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<@1145576664366055464> I disabled Enable Backchanneling but the agent is still speaks with "huh" or "uh", hot to correct this?

Thanks for tagging me <@809940805375754260>. I'll look through relevant sources and get back to you shortly.

### Answer
 

Even with `enable_backchannel` set to `false`, some voices—particularly certain ElevenLabs models—may still produce filler words like "um" or "uh" as part of their natural speech synthesis behavior. [(1) ](<https://docs.retellai.com/api-references/create-agent>)

**Two approaches to address this:**

1. **Try a different voice model** – Some ElevenLabs models are programmed to include filler words regardless of the backchannel setting. Switching to a different ElevenLabs model (or a different voice provider like OpenAI or Deepgram) can significantly reduce this behavior. [(2) ](<https://discord.com/channels/1186424376300679209/1423402635083513967>)

2. **Add explicit prompt instructions** – You can instruct the agent in your prompt to never use filler words. This has been reported to resolve the issue when the backchannel setting alone doesn't work. [(10) ](<https://discord.com/channels/1186424376300679209/1438582091905499239>)

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To learn more, see the sources I considered:

[[1] Create Voice Agent](https://docs.retellai.com/api-references/create-agent)
[[2] Agent still saying "Um" despite "Enable Backchanneling" turned off...](https://discord.com/channels/1186424376300679209/1423402635083513967)
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Feel free to tag <@1145576664366055464> with additional questions. I also appreciate feedback, it helps me improve.