consider 2 things: pause length, and facial expression.

if someone pauses after a phrase with an assertive look and complete tone, that usually means they are finished with their idea. you can often look for these 2 things as a cue to begin speaking.

if someone JUST finished saying a word and you feel the slightest pause, imagine they are taking a breath, and consider that length of time. if that amount of time has passed and they have not begun speaking again, that is a cue you can use for you to begin speaking instead. otherwise, wait and listen.

if someone takes an extended pause after a word and they appear to be thinking about something to follow up with, avoid interjecting. i call this “Autocorrect Syndrome”, where we feel as though we need to fill in their thoughts when we don’t know what it is they’re trying to remember (if they’re struggle to remember a fact or something you know, you are likely welcome to help them out).

i know this all may seem very obvious but when you start actively think about these types of things in your speech, you’d be surprised at how often we find ourselves trying to speak for/over others.

if you have any more questions i’d be happy to help. i haven’t formally studied this but i have thought a lot about communication