Takes Remove filler words
Remove filler words and pauses, automatically.
Record your video in Takes for Mac, then type “cut the ums and pauses”. Takes cuts every um, restart and long pause.
Cut the ums and pauses
✓Cut
How
How to remove ums and pauses in Takes.
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1Record your take
Read your script from the teleprompter, or just talk.
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2Ask the chat
Type it in plain words. No timeline, no settings.
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3Takes finds them
A word-by-word transcript, made on your Mac, shows each um, restart and pause over a quarter second.
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4Watch the cut
Takes lists what it took out. Ask for any part back.
A real take
36 pauses, gone in one ask.
A real take, recorded for a LinkedIn video on October 1, 2026. Claude Code, the agent Takes runs on, cut every pause.
Compare
Takes, Descript and CapCut.
| Takes for Mac | Descript | CapCut | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuts ums and pauses | Yes, when you ask | Yes, Remove Filler Words | Yes, filler word remover |
| Price | Free, open source (MIT) | Paid plans, from $16 a month (yearly); Free plan has limited access | Free trial |
| How you fix the cut | Ask in words | Delete words in the transcript | Preview, then a timeline |
| Needs | An agent on your own plan: Claude Code, Codex or pi | A Descript account | The CapCut desktop app |
| Runs on | Mac only, Apple silicon | Mac, Windows, the web | Mac and Windows |
Descript facts from descript.com/pricing, CapCut facts from capcut.com/tools/filler-words, checked 2026-10-21. Takes facts from its source.
Get started
Paste one line, or download.
The line installs Takes and ffmpeg, finds your agent (Claude Code, Codex or pi) or installs Claude Code, signs you in and opens the app. Run it again to update. Rather click? Download the .dmg, drag Takes to Applications, then click Finish setup in the sidebar.
Questions
Filler word questions.
Can I remove filler words from a video for free?
Yes. Takes is free and open source, with no account and no watermark. The edit runs on an agent you already have: Claude Code, Codex or pi, on your own plan.
Which filler words does Takes cut?
Um, uh, erm, ah, hmm and the like, plus false starts, stutters and lines you said twice. It keeps your last clean try of each line.
Can I keep some pauses?
Yes. By default Takes keeps pauses up to a quarter second. Say “keep a longer pause after the hook” and it does.
Will it cut a word in half?
No. Takes cuts from a word-by-word transcript, so each cut sits between words. It tells you what it took out, and you can ask for any part back.
Is the transcript made in the cloud?
No. Takes makes the transcript with Whisper on your Mac.
More about Takes