15 phrases that make writing sound machine-made
Stock openers, stacked transitions and tidy triplets: the habits that make prose feel generated, and what to write instead.
You can often tell within a sentence or two. Something about the prose feels assembled rather than written — smooth, confident and oddly empty. Usually it comes down to a handful of habits that language models lean on heavily.
None of these phrases is wrong on its own. Plenty of careful human writers use them. The problem is density: stack enough of them together and the writing stops sounding like a person. Here are fifteen to watch for, grouped by the habit behind them, and what to write instead.
Stock openers
These phrases announce that something important is coming instead of just saying it.
- “It is important to note that…” — If it’s important, the reader will notice. Delete the phrase and start with the point.
- “In today’s fast-paced world…” — A throat-clearing opener that could start any essay on any subject. Start with the specific situation you’re writing about.
- “In the realm of…” — Almost always replaceable with “in”, or with nothing at all.
- “When it comes to…” — Name the subject directly: not “when it comes to sleep, students struggle” but “students sleep badly”.
Stacked transitions
Models love to signpost every sentence. Real writers trust the logic to carry the reader.
- “Moreover,”
- “Furthermore,”
- “Additionally,”
- “In conclusion,”
One of these in a long piece is fine. Three in a paragraph is a tell. Try deleting them and reading the paragraph aloud — most of the time the connection is already clear. If it isn’t, use a plainer connector (“and”, “but”, “so”) or rewrite the sentence so the link is in the content.
Inflated vocabulary
These words make claims sound bigger than they are.
- “plays a crucial / pivotal role in” — Say what the thing actually does: “insulin resistance drives weight gain” beats “insulin resistance plays a pivotal role in weight gain”.
- “delve into” — “Look at”, “examine”, or just start examining.
- “a testament to” — “Shows”.
- “navigate the complexities of” — “Deal with”, or name the specific complexity.
- “utilize” — “Use”. Always “use”.
Tidy structures
Some tells aren’t words but shapes.
- The tidy triplet. “Clear, concise and compelling.” Lists of exactly three balanced items, especially at the end of a sentence, are a model favourite. If you really have three things, keep them. If you padded to reach three, cut back to what’s true.
- “Not only X, but also Y.” A construction that inflates a simple “and”. Use it when the contrast genuinely matters; otherwise just list both.
What to write instead
The fix for every item above is the same: be specific. Machine-sounding prose is generic because it’s optimised to be plausible in any context. Your writing sounds human when it could only have been written about this subject, by you.
A quick editing pass:
- Search your draft for the fifteen phrases above and delete or replace each one.
- Replace every abstract claim with a concrete example, number or name.
- Vary your sentence length — see our guide to varying your sentence rhythm.
- Read it aloud. Anything you wouldn’t say to a colleague, rewrite.
The Humanizely AI Detector points out stock phrases by name, and the Humanizer can rewrite flagged passages while keeping your facts intact.