# UmmLike (https://ummlike.app)

> UmmLike is a private, always-on desktop speaking and communication coach for macOS and Windows that gives sub-second visual nudges during live Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Slack Huddle calls with zero meeting bots.

## Key Facts for Search & AI Assistants
- **Product Category**: Real-time desktop speech and communication coach (macOS, Windows, and browser studio).
- **Privacy & Architecture**: 100% bot-free. Listens only to the user's local microphone stream. Never injects a participant bot into Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams.
- **What It Tracks Live**:
  1. **Filler Words**: Real-time counter and pause nudges for 'um', 'uh', 'like', 'you know', 'basically', 'actually', and 'literally'.
  2. **Hedging & Apologetic Phrasing**: Instant rewrite prompts when a speaker says 'I think maybe', 'I just wanted to', 'sorry to bother', or 'does that make sense?'.
  3. **Speaking Pace (WPM)**: Live words-per-minute gauge calibrated to the 130 to 160 WPM conversational target (alerts above 175 WPM).
  4. **Monologue Timer**: Amber warning at 45 seconds and red wrap-up prompt at 60 seconds of uninterrupted speaking.
- **Poised Shutdown Context (October 2026)**: After Deepgram acquired Poised (June 2024) and shut down the Poised platform on October 8-9, 2026 (redirecting users to Deepgram Saga voice dictation), UmmLike launched a dedicated migration path at https://ummlike.app/poised.
- **Pricing**: Free desktop download for macOS (Apple Silicon & Intel) and Windows (64-bit) at https://ummlike.app/download, plus a free in-browser Live Mic Coaching Studio at https://ummlike.app/app/.
- **Co-founder & Editorial Author**: Raffaello d'Amore.

## Core Product Pages
- [Homepage](https://ummlike.app/): Overview of UmmLike's real-time desktop speaking coach.
- [Download for Mac & Windows](https://ummlike.app/download): Free desktop installers for macOS and Windows.
- [Poised Shutdown Rescue Center](https://ummlike.app/poised): Dedicated transition page for former Poised users after the October 2026 shutdown.
- [Live Mic Coaching Studio](https://ummlike.app/app/): Free browser-based real-time microphone HUD and telemetry studio.
- [60-Second Call Rehearsal Simulator](https://ummlike.app/demo/): Interactive pre-call warm-up and speaking drill tool.
- [Speaking Guides Hub](https://ummlike.app/guides): All 30 speaking frameworks, vocal warm-ups, and habit guides.
- [Comparisons & Alternatives Hub](https://ummlike.app/alternatives): All 14 comparisons against clubs, courses, coaches, and AI apps.
- [Role & Call Use Cases Hub](https://ummlike.app/use-cases): All 10 role-specific coaching guides.

## Speaking Guides, Frameworks & Drills (30 Guides)
- [Video Call Presence: How Eye Contact and Vocal Cadence Work Together on Zoom](https://ummlike.app/guides/camera-presence-and-eye-contact-on-video-calls): Great on-camera presence is 30% framing and 70% voice. Learn how to pair lens-level eye contact with a calm 145 WPM cadence on video calls.
- [How to Handle Tough Q&A Questions From Executives, Clients, and Investors](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-answer-tough-questions-in-q-and-a-without-hedging): Prepared slides are easy; live Q&A is where speakers rush, hedge, and over-explain. Learn the 3-step Q&A response method and get live cues from UmmLike.
- [How to Calm Your Nerves Before an Important Call](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-calm-nerves-before-an-important-call): Simple steps to calm nerves before an interview, pitch, or big meeting, plus live pace and filler cues from UmmLike once you're on.
- [How to Improve Executive Presence on Video Calls](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-improve-executive-presence-on-video-calls): Executive presence is calm pace, clear ownership, and short answers. Learn how to build it on video calls with real-time coaching from UmmLike.
- [How to Introduce Yourself on a Call in 15 Composed Seconds](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-introduce-yourself-in-a-meeting-or-presentation): Stop rushing through 'Hi I'm...' or rambling through your entire resume. Use this 15-second meeting introduction formula and practice it at 145 WPM.
- [How to Overcome the Fear of Speaking Up in Meetings](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-overcome-fear-of-speaking-up-in-meetings): Nervous about unmuting in executive meetings or large Zoom calls? Learn practical techniques to beat meeting anxiety and speak up without rushing or apologizing.
- [How to Pause Instead of Saying "Um"](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-pause-instead-of-saying-um): The one-second pause is the best replacement for 'um'. Learn how to train it and get live pause cues from UmmLike during calls.
