Do You Get Stuck for Words While Speaking? A Quick Way to Improve

Introduction

Do you ever stumble mid-sentence when speaking English, even though you know exactly what you want to express? Many people face this challenge, feeling frustrated as the right words slip away just when they need them most. Speaking fluently means thinking instantly in English, which can be hard when you’re still growing your vocabulary or dealing with nervousness. If you’ve been caught off guard by awkward pauses during conversations or meetings, you’re not alone—and there are effective ways to move past this hurdle.

The ability to communicate smoothly in English is more than memorizing grammar rules or vocabulary lists. It’s about actively training your brain to recall and use words on the spot and building confidence to speak without fear. This blog shares why we get stuck for words, practical, up-to-date methods to improve your spoken English, and how Entri’s courses can help you unlock your full communication potential.

Why Do We Get Stuck While Speaking English?

People freeze or hesitate mostly due to two reasons:

1. Anxiety and Stage Fright

Speaking a second language can come with performance pressure. You might worry about making mistakes or sounding awkward, which triggers stress. This nervousness temporarily disrupts your thought process, causing that frustrating blank moment.

2. Limited Active Vocabulary

You might understand many English words when reading or listening but find it hard to recall them instantly when speaking. This is because your active vocabulary—the words ready for immediate use—is smaller than your passive vocabulary, which is recognized but not easily spoken.

Tip: Breathe to Reset Your Mind

When nervous, your breathing often becomes shallow, which reduces oxygen supply to your brain. This makes recalling words harder and increases stress.

How to apply: Before speaking or when you feel stuck, pause for a deep breath. Inhale slowly through your nose, hold for a second, then exhale calmly. This simple act helps calm nerves and clears mental blocks.

The Power of Building an Active Vocabulary

You don’t need to memorize thousands of words to speak confidently. Research shows that everyday English conversations predominantly use about 2,800 core words. Expanding your active vocabulary by a few hundred commonly used words will dramatically reduce hesitation.

Understanding Vocabulary Types

Practical Step: Track Your Hesitations

One of the most effective and personalized ways to overcome getting stuck while speaking English is to actively track where you hesitate and focus your practice on those specific problem areas. This targeted method accelerates your progress by addressing the words and phrases that are truly slowing you down, making your improvement efficient and relevant.

Why Track Your Hesitations?

When speaking spontaneously, you may encounter moments where you pause because the right word, phrase, or sentence structure doesn’t come to mind quickly enough. These hesitation points indicate gaps in your active vocabulary or uncertainty about how to express an idea naturally. Identifying and targeting these gaps helps you build strength where it matters most.

How to Track Your Hesitations Step-by-Step

Advantages of Tracking Hesitations

• Personalized Learning: You address exactly what you need rather than spending time on words you’re already comfortable with.
• Efficiency: You make faster progress by closing your specific vocabulary gaps.
• Confidence: As you master these problem words, you’ll notice fewer pauses and increased fluency.
• Retention: Active engagement with words in multiple contexts solidifies learning for long-term use.

Additional Practical Tips to Support This Method

• Use hesitation devices: When stuck during actual speech, use phrases like “Let me think,” “How can I say this,” or fillers like “um” and “well” to buy thinking time without silence.
• Reflect after conversations: Even if you don’t write immediately, mentally revisit conversations to remember hesitation moments. The more frequent the tracking, the more accurate the list becomes.
• Build context around words: Don’t memorize words alone; learn how they’re used in sentences, in questions, or with prepositions.
• Mix active skills: Practice writing the words and phrases too, since writing complements speaking fluency.
• Practice with others: Share your list with a language partner or tutor who can help provide usage examples or role-play situations using your problem vocabulary.

Example Workflow in Action

Let’s say during a recent conversation you hesitated when trying to describe the native word for “determination.” You write “determination” in your notes. Later, you:

• Look up the English equivalent “determination,” listen to its pronunciation, and read sample sentences.
• Add it to a flashcard app with a sentence like: “Her determination helped her succeed.”
• Practice using this word aloud several times over the next week.
• Next conversation, you feel more confident and pause less when talking about motivation.

Tracking your hesitation points creates a feedback loop that rapidly closes your spoken English gaps, helping you speak more fluidly and confidently. This self-directed strategy combined with daily speaking practice turns passive understanding into active mastery and breaks the cycle of stuck moments.

If you start this practice today, within a few weeks you’ll notice significantly fewer pauses and more confidence to express your ideas in English.

How Long Does it Take to See Improvement?

With consistent daily practice, most learners notice significant confidence and fluency gains within 2 to 4 months.

Practice Frequency	Expected Fluency Improvement	Notes
10-15 minutes daily	Moderate reduction in pauses	Best with focused vocabulary practice
30 minutes daily	Significant increase in fluency	Combine with speaking exercises and real conversations
Weekly practice only	Minimal change	Insufficient for lasting fluency gains

Consistency is key. Even brief, focused daily sessions are much more effective than occasional long study marathons.

Tip: Speak Daily, Even When Alone

Speak out loud when practicing new words and phrases. Record yourself if possible and listen back to notice your strengths and weaknesses.

Simple solo speaking exercises

• Describe your day in English.
• Use new vocabulary words to talk about your hobbies or plans.
• Tell a story or summarize an article you read.

Speaking daily—even if just to yourself—helps your brain form quick recall connections needed during real conversations.

Overcoming Fear Through Gradual Exposure

Fear can block fluency, but slowly increasing your speaking challenges reduces it.

Start small, then build at your own pace. Remember, mistakes are natural and essential parts of learning.

Entri’s Spoken English and Career Level-Up Courses

For a structured, expert-led learning path, Entri offers:

Spoken English Course

• Comprehensive lessons covering vocabulary, pronunciation, everyday conversations, and grammar essentials.
• Interactive sessions with expert coaches to practice real-life speaking.
• Certification boosting your credibility and career prospects.

Career Level-Up Course

• Personality development modules focused on communication skills, interview techniques, and professional confidence.
• Designed to help you shine in job interviews, networking, and workplace interactions.
• Builds complementary soft skills alongside English fluency.

Both courses provide a balanced mix of video lessons, quizzes, practice tests, and personal coaching to guide your journey step-by-step.

Conclusion

Getting stuck while speaking English is a common hurdle on your journey to fluency, but it’s one you can overcome with focused practice and the right strategies. Build your active vocabulary, manage anxiety with simple techniques, and keep practicing daily to speak smoothly and confidently. Entri’s Spoken English and Career Level-Up courses offer expert guidance, interactive lessons, and personal coaching to support your progress every step of the way. Take charge of your communication skills today and open doors to exciting career and personal growth opportunities. Enroll now and transform your English speaking ability for a brighter future.