thanks again to Louise, Izabela, thoughtful event at Atomicon Fringe. These are the kinds of real conversations creators need to have.

So… how many ums did you cut this week?

Let’s talk about it in the comments. Or better yet leave one in your next episode. On purpose. 😉