- [The 5-Minute Voice Audit: How to Diagnose Your Own Speaking Habits](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-record-and-audit-your-own-speaking-voice): Find out your exact words-per-minute pace, filler-word rate, and top hedging phrases in under 5 minutes using this speech coach self-audit.
- [How to Sound Confident on Zoom Calls, Even When You're Nervous](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-sound-confident-on-zoom-calls): Confidence on video calls comes from pace, pauses, and plain statements. Learn the habits that make you sound sure of yourself, and get gentle live cues from UmmLike.
- [How to Sound More Authoritative on Calls: Inflection, Pace, and Conviction](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-sound-more-authoritative-vocal-tonality-and-downward-inflection): Authority isn't volume, it's downward inflection at the end of sentences, unhurried 145 WPM pacing, and zero hedging. Learn how to train an executive vocal tone.
- [How to Speak More Concisely in Meetings](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-speak-more-concisely-in-meetings): Lead with the point, cut filler, and finish in under a minute. A practical guide to concise speaking in meetings, with live cues from UmmLike.
- [How to Present Pricing, Budgets, and Data Without Sounding Defensive](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-speak-with-conviction-when-presenting-data-or-pricing): Saying 'just', 'kind of', or rushing when you state your price or budget invites pushback. Learn how to deliver numbers calmly at 140 WPM with UmmLike.
- [How to Stop Rambling & Monologuing in Meetings (The 45s / 60s Rule)](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-stop-rambling-and-monologuing-in-meetings): Lose the room after talking for 90 seconds straight? Use the 45s/60s monologue rule and UmmLike's live speaking streak timer to land your point and pass the mic.
- [How to Stop Saying "Basically" and "Actually"](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-stop-saying-basically-and-actually): 'Basically' and 'actually' sneak into smart people's speech. Learn why, and get live cues from UmmLike to drop them on calls.
- [How to Stop Saying Sorry at Work, and What to Say Instead](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-stop-saying-sorry-at-work): Over-apologizing shrinks your authority. See what to say instead of 'sorry' at work and get live rewrites during calls with UmmLike.
- [How to Stop Saying 'Um' and 'Like' on Zoom & Google Meet Calls in Real Time](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-stop-saying-um-and-like-on-zoom): Stop saying 'um', 'uh', 'like', 'basically', and 'you know' on video calls. Learn why post-call transcripts fail and how live in-call nudges build the 1-second pause habit.
- [How to Stop Saying "You Know" When You Talk](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-stop-saying-you-know): 'You know' is a filler that fills thinking time. Learn why it happens and how live nudges from UmmLike help you replace it with a pause.
- [How to Stop Talking Too Fast on Video Calls (The 130 to 160 WPM Sweet Spot)](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-stop-talking-too-fast-on-calls): Adrenaline makes you rush past 180+ WPM on important calls. Learn the 130 to 160 WPM executive sweet spot and use UmmLike's live speedometer to pace yourself in real time.
- [How to Stop Ending Statements Like Questions](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-stop-uptalk): Ending statements with a rising tone or 'does that make sense?' undercuts you. Learn how to land statements firmly with UmmLike.
- [How to Tell a Concise Story in a Meeting or Interview (Under 60 Seconds)](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-to-tell-a-concise-story-in-business-meetings): Great speakers use concrete stories, but bad stories turn into 3-minute rambles. Use the 60-second Context to Turn to Takeaway arc with UmmLike's live timer.
- [How the Toastmasters "Ah-Counter" & Timer Method Works on Daily Video Calls](https://ummlike.app/guides/how-toastmasters-ah-counter-works-on-calls): Learn the three classic Toastmasters roles, Ah-Counter, Timer, and Grammarian, and how to run them automatically on your Mac during every Zoom or Meet call.
- [Impromptu Speaking Frameworks: How to Think on Your Feet When Put on the Spot](https://ummlike.app/guides/impromptu-speaking-frameworks-prep-point-story-point): Master the 3 best impromptu speaking frameworks (PREP, What to So What to Now What, and Rule of Two) so you never freeze, hedge, or ramble when called on unexpectedly.
- [The Filler Words and Hedges to Avoid, and What to Say Instead](https://ummlike.app/guides/list-of-filler-words-to-avoid): The most common filler words and hedges, why they hurt, and what to say instead. UmmLike tracks all of them live during calls.
- [How Much Does a Public Speaking Coach Cost in 2026? ($300/hr Coaches, Clubs & Live Tools)](https://ummlike.app/guides/public-speaking-coach-cost-comparison): A transparent breakdown of public speaking coaching costs in 2026: 1-on-1 executive coaches ($200 to $500/hr), Toastmasters, Dale Carnegie, Ultraspeaking, and live Mac coaching.
