The words to use
- Thinking pause
- A deliberate two-second silence after a hard question, held with a still face and steady gaze, so the examiner reads judgement rather than a blank.
- Filled pause
- A sound such as "um" or "uh" that signals a pause is coming. A few are normal; clusters at the start of an answer sound like stalling.
- Planted opening
- A first sentence you deliberately say slowly, because the pace of your opening tends to set the pace of the whole answer.
- Therapeutic silence
- Silence held on purpose after difficult news, giving the person room to react before you add information or reassurance.
