Wordless oral communication

Question

In English, we are able to communicate with types of grunts that usually mean "yes" "no" or "What?"

"Yes"- mmhm. "No" - Uh-uh "What?" - Huh?

Are these the same in Spanish and if they are different, what are they?

Thank you.

Answer 1

In Spanish those "filler" words are called muletillas (or, less commonly, palabras de relleno) and are very common. But Spanish speakers tend not to use one-syllable utterances as much as in English. Instead, they tend to use common words like este (usually pronounced as esteeeee, depending on how nervous the person is), esto (or estoooo) or in Mexico o sea (which roughly means "I mean"). Che is often heard in Argentina. In other areas you may hear es decir (meaning, roughly, "that is to say"). The "er" has its equivalent in the sound "eeeehh," and em is similar to the English "ummm."

This is a quote from about.com Mulatillas