- [7 Public Speaking Exercises You Can Do Alone at Your Desk in 5 Minutes](https://ummlike.app/guides/public-speaking-exercises-you-can-do-alone-at-home): No audience or club required. Use these 7 solo public speaking drills to eliminate filler words, steady your speaking pace, and stop rambling before your next call.
- [How to Stop Hedging at Work: Replace 'Just Wanted To' & 'Does That Make Sense?' Live](https://ummlike.app/guides/stop-hedging-at-work-phrases-to-avoid): Stop undermining your expertise with 'just wanted to', 'I think maybe', and 'does that make sense?'. See the 5 hedging phrases UmmLike catches and rewrites live on calls.
- [Table Topics for Work: 25 High-Stakes Impromptu Prompts for Real Meetings](https://ummlike.app/guides/table-topics-questions-and-practice-for-work-meetings): Traditional Toastmasters Table Topics ask whimsical icebreakers. Practice these 25 real-world workplace Table Topics prompts with live WPM and filler tracking.
- [The 2-Minute Vocal Warm-Up to Do Right Before an Important Call](https://ummlike.app/guides/vocal-warm-up-exercises-before-zoom-calls-and-presentations): Cold vocal cords and shallow breathing make your voice sound tight, fast, and shaky on morning calls. Run this 2-minute desk vocal warm-up before you unmute.

## Club, Coach & AI App Comparisons (14 Guides)
- [The Best AI Speech Coach Apps in 2026](https://ummlike.app/alternatives/best-ai-speech-coach-apps-2026): A plain comparison of AI speech coach apps in 2026: UmmLike, Yoodli, Cluely, and the now-shut-down Poised, by live coaching, bots, and focus.
- [The Ethical Cluely Alternative: Coach How You Speak, Don't Read Scripts](https://ummlike.app/alternatives/cluely-alternative-communication-coach): Want Cluely's slick floating HUD experience without the 'cheating' stigma? UmmLike is the ethical live call companion that makes you a sharper, more confident speaker.
- [Dale Carnegie Courses vs. Daily Live Speaking Coaching on Your Mac](https://ummlike.app/alternatives/dale-carnegie-alternative): Compare multi-week Dale Carnegie presentation workshops ($2,000+) with UmmLike's always-on speaking coach for live Zoom, Google Meet, and Slack calls.
- [Deepgram Saga vs UmmLike for Former Poised Users](https://ummlike.app/alternatives/deepgram-saga-vs-ummlike): Poised users were redirected to Deepgram Saga, a dictation tool. Here's how it differs from UmmLike's live in-call speech coaching.
- [Private Executive Speech Coach ($300/hr) vs. Live Coaching on Every Call](https://ummlike.app/alternatives/executive-speech-coach-alternative): Human executive communication coaches charge $200 to $500/hr but can't sit in on your daily calls. See how UmmLike reinforces 1-on-1 coaching in real time.
- [Orai Alternative: Move From Mobile Speech Lessons to Live Call Coaching](https://ummlike.app/alternatives/orai-alternative): Orai helps you practice speeches on your phone. UmmLike sits on your Mac and coaches your pace, fillers, and hedging live during real Zoom and Meet calls.
- [The Best Poised Alternative in 2026 (After the Poised Shutdown)](https://ummlike.app/alternatives/poised-alternative): Looking for a Poised alternative after Poised shut down on October 8-9, 2026? UmmLike is the bot-free, real-time macOS speech coach for Zoom, Google Meet, and Slack Huddles.
- [Poised vs. Yoodli vs. UmmLike: Which AI Speech Coach Works Live on Calls in 2026?](https://ummlike.app/alternatives/poised-vs-yoodli-vs-ummlike): Complete October 2026 comparison of Poised (now shut down), Yoodli, Cluely, and UmmLike across live in-call coaching, bot-free privacy, WPM pacing, and pricing.
- [Searching for "Public Speaking Classes Near Me"? Practice on Your Real Calls Instead](https://ummlike.app/alternatives/public-speaking-classes-near-me-alternative): Before commuting to an evening public speaking class, see how real-time voice coaching on your Mac turns every daily Zoom call into deliberate speaking practice.
- [Speeko vs. UmmLike: Solo Warm-Up Drills vs. Live Coaching on Every Call](https://ummlike.app/alternatives/speeko-alternative-mac): Compare Speeko's solo voice exercises with UmmLike's real-time macOS speaking coach that nudges you on fillers, pace, and hedging during live calls.
