“ Basically, ......(bla bla bla)
- Almost everyone -

Come on, admit it! How many of you are guilty of saying the word "Basically,..." whenever you give a speech? Even I am guilty of making that mistake at times.

Was attending a society meeting today and I counted that the speaker used "basically" for a total of 23 times in his short 10 minutes speech. I guess it's just me being so "engrossed" in the speech that I start picking out these issues. Always easier when you're outside looking in right?

Back to the point. It just sets me wondering why can't people use other words i.e. "Fundamentally" or "Essentially" or "At the crux of the matter" for a change? Is "Basically" just too simple a word that makes it easier for one to voice out amidst all the jitters of public speaking?

Or probably it's the number of syllables? For "Basically", there's 4. For "Fundamentally", there's 5. The lesser the syllables, more common is the word's usage? If that were the case, how about those who like to use the word "actually'?

Or could it be that "basically" is just much easier to pronounce?

Up till now, I still don't know why "basically" is such a popular word in public speaking.

Always remember when crafting your speech, don't forget to check the number of times you used the word "basically". Change your sentence structure or vary your starting phrase of your sentences, otherwise your audience may very well lose interest. The same applies for other words that you tend to use when speaking. Constantly remind yourself to reduce the usage of those words.

Once you're able to kick that habit, you may well be on your way to a better public speaker.