Why is "Um" the universal sound to make between words when thinking of the next thing to say?

Answer 1

beacuse it's a natural kinda sound you make when exhaling?

because it cannot be confused with anything else?

because it makes us all sound like unintelligent, drooling, orangutans?

Answer 2

This was asked in New Scientist a few years ago. One suggestion was that when listening to a conversation we use longer gaps between words or sentences as an indication that the speaker has come to the end of their point. But the "um" allows the speaker to keep the floor, to continue to be the speaker, while the find the rest of their words. It lets the listener know not to interupt the conversation at that point.

Answer 3

It's because people listening will understand 'Um' to have a certain meaning. People learn over time what certain sounds, and words, which are sounds when you are speaking, mean.
Therefore when a speaker says, 'Um'; the listeners or audience will interpret that utterance to mean that the speaker is saying something along the lines of, 'hold on I'm thinking...but I still am going to continue to speak'

Answer 4

Recent linguistic research has suggested that non-pathological disfluencies may contain a variety of meaning; the frequency of "uh" and "um" in English is often reflective of a speaker's alertness or emotional state. Some have hypothesized that the time of an "uh" or "um" is used for the planning of future words; other researchers have suggested that they are actually to be understood as full-fledged function words rather than accidents, indicating a delay of variable time yet to come. There is some debate as to whether to consider them a form of white noise or as a meaning-filled part of language.

Answer 5

it's not universal!! Only in the US people say Um while they are thinking, it's a cultural thing that spread maybe through the TV and people imitate it, or then the TV shows picked up a common thing in American English.

Answer 6

actually it is not universal, it only applies to the English Language and even here it is not a certain. I have also heard "like" (mostly 16 year old girls), "er". In China they say Nage (which means this or that). basically it is said to be used as a way to plan what you are going to say. People who use it a lot have problems forming words or meanings as quickly as others.

Answer 7

I know who will have the correct answer... The President, and all of the ones before them! They say it more in one speech than you would in 6 months of interviewing a person for a job! I use to listen to the State of the Union speeches and it drove me crazy!!!! I don't even let my kids say it! Think about it, it really does make a person sound less intellegent! Have a good evening!!!

Answer 8

My guess: "Uhhh..." and "Mmm..." are easiest sounds to make. When you close your mouth during saying "Uhhh..." then you make the sound "Umm...". If you never open your mouth to begin with it will just sound out "Mmm...".

If you think of what you want to say right away it would sound like "Uhhhh... (word)" for example "Uhhhh... yeah".

So I bet that "Um" is the universal sound to make because its the easiest sound to make. The sound will never have synonym words because when you say it it sounds like you don't know what you want to say. Of course only a linguist can confirm that.

Answer 9

Um, I think it's just a sound that naturally comes out!

Answer 10

I've heard some pause saying Uhhh or, Ehhh...
The low "Auu" sound is the default of the voice box, and the first to be used in speech and thus the one to be used when someone can't get what they want to say out.

Answer 11

Never thought about that. I reckon 'AAAAARRRGGHH' is the universal word to say just before getting eaten by a Tiger.