A Speech Pattern That’s, Like, Hard to Break

Sara Dimmick and Taylor Walsh

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes when our friends speak, in between their words they say “like.” Why is that part of their speech pattern? Well that’s what we are here to explain.

Many people believe the 80s hit song, “Valley Girl” by Frank and Moon Unit Zappa popularized the word “like,” but according to the Oxford English Dictionary, speech hesitations such as “like” go back a long way.

We wondered, however, if the word “like” is really a hesitation? What we found is that when using the word “like” in the middle of a sentence you’re not hesitating, you’re unsure of how to describe something. For example: “I was, like, eating this cereal and it was, like, really good.”

Now that you have some background on the word “like” here are some tips that we researched online that can help you to stop saying the word “like” frequently when you speak.

• Try pausing when you would normally say the word “like” and think about what you’re saying.
• Try not to use “like” when approximating. When you’re giving a quantity you’re not sure of, use the words “about,” “approximately” or “roughly” instead of “like.” Here is an example: “She’s like five feet tall.” Wrong! Try saying: “She’s about five feet tall.” Or, “She is approximately five feet tall.”
• Finally, if you’re still having a hard time using the word “like” correctly, stop using it.