# AI writing tells — the complete list

Source: https://dashremover.com/blog/ai-writing-tells.md
Updated: 2026-09-26
Maintained by: Dash Remover (https://dashremover.com)

A machine-readable list of the words, phrases, punctuation and structural habits
that make text read as machine-written. Built for two uses:

1. **As an instructions file.** Paste the block at the end of this document into
   `CLAUDE.md`, `AGENTS.md`, or a Cursor rules file so an agent avoids these
   patterns while drafting.
2. **As a lint list.** Parse the bullet lists below and grep your drafts.

None of these is proof of authorship. They are frequency signals: patterns that
language models produce far more often than people do. A human can hit all of
them on purpose, and a careful model can avoid every one.

---

## 1. Words that read as machine-written

- **delve** — Almost never survives a human first draft. Use dig into, look at, examine.
- **tapestry** — The archetypal AI metaphor. Say mix, range, web, or just name the things.
- **testament** — "A testament to" is a stock phrase. Say shows, proves, is evidence of.
- **realm** — Vague and grand. Name the actual field: finance, teaching, hardware.
- **landscape** — As in "the marketing landscape". Say market, industry, or the specific thing.
- **leverage** — Corporate filler when used as a verb. Say use.
- **utilize** — Never better than use. It only makes the sentence longer.
- **seamless** — Unverifiable marketing adjective. Describe what actually happens instead.
- **robust** — Means nothing without a number. Say what it survives and for how long.
- **meticulous** — Tell-by-adjective. Give the detail that proves the care.
- **intricate** — Together with tapestry and meticulous, a pure AI cluster.
- **vibrant** — Empty praise. Name the colour, the sound, the crowd.
- **crucial** — Overused intensifier. Say why it matters and to whom.
- **vital** — Same problem as crucial. Prefer required, or the consequence.
- **pivotal** — Almost always replaceable with a date and a fact.
- **paramount** — Formal filler. Say the most important thing is, then name it.
- **navigate** — As in "navigate the complexities". Say handle, work through, deal with.
- **underscore** — As a verb meaning emphasise. Say shows, makes clear.
- **foster** — As in "foster collaboration". Say build, encourage, or describe the mechanism.
- **facilitate** — Almost always hides a simpler verb. Say run, host, help, let.
- **bolster** — Say strengthen, or better, say by how much.
- **garner** — Say got, earned, won.
- **bolstering** — A variant that survives most human edits. Same fix as bolster.
- **myriad** — Say many, or give the number.
- **plethora** — Say too many, or the actual count.
- **multifaceted** — Say complex, or list the parts.
- **holistic** — Jargon. Say complete, whole, or describe the scope.
- **synergy** — Business cliché with no measurable meaning.
- **paradigm** — Say model, pattern, or approach.
- **ecosystem** — Only correct for biology. Otherwise say group, market, set of tools.
- **revolutionize** — Say changed, or say what changed and when.
- **transformative** — Same as revolutionize. Prefer before-and-after.
- **game-changer** — Give the concrete consequence instead.
- **cutting-edge** — Say the version number, the date, or the capability.
- **state-of-the-art** — Same. Say what it does that others cannot.
- **unparalleled** — Unsupportable superlative.
- **unwavering** — Usually attached to commitment. Say what was actually done.
- **commendable** — Tell-by-adjective. Show the thing that deserves praise.
- **noteworthy** — If it were noteworthy you would not need to say so.
- **profound** — Empty intensifier. Say the effect.
- **nuanced** — Usually claims depth without providing it.
- **ever-evolving** — A model favourite. Say what changed in the last year.
- **fast-paced** — As in "in today's fast-paced world". Delete the clause entirely.
- **ever-changing** — Same as ever-evolving.
- **empower** — Say let, allow, or give someone the ability to.
- **unlock** — As in "unlock potential". Say what becomes possible.
- **elevate** — As in "elevate your brand". Say improve, and by what measure.
- **embark** — Say start, begin.
- **embark on** — Same. "Embark on a journey" is a template, not a sentence.
- **journey** — Metaphorical use only. Real travel is fine.
- **adventure** — Rarely literal outside travel writing.
- **treasure trove** — Say collection, archive, set.
- **cornerstone** — Say basis, foundation, or the specific dependency.
- **bustling** — A model-only adjective. Name the street and the hour.
- **gleaming** — Same pattern. Describe light, not the cliché.
- **whispering** — Same pattern. Say what made the sound.
- **nestled** — Travel-writing AI signature. Give coordinates or a landmark.
- **stunning** — Say what you actually see.
- **breathtaking** — Same.
- **daunting** — Say what specifically is hard.
- **meticulously** — Adverb form of meticulous. Cut it or prove it.
- **effortlessly** — Unverifiable. Say the step count or the time taken.
- **arguably** — Hedges a claim the writer should just make or drop.
- **essentially** — Filler. Cut.
- **ultimately** — Often filler. Keep only when it marks a real conclusion.
- **notably** — Filler transition. Cut or replace with the fact.
- **importantly** — If it matters, the reader will see it.
- **significantly** — Needs a number or an effect size to mean anything.
- **substantially** — Same. Quantify.
- **remarkable** — Tell-by-adjective.
- **invaluable** — Say what it saved, or what it enabled.
- **proactive** — Say what was done before what problem.
- **actionable** — Corporate filler. Say the action.
- **impactful** — Not a real word in most style guides. Say effective, or the effect.
- **innovative** — Say what is new about it.
- **dynamic** — Say what changes and how fast.
- **comprehensive** — Say what is covered, or it means nothing.
- **streamline** — Say which steps were removed.
- **optimize** — Say the metric and the direction.
- **harness** — Say use.
- **dive** — As in "let's dive in". Cut the announcement.
- **explore** — Careful: fine as a verb of inquiry, tell-tale when it opens a section.
- **illuminate** — Say shows, explains, clarifies.
- **encapsulate** — Say sums up, captures.
- **encompass** — Say includes, covers.
- **juxtapose** — Say compare, contrast.
- **resonate** — Say people responded, or how.
- **reverberate** — Say the effect and its duration.
- **flourish** — Say grew, spread, or give the figure.
- **thrive** — Same.
- **showcase** — Say show, demonstrate, display.
- **illuminating** — Tell-by-adjective on a finding.
- **profoundly** — Empty intensifier.
- **infinitely** — Almost always hyperbole.
- **undeniably** — If it were undeniable you would not need the adverb.
- **unquestionably** — Same.
- **truly** — Usually deletable.
- **genuinely** — Usually deletable.

