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# Pause

The `<Pause>` verb waits silently for a distinctive number of seconds.

## Verb attributes

**`length`** `integer` — default: 1

The number of seconds SignalWire will pause silently before moving on.

---

## Nesting

No other verbs can be nested within `<Pause>`. However, `<Pause>` can be nested within a `<Gather>`.

## Examples

### A simple pause

```xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Response>
    <Say>Please wait one moment while I check that for you.</Say>
    <Pause length="8"/>
    <Say>Yes, we are open Monday through Friday.</Say>
</Response>
```

**`Node.js`**

```javascript title="Node.js"
const { RestClient } = require("@signalwire/compatibility-api");
const response = new RestClient.LaML.VoiceResponse();

response.say("Please wait one moment while I check that for you.");
response.pause({ length: 8 });
response.say("Yes, we are open Monday through Friday.");
console.log(response.toString());
```

```csharp
using Twilio.TwiML;
using System;


class Example
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var response = new VoiceResponse();
        response.Say("Please wait one moment while I check that for you.");
        response.Pause(length: 8);
        response.Say("Yes, we are open Monday through Friday.");

        Console.WriteLine(response.ToString());;
    }
}
```

```python
from signalwire.voice_response import VoiceResponse, Say, Pause

response = VoiceResponse()
response.say('Please wait one moment while I check that for you.')
response.pause(length=8)
response.say('Yes, we are open Monday through Friday.')

print(response)
```

```ruby
require 'signalwire/sdk'

response = Signalwire::Sdk::VoiceResponse.new do |response|
  response.say(message: 'Please wait one moment while I check that for you.')
  response.pause(length: 10)
  response.say(message: 'Yes, we are open Monday through Friday.')
end

puts response.to_s
```

This illustrates the wait time between two statements.

### Delaying a response

```xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Response>
    <Pause length="3"/>
    <Say>Hello, how can I help you?</Say>
</Response>
```

**`Node.js`**

```javascript title="Node.js"
const { RestClient } = require("@signalwire/compatibility-api");
const response = new RestClient.LaML.VoiceResponse();

response.pause({ length: 3 });
response.say("Hello, how can I help you?");
console.log(response.toString());
```

```csharp
using Twilio.TwiML;
using System;


class Example
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var response = new VoiceResponse();
        response.Pause(length: 3);
        response.Say("Hello, how can I help you?");

        Console.WriteLine(response.ToString());;
    }
}
```

```python
from signalwire.voice_response import VoiceResponse, Say, Pause

response = VoiceResponse()
response.pause(length=3)
response.say('Hello, how can I help you?')

print(response)
```

```ruby
require 'signalwire/sdk'

response = Signalwire::Sdk::VoiceResponse.new do |response|
  response.pause(length: 3)
  response.say(message: 'Hello, how can I help you?')
end

puts response.to_s
```

SignalWire waits 3 seconds before answering a call.

---

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