TL;DR:
The word “like” is doing more damage than you think and many people are looking for ways to stop saying like in their everyday conversations. Here’s how to spot both versions of the problem, and the practical steps to fix them for good.
I like ice cream. I like a good greeting card. I like it when people do what they say they’re going to do.
What I don’t like? The word “like” — when it’s used as a filler, or when it’s used to mean something completely different than what you actually intend.
This sounds like a small thing. It’s not. The word “like” sneaks into our writing and our speech so quietly that most of us don’t even notice we’re using it wrong, or using it at all. Once you start paying attention, you’ll see it everywhere — emails, decks, meetings, casual conversation. Let’s break it down, both in the written word and the spoken word, and talk about how to eradicate “like” from our language when it doesn’t belong there.
The Grammar Problem: “Like” Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Means
“Like” Means Resemblance, Not Inclusion
Here’s a sentence I see constantly: “The application can do things like correct your grammar, generate an AI response, et cetera.” In that sentence, “like” is the wrong word — and most of us don’t even clock it. It’s not like correcting your grammar. It is correcting your grammar. When you use “like” to introduce a list, you’re technically saying the items resemble what you mean, not that they are what you mean. Take fruit: “I enjoy fruit like apples and oranges” technically means you enjoy things that resemble apples and oranges — a pear, maybe, or a crab apple. What you actually mean is “I enjoy fruit, including apples and oranges” or “fruit such as apples and oranges.” Swap “like” for “including” or “such as,” and the sentence finally says what you mean.
The Activities Test
Try this one: “I enjoy lots of activities like horseback riding, reading, entertaining, and trying new cocktails.” Read literally, that sentence says none of those are activities I actually do — they’re just activities that resemble the ones I enjoy. Obviously, that’s not what I mean. What I mean is, “I enjoy lots of activities, including horseback riding, reading, entertaining, and trying new cocktails.” One word swap, and the sentence goes from approximate to precise.
Language and communication exist to convey a specific thought from one person to another — and “like” undermines that every time you use it to mean something exact.
If a piece of writing crosses my desk with this kind of “like” in it — from a staff member, a client, or anyone I’m helping — I send it back. This isn’t ready for me to see yet. That’s how seriously I take it, and how seriously you should too.
The Spoken Problem: “Like” as a Credibility Killer
From the Valley to the Boardroom
Now let’s talk about the spoken word, where “like” does a different kind of damage.
You know what it sounds like. It’s crept so far into everyday conversation that most people don’t even notice they’re doing it. But here’s what you need to know: in professional settings, “like” as a filler doesn’t just slow you down. It actively signals uncertainty — even when you know exactly what you’re talking about.
That’s worth sitting with for a second. You can walk into a room with total command of the facts, a clear point of view, and the experience to back it up — and one verbal habit can undercut all of it before you’ve finished your first sentence. That’s not a personal failure. That’s a reminder that how we say things matters just as much as what we say.
Women, in particular, already navigate higher scrutiny around credibility and authority in professional environments. “Like” as a filler doesn’t create that scrutiny — but it can hand ammunition to people who are already looking for a reason to discount you. Precision is the power move. Using language deliberately, cleanly, and without apology is how you take that ammunition away.
Precision, Not Meanness
One book I recommend to everybody on this topic is “Radical Candor” by Kim Scott. It’s about using language with precision and leading without beating around the bush. Radical candor isn’t about being mean — it’s about being clear. There’s a real difference between saying, “Well, I wish you were like a little more convincing,” and saying, “You need to stop using ‘like’ as a filler, because right now you sound like you don’t know what you’re talking about.” The second one is direct and useful. The first one is just mush.
The point of communication is to convey a thought and then stop. The more “like” you use, the longer it takes to get there — and the less confident you sound doing it.
How to Break the “Like” Habit
The good news: this is fixable. It just takes awareness, practice, and a little tolerance for cringe.
Get a Reality Check
Ask somebody you trust: “Do I say ‘like’ a lot? Do I lean on filler words?” Then actually listen to the answer, and consider whether they’re being nice instead of honest. Even better, record yourself in your next few conversations. It’s uncomfortable — listening to your own voice is cringey for almost everyone who isn’t a professional speaker or actor. But you can’t fix what you can’t hear.
Pause Instead of Filling the Space
When you catch yourself reaching for “like,” pause instead. Say, “Let me think about that for a second,” gather your thought, and then speak. People appreciate precision and thoughtfulness far more than they appreciate a sentence that never stops moving. A short pause reads as confidence. A string of “likes” reads as scrambling, whereas when you pause and say less, you seem more confident (and can ultimately help you in the long run)!
Practice Out Loud
If you’re presenting to a board, a client, or your team, write out what you want to say and read it out loud beforehand. Don’t just read it silently in your head — say the words. Let them get normal in your mouth. That practice is what keeps you from grasping for filler words when you’re standing in front of people and feel like you have to fill every second of airspace.
Give Yourself Grace — and Keep the Key Points Front and Center
Here’s the part I want you to hold onto, no matter where you are in this process: whether or not you’ve conquered the ums and the likes and the uptalk, repeat your key points. Say them at the top of your presentation, again in the middle, and again at the end. Repetition is how your message survives the noise — including the noise you’re still working to clean up.
And give yourself a break. This takes time. I’ve probably used the word “like” the way I’m asking you not to, three or four times in this very post — it’s that embedded in our language. Awareness is the first step, practice builds the skill, and precision is the point. Read Radical Candor. Get one of those apps. And the next time you’re about to write or say “like” when you mean “including” or “such as,” pause, and choose the word that actually says what you mean.
Listen to the full episode of Everything Speaks: Removing the Word “Like” From Your Everyday Vocabulary.