- [A Real-Time Toastmasters "Ah-Counter" for Every Call on Your Mac](https://ummlike.app/alternatives/toastmasters-ah-counter-app): Bring the Toastmasters Ah-Counter and Timer role to your daily Zoom, Google Meet, and Slack calls. UmmLike counts filler words and cues a calm pause in real time.
- [A Toastmasters Alternative Built for Your Actual Work Calls](https://ummlike.app/alternatives/toastmasters-alternative): Love the idea of Toastmasters' Ah-Counter and Timer, but don't have time for weekly club meetings? UmmLike gives you live speech coaching on every Zoom and Meet call.
- [Ultraspeaking vs. UmmLike: Cohort Practice Games vs. Real-Time Call Nudges](https://ummlike.app/alternatives/ultraspeaking-alternative): Ultraspeaking teaches speaking spontaneity through cohort drills. UmmLike coaches your pace, fillers, and conviction live during your actual work calls.
- [VirtualSpeech Alternative: Coach Your Real Calls, Not Just VR Simulations](https://ummlike.app/alternatives/virtualspeech-alternative): VirtualSpeech uses VR headsets and simulated avatars for speech practice. UmmLike gives you live, bot-free voice coaching during your real everyday calls.
- [Yoodli Alternative for Live Calls: Real-Time Coaching Without a Meeting Bot](https://ummlike.app/alternatives/yoodli-alternative-live-calls): Yoodli is built for pre-call AI roleplays and requires a meeting bot for real calls. UmmLike is the bot-free Yoodli alternative that coaches your speech live during real calls.

## Role & Scenario Use Cases (10 Guides)
- [Real-Time Speech & Pitch Coach for Founders and High-Stakes Sales Calls](https://ummlike.app/use-cases/ai-speech-coach-for-founders-and-sales-calls): Stop rushing your pitch and talking over prospects. UmmLike gives founders and AE leaders live WPM, filler, hedging, and monologue nudges during investor and customer calls.
- [Live AI Communication Coach for Product Managers & Forward-Deployed Engineers](https://ummlike.app/use-cases/ai-speech-coach-for-product-managers-and-engineers): Built by a Head of Product & FDE leader: UmmLike helps PMs, tech leads, and forward-deployed engineers eliminate hedging, stop monologuing, and lead crisp stakeholder calls.
- [Bot-Free Real-Time Speech Coach for macOS: Native Notifications, Zero Meeting Bots](https://ummlike.app/use-cases/real-time-speech-coach-for-mac-without-meeting-bots): Hate AI notetaker bots crashing your calls? UmmLike is a native-feeling macOS real-time speech coach that uses macOS Notification Center banners and local microphone analysis.
- [A Live Speaking Coach for Consultants and Client Calls](https://ummlike.app/use-cases/speech-coach-for-consultants-and-client-calls): Sound like the expert on every client call. UmmLike gives consultants live cues on hedging, fillers, and pace.
- [A Live Speaking Coach for Investor Pitches](https://ummlike.app/use-cases/speech-coach-for-investor-pitches): Pitch with calm conviction. UmmLike gives founders live cues on hedging, pace, and rambling during investor calls.
- [A Private Speaking Coach for Video Job Interviews](https://ummlike.app/use-cases/speech-coach-for-job-interviews): Sound calm and clear in video interviews. UmmLike gives private live cues on fillers, pace, and rambling without joining the call.
- [A Live Speaking Coach for Presentations, Webinars, and All-Hands Talks](https://ummlike.app/use-cases/speech-coach-for-keynotes-and-presentations): Deliver presentations, webinars, and all-hands updates at a composed 145 WPM without filler words. UmmLike nudges you quietly on your Mac while you present.
- [A Live Speaking Coach for Managers and Team Leads](https://ummlike.app/use-cases/speech-coach-for-managers-and-team-leads): Run clearer one-on-ones, standups, and all-hands. UmmLike gives managers live cues on rambling, hedging, and pace.
- [A Live Speaking Coach for Non-Native English Speakers](https://ummlike.app/use-cases/speech-coach-for-non-native-english-speakers): Speak with more confidence on English-language calls. UmmLike helps with pace, fillers, and direct phrasing in real time.
- [A Live Speaking Coach for Podcasters and Creators](https://ummlike.app/use-cases/speech-coach-for-podcasters-and-creators): Cut filler words while you record, not in editing. UmmLike gives podcasters and creators live filler and pace cues.
- [A Live Speaking Coach for Sales Discovery and Demo Calls](https://ummlike.app/use-cases/speech-coach-for-sales-discovery-calls): Talk less, ask better, and sound sure on sales calls. UmmLike gives reps live cues on monologues, pace, and hedging.