I take a moment to collect my thoughts.
'Raccogliere' = rac-CO-lye-re; the 'gli' sounds like the 'lli' in 'million'.
Use when you lose your thread mid-presentation and need a brief pause to recover, rather than filling the silence with filler sounds.
'Raccogliere le idee' (to collect one's thoughts) is a natural Italian expression for gathering oneself mentally. It is infinitely more professional than 'ehm', 'allora', or 'tipo' (which Italian presenters often use as filler). A deliberate, named pause signals control rather than confusion.
Un momento — voglio essere preciso/a su questo punto.
One moment — I want to be precise on this point.
Frames the pause as a quest for accuracy
Mi fermo un secondo per assicurarmi di spiegarmi bene.
I stop for a second to make sure I explain myself well.
Shows care for clarity; audience-centred
Lasciatemi trovare le parole giuste.
Let me find the right words.
Honest and humanising; audiences forgive and respect this
Italians are generally forgiving of a presenter who pauses and recovers gracefully — it shows authenticity ('autenticità'). What they are less forgiving of is someone who bluffs or continues speaking without substance. Silence with intention is power.