Formal terms:
* Hesitation: This is a general term for a pause that indicates uncertainty or difficulty in finding the right words.
* Latency: This refers to the time it takes to begin speaking after a prompt.
* Inter-pausal silence: This is a more technical term for the silence between words or phrases.
* Disfluency: This is a broad term encompassing various speech disruptions, including pauses, repetitions, and fillers.
Informal terms:
* Um: This refers to a specific type of pause filled with a vocalization.
* Uh: Similar to "um," but with a different sound.
* Filler: This is a general term for any word or sound used to fill a pause, including "um," "uh," "like," "you know," etc.
* Silence: This is a simple and straightforward term for a pause.
The specific term you use will depend on the context and the level of formality you are aiming for.