hesitations

Hesitation refers to a pause or delay in speech or action arising from uncertainty, doubt, or the need to think before responding. In spoken language, hesitations are often signaled by filled pauses such as um and uh, or by silent pauses indicated in transcription as blank intervals.

Hesitations can be categorized as filled hesitations (utterances like um, uh), silent pauses, and more complex patterns such as repetitions, reformulations, or hedges that stall for time.

Functionally, hesitations serve to regulate turn-taking, allow planning of upcoming speech, and soften statements to show politeness or deference. They can also signal uncertainty or empathy, depending on context and delivery.

Prevalence varies by language, culture, and formality. In casual conversation, hesitations are common and can aid understanding, whereas in formal writing or high-stakes speech they are often minimized. Non-native speakers and individuals with anxiety may exhibit higher rates.

Researchers study hesitations with corpus analysis, acoustic measurement, and perception experiments to assess how listeners interpret them and how they affect communication efficiency.

In transcription and editing, hesitations are annotated with tokens or punctuation to reflect timing and fluidity; in writing, they are typically omitted or represented by ellipses or brackets.