täyttösanat

Täyttösanat, often translated as "filler words" or "hesitation devices" in English, are sounds or words that speakers use when they are pausing to think, gathering their thoughts, or hesitating during speech. They are a natural and common feature of spoken language across many cultures and languages. In Finnish, common täyttösanat include "öö," "tuota," "niin," and "et."

These words do not typically carry significant semantic meaning in themselves. Instead, their function is primarily pragmatic. They serve to signal to the listener that the speaker has not finished their turn and intends to continue speaking, preventing interruption. They can also help the speaker manage the flow of conversation, buying time to formulate their next words or ideas. The use of täyttösanat can vary depending on factors such as the speaker's confidence, the complexity of the topic, and the social context of the conversation. While sometimes perceived as indicating uncertainty or a lack of fluency, their presence is generally considered normal and not necessarily a sign of poor communication skills. In linguistics, they are studied as part of pragmatics and discourse analysis.