Your “Ums” and Pauses Might Say Something About Your Brain
New Canadian research used AI to link everyday speech quirks to how well the brain thinks.
If you’ve ever taken a public speaking class, the “ums” and long pauses are the things you learn to cut. But Canadian research suggests those habits may actually provide subtle clues about your brain health. Using AI to sift through hundreds of tiny intricacies in how people talk, researchers found that fluid speech showed how well the brain’s thinking skills were working. Though the science is still fresh, it’s an intriguing step in understanding how speech and brain health are interconnected.
What You Should Know About the Speech and Brain Health Study
The finding was published in the Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research and came from Baycrest, York University, and the University of Toronto. Researchers had participants describe a detailed picture while also taking standard tests of executive function, which are the mental skills used for planning and self-control. Then they let an AI tool analyze hundreds of tiny speech qualities to uncover what was tied to cognitive performance (if anything).
Per the team’s summary, these subtle speech patterns consistently predicted how people scored on the cognitive tests (and that’s with taking age, gender, and education into account first). A faster and more fluid speaking style was linked to stronger thinking skills. AI found pauses and hesitations, filler words like “uh” and “um,” word-finding trouble, and the rhythm and timing of speech to be the main players.
Going Deeper on What They Found and What It Doesn’t Mean
The study looked at 76 neurologically healthy adults between the ages of 65 and 75. As these participants described the image they were given, the quirks in their natural speech aligned with weaker executive function — and not just on the talking tasks. The link showed on nonverbal tests of general mental control, too, like switching between ideas and remembering information. So how well someone spoke seemed to indicate general brain function rather than just how good they were with their words.
“Speech timing is more than a matter of style — it’s a sensitive indicator of brain health,” said senior author Dr. Jed Meltzer, a senior scientist at Baycrest’s Rotman Research Institute.
But this was a small group of healthy people, so it’s just a research tool — an occasional “um” or lost word is a very normal human speech pattern, not a red flag you should be using to self-diagnose brain health issues. Scientists are intrigued because executive function often goes before obvious memory problems appear, so speech analysis may eventually be able to catch changes earlier (and this would require much less hassle than cognitive brain function tests). We are still a ways out from that though, as finalizing any sort of actually speech analysis testing will take more long-term studies that follow people’s speech over years to ensure the link holds.
The Takeaway
The science here is early and promising, but nobody should be diagnosing themselves off filler words. Stick with the brain-health basics, like sleep, movement, social connection and managing blood pressure, and speak with a doctor if you notice any consistent changes in your memory or speech.
Bottom Line
What’s genuinely interesting is that something as basic as the rhythm of your speech shows a link to executive function, with real potential as an early-screening tool. What it isn’t is a diagnostic test, or reason to read dementia if you slip in a stray “um.” It’s a promising signal, but the science will take years to confirm and sort effectively. Definitely keep watching for more news here, but don’t panic over the five “ums” you threw into your sister’s maid of honor speech 3 years ago — it’s completely normal to speak nervously in certain situations, and in general, the occasion “um” or “like” is nothing to worry about.
