Free Filler Word Counter
Short answer
A filler word counter transcribes your speech and counts every um, uh, like, you know, so, actually and basically, then divides by the length to give a rate per minute. FounderVoice does this free in the browser, with a timestamp on each filler so you can hear the moment that produced it.
Ten recordings every 24 hours and two practice rounds. No account, no card.
What it counts
Seven fillers, because those seven cover almost everything people actually produce under pressure. Counting a longer list makes the number look worse without making it more useful, and counting only um makes it look better while hiding the substitution most speakers make the moment they try to stop.
The rate matters more than the count. Twelve fillers in ninety seconds and eight in sixty are the same habit, and only the rate says so. That is the number to write down.
| Filler | Usually appears |
|---|---|
| um, uh | Before a number or a name you are not certain of |
| like | Mid-sentence, while the next clause is still being planned |
| you know | At the seam between two ideas, checking for agreement |
| so | At the start of an answer, buying the first half-second |
| actually, basically | Ahead of a correction or a simplification |
How to use it
The whole thing takes about ninety seconds, and the only part that matters is that the prompt is one you have not rehearsed. A prepared paragraph read aloud produces almost no fillers regardless of skill, which makes it useless as a measurement.
- Open the recorder and answer a question you have not prepared, for sixty seconds.
- Read the count and the rate per minute. Do not try to fix anything yet.
- Play back the two or three timestamps with the most fillers around them and listen to what you were doing.
- Record the same prompt again with one instruction: when the filler comes, close your mouth instead.
- Repeat daily for a week. Most people roughly halve the rate, and the plateau after that is a different problem.
What the number means
There is no benefit in chasing zero. Speakers who reach zero usually get there by over-rehearsing, and that costs more in warmth than the fillers ever cost in credibility.
| Fillers per minute | What a listener registers |
|---|---|
| Under 3 | Nothing. This is ordinary speech |
| 3 to 8 | Something is off, without being able to name it |
| Above 8 | The fillers instead of the point |
What it does not do
It does not sit in your live calls. There is no meeting bot, so what it measures is a rehearsal you made on purpose rather than the real thing.
It does not judge your accent, and it should not. Clarity is measured per word against how clearly that word arrived, not against a reference accent.
It does not do video. Gesture, posture and eye contact are outside what a microphone can tell you, and a tool that claims otherwise from audio alone is guessing.
Questions
Is this filler word counter free?
Yes. Ten recordings every 24 hours with no account and no card. The allowance recurs daily rather than being a lifetime handful, because reducing a filler habit takes about two weeks of daily repetition and a five-attempt trial runs out before the useful part starts.
How accurate is the filler count?
It counts what the transcript contains, so accuracy tracks the transcription. Clear audio at a normal speaking distance is counted reliably; heavy background noise or a very distant microphone costs accuracy on short fillers first, since um and uh are the easiest words to lose.
Do I need to install anything?
No. It records in the browser using the microphone you already have. There is no app, no extension and no meeting bot to add to a call.
How many filler words per minute is normal?
Under 3 per minute is ordinary speech that nobody notices. Between 3 and 8 a critical listener registers something without being able to name it. Above 8 the fillers become the content, which is the level at which people describe a speaker as unprepared even when the substance was strong.