Tracey Lee Writes

Filler words and phrases are the sneaky gremlins that bloat your prose and weaken your writings impact.

Here’s a list of common filler words & phrases to watch out for, grouped by type, along with why they’re problematic and what to do instead:

Filler Words & Phrases to Watch Out For

1. Qualifiers & Weakeners

(They make statements less confident and more wishy-washy.)

• Just
• Really
• Very
• Quite
• Almost
• Nearly
• Fairly
• Somewhat
• Kind of / Sort of
• Basically

Why to cut: They soften your prose without adding meaning.

Fix: Delete or replace with a stronger verb/adjective.

2. Redundant Intensifiers

(They add nothing but fluff.)

• Absolutely (e.g., absolutely essential → essential)
• Completely
• Totally
• Utterly
• Entirely
• Literally (when not literally literal)

Fix: Drop it. Your strong word should do the work.

3. Empty Dialogue Tags or Beats

(Overused or pointless beats in dialogue.)

• “She nodded.” / “He shrugged.” (repeated too much)
• “She sighed.” “He smiled.” (as a default reaction every two lines)
• “She looked at him.”

Fix: Use sparingly or combine with subtext.

4. Filler Phrases That Add Nothing

• At the end of the day
• For all intents and purposes
• As a matter of fact
• The fact of the matter is
• Needless to say
• In order to (just use “to”)
• Due to the fact that (use “because”)
• Whether or not (just use “whether”)

Fix: Replace with leaner phrasing.

5. Hesitation Words (often creep into narration or internal monologue)

• Maybe
• Perhaps
• I think
• I guess
• It seemed
• It appeared
• Kind of felt like

Fix: Decide what you mean and state it confidently.

6. Redundant Word Pairs (you only need one)

• Each and every → each or every
• End result → result
• Free gift → gift
• Past history → history
• True fact → fact
• Unexpected surprise → surprise

7. “Filter” Phrases (distance the reader from experience)

• She/He saw
• She/He heard
• She/He noticed
• She/He realized
• She/He felt
• It seemed that
• There was

Why to cut: They create a layer between the character and the reader.

Fix: Drop the filter and describe the sensation or thing directly.

There are exceptions to every rule, perhaps you have a character who speaks with a turn of phrase listed here, but for the most part your editor will love you if you delete these from your writing.