Where can I find a list of common padding words?

Solution 1:

Some context dependent words can be found in Tony1's How to improve your writing, section "Eliminating redundancy":

  • relatively
  • still (as in "While the journal had relatively low circulation numbers for its day, it still influenced popular opinion and was feared by the conservative administration.")

Additive terms

  • also
  • in addition
  • moreover
  • furthermore

Temporal terms

  • over the years
  • currently
  • now
  • from time to time
  • to this day
  • future (as in "They planned their future response".)

Vague terms of size, number and proportion

  • some ("The highway expands to four lanes as it passes some built-up areas of strip development")
  • a variety of
  • a number of
  • several
  • a few
  • many
  • any ("The scheme does not remove any government-funded programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid")
  • all

Words for which the meaning is already conveyed in another word

  • its own ("Each weapon has its own advantages and disadvantages.")
  • in those instances ("In those instances when requests for assistance fall outside Tahirih's scope, staff members attempt to locate other consultants.")
  • subsequently
  • who come

Words for which the meaning is easily recoverable from the context or from general knowledge

  • Resulting ("The cigar smoker burns the dried leaves of the tobacco plant but does not inhale the resulting smoke")

See also Redundancy exercises: removing fluff from your writing.

Solution 2:

These, I believe are called "discourse markers". I can't find a list, but I can think of a list:

Like
Well,
Ok,
Actually,
So You know,
oh, By the way,
Anyway,
Yeah no,
I mean
Now
Then
Frankly,
Also,
Basically,
As a matter of fact
In fact,

Solution 3:

First to Know gives a list of "Five Words that Make You Sound Stupid," adding insult to injury on these pointless discourse markers. The article gives concise explanations of when it is actually appropriate to use these words.