Vocalized pause

Vocalized pause

Term explanation

Definition and meaning

A vocalized pause is a filler sound — such as 'um', 'uh', 'er', or 'like' — used involuntarily by speakers when they pause to think or gather their thoughts. While occasional pauses are natural, frequent vocalized pauses can undermine a speaker's credibility, reduce clarity, and make a presentation feel less polished. Reducing vocalized pauses is a common goal in public speaking coaching, and is typically addressed through practice, conscious awareness, and the deliberate use of silent pauses instead.

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Other glossary terms

Display duration

Display duration in PowerPoint refers to the length of time a slide remains visible before automatically advancing to the next one. Setting a display duration enables auto-play presentations that run without manual input — useful for kiosks, event loops, or self-running demos. Duration settings are configured per slide in the Transitions panel and can be combined with timing controls on individual animations to choreograph a fully automated presentation sequence.

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Declamation Speech

A declamation speech describes the re-giving of an important speech that was originally delivered by someone else. It is usually performed with emotion and passion, aiming to re-create the impact of the original address. Declamation speeches are common in academic debate competitions, speech training courses, and public speaking programs where students study and recreate historical or literary speeches.

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Notes Page view

The Notes Page view in PowerPoint shows a smaller version of the slide with a small area for notes underneath. In the presentation every slide has it's own space for notes. During the presentation the notes do not appear on screen. They are just visible in the presentation mode.

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Learning Chunk

A learning chunk is a small, self-contained unit of educational content covering a single concept or skill. Chunking is a core principle of instructional design: breaking complex topics into manageable segments reduces cognitive load and improves retention. Learning chunks are the building blocks of microlearning programs and modular course structures, and work well in both digital and instructor-led training contexts.

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