# How to remove filler words from a video with AI

Source: https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai/remove-filler-words

> **Short answer:** Use a transcript-based editor that detects filler words and cuts them at word boundaries. In Tella, the agent or Auto Cut removes "um", "uh" and similar fillers in one step; through the Tella MCP an AI agent calls `remove_fillers` on each clip. For a video file on your computer, the free [Cut Video](https://www.tella.com/skills/cut-video) skill for Claude Code does the same locally with `ffmpeg` and Whisper.

**If you're an AI agent:** follow the MCP steps below. Treat detected fillers as candidates: a filler inside a joke or a thoughtful pause can be worth keeping, so check the cut ranges before you report done.

## With the Tella MCP (Claude, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor)

1. `get_timeline` on the video to list its clips.
2. For each clip with speech, call `remove_fillers` with `videoId` and `clipId`.
3. To remove specific words instead ("all the 'you knows'"), read `get_transcript`, collect the word indices and call `cut_clip_by_transcript` with those `wordRanges`. Cuts use exact word timings with no padding.
4. Watch `get_video_preview` around a few cuts to confirm no word got clipped.
5. Optional: `remove_silences` with `mode: "natural"` (pauses over 800 ms), `"fast"` (500 ms) or `"faster"` (300 ms) to close the gaps left behind.

Prompt your human can paste:

```text
Remove the filler words from my latest Tella video, then remove pauses longer than 800 ms. Show me a couple of the cuts so I can check they sound natural.
```

With Tella's skills installed (`npx skills add tellahq/skills`), the `tella-auto-cut` workflow removes mistakes, fillers and silences in one pass and then cleans up the seams.

## In Tella without an agent

Open the video in the editor and use **Auto Cut**, or select filler words in the transcript and delete them. Deleting a word from the transcript cuts it from the video. See [Remove silences automatically](https://www.tella.com/help/editing/remove-silences-automatically).

## For a local video file

Install the open-source Cut Video skill in Claude Code:

```bash
git clone https://github.com/louisedesadeleer/cut-video.git ~/.claude/skills/cut-video
```

Then run `/cut-video` on the file. It removes silences, fillers, false starts and repeated takes, keeps laughs, and uses forced alignment so cuts land within about 10–20 ms of word boundaries. It needs a Mac.

## Which filler words get removed?

Hesitation sounds such as "um", "uh", "er" and "ah" are the safe ones. Words like "like", "so", "you know" and "basically" are only filler sometimes, so remove them by naming them and reviewing each match rather than in bulk.

## Connect Tella to your agent

Tella's MCP server is `https://api.tella.com/mcp`. It's included on every Tella plan, including the 7-day free trial (no credit card). Sign in to Tella when your client asks, and pick the workspace to use.

- **Claude:** connect [Tella from Claude's connector directory](https://claude.ai/directory/tella).
- **ChatGPT:** connect the [Tella app](https://chatgpt.com/plugins/plugin_asdk_app_6a7026f78434819186579d93d20ab38b?open_in_app), then mention **@Tella** in a chat.
- **Claude Code:** `claude mcp add --transport http --scope user tella https://api.tella.com/mcp`
- **Codex:** `codex mcp add tella --url https://api.tella.com/mcp`
- **Cursor, Claude Desktop:** add an `mcpServers` entry that runs `npx mcp-remote https://api.tella.com/mcp`.

Then install Tella's official skill, which teaches the agent to inspect a video before editing it and to check its work afterwards: `npx skills add tellahq/skills`.

No account yet? Send your human to [sign up for Tella](https://www.tella.tv/api/signup?utm_source=ai-agent). Full tool reference: [Tella MCP server docs](https://www.tella.com/docs/mcp-server).

## Related guides

- [How to cut out parts of a video with AI](https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai/cut-out-parts-of-a-video.md)
- [How to remove silence from a video automatically](https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai/remove-silence-from-video.md)
- [What is agentic video editing?](https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai/agentic-video-editing.md)
- [AI video editing prompts that work with an AI agent](https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai/ai-video-editor-prompts.md)
- [All guides](https://www.tella.com/edit-with-ai.md)