AI Writing Patterns to Avoid
A guide for writing content that reads as natural and human rather than AI-generated. These patterns are organized into five categories: Language, Tone, Flow, Patterns, and Document Structure.
Language
Vocabulary and word choice are the most reliable indicators of AI-generated content.
High-Certainty AI Words
These words are strong indicators of AI writing. Avoid them entirely:
- delve, delves, delving
- showcasing
- underscore, underscores, underscoring
- intricate, intricacies
- meticulous, meticulously
- commendable
- realm
- pivotal
- noteworthy
- versatile
- robust
- seamless, seamlessly
- invaluable
- groundbreaking
- multifaceted
- bespoke
- unprecedented
- transformative
Overused Abstract Nouns
Replace these with concrete, specific alternatives:
- journey
- tapestry
- landscape
- beacon
- endeavor
- testament
- symphony
- kaleidoscope
- interplay
- nuance
- facet
- prowess
- treasure trove
Overused Abstract Verbs
Choose simpler, more direct verbs:
- embark
- illuminate
- harness
- foster, fostering
- navigate
- leverage
- unravel
- transcend
- resonate
- catalyze
- unleash
- unlock
- elevate
Excessive Adverbs
Cut these intensifiers; they weaken your writing:
- profoundly
- remarkably
- notably
- crucially
- innovatively
- methodically
- tirelessly
Tone
Voice markers that distinguish human from AI writing.
Hedging Language
AI tends to over-qualify statements. Be direct instead of using:
- may, might, could
- possibly, potentially
- likely
- "it is likely that"
- "there is a possibility that"
- "research suggests"
- "studies show"
Qualifiers and Intensifiers
Cut or minimize these filler words:
- very
- quite
- rather
- somewhat
- extremely
- particularly
- fairly
- highly
- significantly
- absolutely
- completely
Use Contractions
Natural writing includes contractions. Use them freely:
- don't, can't, won't
- isn't, aren't, wasn't, weren't
- haven't, hasn't, hadn't
- shouldn't, wouldn't, couldn't
- we'll, we're, you're, they're
- I'm, it's, that's
- there's, here's, what's, who's
- let's
Flow
Transitions and sentence patterns that signal AI writing.
Formal Transitions to Avoid
These feel stiff and over-structured:
- furthermore
- moreover
- additionally
- "it's important to note that"
- "it's worth mentioning that"
- "it's worth noting"
- "that being said"
- "with this in mind"
- firstly, secondly, thirdly, lastly
Generic AI Phrases
Cliches that AI overuses:
- "at the end of the day"
- "dive into"
- "let's unpack"
- "game-changer"
- "cutting-edge"
- "plays a vital role"
- "plays a crucial role"
- "stands as"
- "serves as"
Structural Patterns to Fix
Em dashes: Don't use em dashes (—). Replace with commas, periods, or parentheses.
-ing phrase endings: Avoid trailing participial phrases like:
- "...ensuring success"
- "...highlighting growth"
- "...showcasing excellence"
- "...fostering innovation"
"Not only...but also": Rewrite these parallelisms more naturally.
Dual adjective constructions: Avoid phrases like "innovative and comprehensive approach" or "dynamic and robust solution."
Reframing cliches: Don't use the "It's not X, it's Y" pattern.
Also avoid the two-sentence version:
- "It's not X. It's Y."
- "This isn't about X. It's about Y."
Say the positive claim directly.
Bad: "It's not about the words. It's about the patterns." Better: "The patterns are the problem, not individual words."
Patterns
Statistical patterns in sentence and paragraph structure.
Sentence Length Variety
AI writing tends to have uniform sentence lengths. Fix this by:
- Mixing short punchy sentences with longer, more complex ones
- Varying sentence structure throughout
- Avoiding the same rhythm paragraph after paragraph
- Targeting a standard deviation of 10+ words in sentence length
Paragraph Length Variety
- Some paragraphs should be short (2-3 sentences)
- Others can be longer and more developed
- Avoid all paragraphs being the same approximate length
- Don't start consecutive sentences the same way
Document Structure
Document-level patterns that indicate AI generation.
Opening Cliches
Never start with:
- "In today's fast-paced world"
- "In today's digital world"
- "In today's rapidly evolving world"
- "In the ever-evolving landscape"
- "In the dynamic landscape"
- "In the realm of"
- "Have you ever wondered"
- "Picture this"
- "Let's delve into"
- "As we embark on this journey"
- "Here's the thing"
- "Here's the deal"
- "The thing is"
- "The truth is"
- "Let me be clear"
- "Look,"
Closing Cliches
Never end with:
- "In conclusion"
- "In summary"
- "To summarize"
- "The possibilities are endless"
- "Only time will tell"
- "Looking ahead"
Conclusion Length
Keep conclusions proportionate. If your conclusion is more than 15-20% of the total document, it's likely too long and summary-heavy (a common AI pattern).
Summary
Write like you're explaining to a smart friend, not presenting to a committee:
- Be direct: Cut hedging and qualifiers
- Be specific: Replace abstract words with concrete ones
- Be natural: Use contractions and varied sentence structures
- Be original: Avoid cliched openings, closings, and transitions
- Be varied: Mix up sentence and paragraph lengths