Learn how to, like, communicate better with this app

Public speaking is a fear for many. In fact, it's estimated that up to 74% of people experience public speaking anxiety. 

Working through that fear requires a lot of practice. The LikeSo app, which launched last week, can help users become more confident — partly by stripping "filler" words from a user's speech, such as "like" and "so." 

Users select the words they want LikeSo to listen for, and then the time limit to answer questions and prompts. They can choose between two options: "Talk About," which prompts users with a topic to discuss, or "FreeStyle," for users to talk about anything. 

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LikeSo will count down and show questions for users to respond to, while recording and analyzing what they say for either 30 or 60 seconds. The app listens to pace, filler words and how many words were used in each answer.

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I chose "The Interview" as a topic because it felt a bit awkward talking into my phone with no point of discussion. Other topics include "Speed Dating," "Pop Culture Favorites" and the most crucial small-talk topic, "How's the Weather?" 

Having gone to school for broadcast communications, I was trained extensively on how to talk, especially in professional settings like an interview. So, good news, dad, according to this app, those student loans are totally worth it.

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I've been told I use the fillers "basically" and "you know" too much, but I found "like" was the word I relied on most. LikeSo gives you the total fillers and word count for the entirety of your "discussion" with the app.

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Some critics feel the app polices filler words too heavily, however. The word "like" has stereotypically been associated with women, for example, along with other speech traits like vocal fry. And millennial speech in particular has evolved to include such words. 

However, if you're not confident during small talk or communication, practicing with an app could simply help you learn more about your patterns. After using this app, I was more aware of the number of times I said "like" instead of what I actually wanted to say.

In a professional setting, such as a job interview, a presentation or speaking with your boss, being direct is a more effective form of communication. 

LikeSo is available on iOS devices for $0.99 in the App Store.

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