Quotation marks are not the problem: the problem is how you use them

Hm. Wow! Oh? Short words that supposedly “mean nothing”. Yet without them, ordinary conversation would sound unnatural, stilted and distant. Because when someone is telling a story and we’re just silent, it feels strange – like the dialogue lacks life. Quotation marks are tiny sounds, but they do more in speech than we realize: they not only fill the silence, but also confirm that we are listening, expressing interest, surprise, embarrassment, or empathy.

For a long time, these words have been considered a kind of ungrammatical filler that does not belong in serious speech. But modern linguistics shows the opposite. Quotation marks are not superfluous, but cornerstones of communication. They are the expressions that help us manage debates and maintain the connection between speaker and listener. They also allow us to respond without complex sentences. And sometimes it is just such a subtle reaction that decides how the conversation will develop.

Without the “um” it wouldn’t work.

In everyday speech, emoticons make up up to a tenth of the entire conversation. And these are not just random sounds – every “um”, “yeah” or “aha” has a given meaning.

An “um” often indicates that the speaker is thinking, an “aha” shows understanding, and a “no” can be used to pick up or end a speech. The functions of emoticons are simply precise and universal: in perhaps every language in the world we can find equivalents of these short neutral syllables that maintain contact between people.

Citation words also show how mutual understanding works. When we speak and the listener responds with even a simple “hm, hm”, we move on. But as soon as they pause, we get nervous. A lack of response can stall the conversation, just as a poorly chosen tone can come across as dismissive.

In written communication, their function can be replaced by emojis – a little visual substitute for “aha”, “yep” or even “eww”. However, even this suggests that we are still present on the other side and engaged in our conversation.

However, quotation marks are not just about emotions. They allow for alternation of speakers, fluent dialogue, but also mutual understanding – they help us to sense how the other person really means their words. When someone says “aha”, it can be an expression of understanding, but also of questioning. And many dialogues break down in just such subtle differences.

Artificial Intelligence and the Human “hm”

This is why technology has the biggest problem with quotation marks. While machines have learned to translate, text and mimic emotions, the nuances of the human “hm” remain beyond their reach. While humans use emoticons intuitively and according to the mood of the conversation, algorithms follow predetermined patterns. This is why the generated dialogues, though seemingly natural, end up looking somehow flat and unbelievable.

In human speech, every emotion is related to the situation, the tone of voice and the relationship between the speakers. “Wow!” can be admiring, ironic or irritating, depending on the environment. When a machine writes the same thing, it lacks the context that gives words their soul.

In the same way, the very form of quotation marks is constantly changing: new ones appear and others disappear, and they are now intermingled with graphics, gifs and sounds in Internet communication.

These inflexible word types are proof that language is not just an unchanging system of rules, but is constantly evolving. It’s the fastest way to make your feelings known, express an attitude or confirm understanding – and that’s before the brain even has time to form a sentence. And while machines are still looking for ways to mimic these expressions, humans have always used them – naturally and without thinking.

The syllables that make speech make sense

If we deleted all the “um “s, “yeah “s, “no “s or “aha “s from a conversation, it would lose its rhythm and its naturalness. It may sound like an insignificance, but these are the details that distinguish a real dialogue from a stark message.

Perhaps that is why we should pay more attention to these “meaningless” words. Learn to listen not only to what people say, but also to how they respond. Because in every “huh”, “aha” or “oh yeah” there is much more humanity than meets the eye.