Ah Counter

Introduction

Greetings Mr./Madam Toastmaster, fellow Toastmasters, and guests. The

purpose of the Ah-Counter is to note words and sounds that are used as a
“crutch” or “pause filler” by anyone who speaks. During the meeting, I
will listen for overused words, including and, well, but, so, and you know.
I will also listen for filler sounds, including ah, um, and er. I will also note
when a speaker repeats a word or phrase, such as “I, I” or “This means,
this means.” At the end of the meeting, I will report the number of times
that each speaker used these expressions.

A Toastmaster’s Ah-Counter is the one who is required to count and report

the number of unnecessary sounds that hamper the effectiveness of a
speaker to deliver their speech, such as filler and repetitive words. Let’s
talk about how one can effectively play the Ah Counter role.

Thank you Madam/Mister Toastmasters of the Day. Fellow Toastmasters

and guests, here is my Ah-Counter report: John had 5 “ums”, Lee had 2
“ahs” and 3 “ums”, Raj used the word “you know’ 4 times in his speech.
Jack and Phil had no filler words. That’s all from me. Back to you
Madam/Mister Toastmasters of the Day.”

When we use them, we don’t even realize it…and this makes it quite hard
for us to work on eliminating them.
That’s where the Ah Counter comes in. He/she will be there to catch every
filler word you use, giving you a much better understanding of how you
can make your speech flow more smoothly and deliver with more
effectiveness.