How to Use Pauses in English

BBC English

This is a news story on the BBC published on 8th August 2016 and read by Simon McCoy. The BBC has long been known to broadcast in received pronunciation. Some newsreaders do have slight regional accents but on the whole you will find most still speak in a very standard way. Whatever accent they may have they speak clearly. As newsreaders they also emphasise certain key words and phrases. Of course, they use stress and intonation to add meaning to what they say. However, today we are looking at how to use pauses in English and how this can alert the listener to what they are saying.

Why Do We Pause?

Pauses are a common feature of English pronunciation. We find it difficult to take in long streams of information in which the speaker doesn’t rest for a while. Our ears need to get the message to our brains so that it can interpret it the information. It can be exhausting listening to somebody who does not pause because you have to mentally backtrack and try and keep up with them. When you use pauses you also have more time to think and compose yourself before making the next statement. So feel free to use pauses so that you don’t forget what you are saying and just take your time to speak English.

Below you will see a written transcript of what the newsreader says in his introduction. You will see that there is no punctuation. This is because it is intended as a guide to the words used. Read the text whilst listening to the report and see if you can identify where the newsreader adds pauses. The first one has been done for you. Click the answer box to see where I have added pauses.

Under-Reporting How Many Calories People Take

Official statistics previously showed that calorie consumption in the UK was declining. However, BBC Health Editor Hugh Pym explains the results of new research by the Behavioural Insights Team.

Transcript Without Punctuation

People are under-reporting some would say fibbing about how many calories they consume by as much as a third that’s according to a new report the Behavioural Insights Team warns that it could be affecting anti-obesity strategies as it appears that the UK’s calorie intake is falling when in reality it really isn’t

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Pauses Marked

People are / under-reporting / some would say fibbing / about how many calories they consume / by as much as a third / that’s according to a new report / the Behavioural Insights Team warns that it could be affecting anti-obesity strategies / as it appears that the UK’s calorie intake is falling / when in reality / it really isn’t

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Listen To Native English Speakers and Try It Yourself!

Now that you have seen pauses in action, next time you listen to native speakers try and listen just for the pauses, not so much for the meaning. Getting used to how we pause is a useful step in being able to understand us. As I’ve already said, pause when you feel you need to and you may find that listeners understand you a lot better.