{an expression} for repeated words in speech

[moonlike]

Howdy
I wonder if anyone can help me with the words that are repeated in speech. What are they called in English? Once I used "pet words". I'm not sure if it's right or not.
For example, she keeps saying "well" in her speech. "Well" is her....?
Thanks a bunch

 

[JMurray]

I can't think of another term for what you describe, except "favourite word", but "pet word" is better.
I think I'm more likely to have heard "pet phrase" than "pet word".

– She doesn't seem to have much sympathy for her brother.
– No, she says he's his own worst enemy.
– That's her pet phrase, she says that about everybody.

not a teacher

 

[Tullia]

I agree, I prefer "pet phrase" to "pet word" but I don't think it really fits the example in the OP. The use of "well" - or worse, "like" - interspersed randomly in speech without any grammatical necessity is really more of a verbal tic, and you don't normally see it written down as much.

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****


Hello, moonlike:


(1) I think that some experts use the phrase verbal fillers.

(a) The 40th president of the United States of America, the Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan, often started his sentences with:

Well, blah blab blah.

(i) In researching this answer, I learned that his speechwriters often had him do this on purpose.

(b) The verbal filler that drives me bananas (crazy) is You know.

(i) When I hear someone on TV constantly punctuating his speech with "You know"s, I have to turn the channel.

(c) And I guess some American girls like to constantly say Like: "He was, like, so cute!"

*****

WELL, LIKE, YOU KNOW, HAVE A NICE DAY!

 

[moonlike]

Thank you all .

 

[Barb_D]

I consider the pervasive use of "like" as a "verbal tic."