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What Your Speaking Patterns Reveal About Your Podcast

PodRewind Team
6 min read
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You Can't Hear Your Own Patterns

A listener mentions you say "you know" constantly. You're skeptical—until you search your transcript and find it 47 times in a single 30-minute episode.

Here's the thing: every podcaster has verbal habits invisible to them but obvious to listeners. You don't notice because you're focused on content, not delivery. Your brain filters out your own verbal tics the same way you stop noticing the hum of your refrigerator.

But transcripts make these patterns visible. When you see "you know" appearing 47 times in a 30-minute episode, it's hard to ignore.

What Transcripts Reveal About Your Speech

Filler Words

The classic culprits: "um," "uh," "like," "you know," "so," "basically," "actually," "right?"

Filler words aren't inherently bad. They give listeners processing time and make speech feel natural. But excessive use signals nervousness, reduces perceived expertise, and can become distracting.

Search your transcripts for these common fillers:

  • "Um" and "uh" - Hesitation markers, often unconscious
  • "Like" - Comparison word used as verbal punctuation
  • "You know" - Seeking validation mid-sentence
  • "So" - Overused transition, especially at sentence starts
  • "Actually" - Often unnecessary, can sound defensive
  • "Basically" - Usually adds nothing to the explanation

Count how often each appears per episode. Compare across several episodes to find your baseline.

Crutch Phrases

Beyond individual words, look for phrases you lean on:

  • "At the end of the day..." - Common but clichéd summary starter
  • "The thing is..." - Used to introduce key points
  • "To be honest..." - Implies other statements aren't honest
  • "I think..." - Excessive hedging reduces authority
  • "That's a great question" - Often sounds inauthentic

These phrases often serve as thinking time while you formulate your next point. Once you identify them, you can pause instead of filling the space with verbal filler.

Introduction Patterns

How do you start episodes? How do you introduce guests? How do you transition to new topics?

Many podcasters develop default openings they use repeatedly:

  • "Welcome back to another episode of..."
  • "Today we're going to talk about..."
  • "I'm so excited to have with me..."

Consistency isn't bad, but mechanical repetition sounds scripted. Review your openings across 10 episodes and see if you're varying your approach.

Question Patterns

For interview shows, examine how you ask questions:

  • Do you ask open-ended questions that invite detailed responses?
  • Or do you ask leading questions that suggest the answer you expect?
  • Do you interrupt or let guests finish their thoughts?
  • How often do you follow up versus moving to the next topic?

Your questioning style shapes every conversation. Seeing it in transcript form reveals tendencies you might not notice in real time.

The Self-Analysis Process

Analyzing your own speech requires systematic attention. Here's a workflow that produces actionable insights:

Step 1: Gather Your Transcripts

Export transcripts from your last 5-10 episodes. Recent episodes show your current patterns. Including older episodes lets you track changes over time.

Step 2: Search for Common Fillers

In each transcript, search for:

  • "um" and "uh" (count combined)
  • "like" (excluding genuine comparisons)
  • "you know"
  • "so" (especially at sentence beginnings)
  • Any phrases you suspect you overuse

Create a simple spreadsheet tracking counts per episode.

Step 3: Calculate Your Baseline

Average your filler counts across episodes. If you say "you know" 35 times in a 45-minute episode, that's roughly once every 75 seconds. Is that acceptable to you? Only you can decide, but awareness is the first step.

Step 4: Identify Your Signature Patterns

Not all patterns are problems. Some might be part of your authentic voice:

  • A specific way you express enthusiasm
  • Phrases that connect with your audience
  • Verbal rhythms that make your show distinctive

Preserve what makes you uniquely you while addressing habits that detract from your message.

Step 5: Set Improvement Goals

Pick one pattern to work on at a time. Trying to eliminate every filler word simultaneously is overwhelming and makes you sound robotic.

Start with your most frequent offender. Set a goal like "reduce 'you know' from 35 to 20 per episode over the next month."

Patterns Worth Examining

Episode Length Trends

Track how long your episodes are running:

  • Are you getting longer over time as you become more comfortable?
  • Are you staying consistent with your format?
  • Do certain topics or guests produce longer episodes?

If episodes are creeping longer, ask whether the extra length adds value or just dilutes the content.

Talk Time Balance

In interviews, what's the ratio of host speech to guest speech? Many hosts are surprised to find they talk more than their guests.

Speaker-identified transcripts make this easy to analyze. If you're bringing experts on your show, listeners probably want to hear from them more than from you.

Energy and Momentum

Where in your episodes do you sound most engaged? Where does energy drop?

Read through transcripts looking for:

  • Shorter, punchier sentences (usually higher energy)
  • Long, meandering paragraphs (often lower energy)
  • Increased filler words (can indicate fatigue or boredom)
  • Stronger vocabulary and clearer points (peak engagement)

If energy consistently dips at minute 25, consider whether your format needs adjustment.

Technical Language and Jargon

Are you speaking in terms your audience understands? Industry jargon that seems natural to you might confuse listeners.

Search for specialized terms in your transcripts. Do you define them when you use them? Would a newcomer to your topic understand your explanations?

Using Insights to Improve

Environmental Reminders

Post a note in your recording space listing your top patterns to watch. A simple "Pause instead of saying 'you know'" visible during recording helps.

Editor Involvement

Ask your editor to flag specific patterns during review. They're already listening closely and can note timestamps where issues occur.

Pre-Edit Review

Before your editor gets the episode, skim the transcript yourself. Mark sections that need re-recording or editing. This is faster than listening through the entire episode.

Progress Tracking

Review your patterns monthly. Compare current counts to your baseline:

  • Filler word frequency
  • Average episode length
  • Host vs. guest talk time
  • Energy consistency

Improvement is gradual. Celebrate progress even when you haven't hit your targets.

The Value of Self-Awareness

Understanding your speaking patterns makes you a better podcaster. Not because you need to sound artificially polished, but because awareness gives you choice. You can decide what habits to keep and what habits to change.

The best podcast hosts sound natural while being intentional. Transcript analysis helps you get there.

Related Guides

Discover Your Verbal Fingerprint

Bottom line: understanding your speaking patterns makes you a better podcaster. Not because you need to sound artificially polished, but because awareness gives you choice—you can decide what habits to keep and what to change.

Ready to analyze your speaking patterns? Get started free and search your transcripts for insights you've been missing.

analytics
speaking
self-improvement
patterns