Filler Phrases for Thinking Time
"That's an interesting question" · "Let me think for a sec"
1. Topic & Why It Matters
Filler phrases are short, natural expressions that give you half a second to think before you answer. Used well, they make your speech sound fluent and conversational. Used badly, they become empty noise and make the examiner feel you are avoiding the question.
Where marks are commonly dropped:
- Fluency & Coherence — candidates freeze silently or repeat the same filler too often.
- Lexical Resource — filler phrases sound memorised because they do not match the question type.
- Grammar — the answer starts with a filler, but the sentence after it is incomplete or disconnected.
- Pronunciation — fillers are stressed too strongly, so the response sounds theatrical instead of natural.
2. Knowledge Points
The job of a good filler
| Job | Best used when | Spoken example |
|---|---|---|
| Buy thinking time | The question is unexpected | That's an interesting question. I suppose... |
| Signal uncertainty | You do not want to sound too absolute | I'm not entirely sure, but I'd say... |
| Narrow the answer | The question is broad | If we're talking about daily life, then... |
| Start naturally | You already know your answer | Well, to be honest, I usually... |
| Recover from hesitation | You lose your sentence halfway | Sorry, let me put that another way... |
The one-filler rule
Use one short filler, then answer directly. A strong response sounds like filler - answer - detail, not filler - filler - filler - maybe an answer. For example: "Well, let me think for a second. I'd say online shopping is convenient, mainly because it saves time."
Match the filler to the IELTS part
| Part | Useful filler type | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1 | short and personal: Well, to be honest... | long academic openings |
| Part 2 | organising phrases: The first thing that comes to mind is... | pausing after every sentence |
| Part 3 | hedging and framing: It depends on what we mean by... | overconfident claims like everyone agrees |
| Follow-up | quick repair: Actually, I should add that... | repeating the entire previous answer |
3. Vocabulary & Phrase Bank
| # | Expression | Meaning / use |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Well, to be honest... | soft personal opening |
| 02 | I'd say... | natural way to give an opinion |
| 03 | I suppose... | gentle, less certain answer |
| 04 | Let me think for a second. | brief thinking-time phrase |
| 05 | That's an interesting question. | safe response to an unexpected question |
| 06 | The first thing that comes to mind is... | starts a Part 2 story or example |
| 07 | Off the top of my head... | answering from memory, not prepared notes |
| 08 | If I had to choose, I'd say... | useful when comparing two options |
| 09 | It depends, really. | opens a balanced Part 3 answer |
| 10 | In my experience... | adds a personal angle |
| 11 | What I mean is... | clarifies an idea |
| 12 | Or rather... | self-corrects a word choice |
| 13 | Actually, now that I think about it... | changes or refines an answer |
| 14 | I wouldn't say..., but... | soft disagreement |
| 15 | That's a tricky one. | natural when the question is difficult |
| 16 | I haven't really thought about it before. | honest opener, but must be followed by an answer |
| 17 | To put it simply... | makes an abstract idea clearer |
| 18 | Broadly speaking... | starts a general Part 3 point |
| 19 | from what I've seen | hedges based on personal observation |
| 20 | on the spot | under immediate pressure |
| 21 | buy yourself a moment | give yourself a little thinking time |
| 22 | keep the ball rolling | maintain fluency and avoid silence |
4. Grammar Patterns
5. Pronunciation Focus
Light stress on fillers
Filler phrases should sound light and quick. Do not make That's an interesting question the most dramatic part of the answer. Stress the real content after it: the opinion, example, or reason.
| Phrase | Delivery | Content word to stress next |
|---|---|---|
| Well, to be honest... | quick, relaxed opening | prefer / usually / rarely |
| Let me think for a second. | slight pause after second | main answer word |
| That's a tricky one. | friendly tone, not dramatic | depends / difficult / expensive |
| If I had to choose... | smooth linking: had_to | the option you choose |
| What I mean is... | fall slightly on is | clarified idea |
Pause once, then continue
A short pause after a filler is fine. Two or three pauses in a row sound like lost fluency. Practise this rhythm: filler - tiny pause - complete answer.
6. Common Pitfalls
7. Practice Question
Do you think people today have enough free time?
Follow-up: "Why do you think some people find it hard to relax?"
Target length: 35–50 seconds · Use one thinking-time phrase, then answer directly.
8. Model Answer (Band 7.5+)
"That's a tricky one. I'd say people have more free time than before in theory, but they don't always feel that way because their minds are still busy. What I mean is, even when people finish work, they're often checking messages, scrolling through short videos, or thinking about what they need to do the next day.
In my case, I noticed this last winter when I had a full Saturday off. I thought I would really switch off, but I kept reaching for my phone every few minutes, which made the whole day feel strangely fragmented. It was a bit of a wake-up call, to be honest.
So, yeah, I wouldn't say people have no free time. I'd say the bigger problem is that they don't protect it properly, and as a result, their free time gets eaten up by tiny distractions."
9. Annotated Commentary
"even when people finish work, they're often checking messages" uses a time clause plus present continuous for repeated modern behaviour.
"a wake-up call" fits because the speaker realised that phone habits were damaging real rest time.
The Saturday-off story is specific, brief, and connected to the main point about mental busyness.
"That's a tricky one", "I'd say", "What I mean is", "to be honest", and "so, yeah" buy time without delaying the answer.
Keep the first filler light, link "what_I mean_is", and stress "free time", "switch off", and "tiny distractions".
10. Self-Drill
Shadow-reading line — say this 5 times aloud
"That's a tricky one. I'd say people have more free time in theory, but they don't always feel that way."
Focus on: keep That's a tricky one light, pause once, then stress free time and feel.
Improv prompt — record yourself, no notes
"Do you think it is better to make plans or decide things on the spot?"
Target: 35+ seconds · Use one filler, one conditional phrase, and one short personal example.