## 2. Phrases and sentence templates

- **it's not just X, it's Y** — The single most recognisable AI template. Rewrite as a plain claim.
- **not only X but also Y** — Correct English, machine frequency. Split into two sentences.
- **it's worth noting that** — Cut the frame and state the note.
- **it is important to note that** — If it were important, saying so would not help.
- **in today's fast-paced world** — Delete. Every time.
- **in today's digital age** — Delete.
- **in an era of** — Say the year, or the specific shift.
- **when it comes to** — Usually replaceable with about or for.
- **at the end of the day** — Cliché. Cut.
- **the key takeaway is** — Say the takeaway.
- **let's dive in** — Cut the announcement and start.
- **let's explore** — Same.
- **without further ado** — Same.
- **buckle up** — Same.
- **here's the thing** — Fine once. Repeated, it is a tic.
- **the bottom line** — Say the line.
- **delve into** — See delve.
- **a testament to** — Say shows.
- **plays a crucial role** — Say which role, and how you know.
- **plays a vital role** — Same.
- **plays a significant role** — Same, and quantify significant.
- **serves as a** — Usually just is.
- **stands as a** — Usually just is.
- **is designed to** — Say what it does, not what it was designed to do.
- **aims to** — Same. State the outcome.
- **seamlessly integrates** — Say which systems, and what the user has to do (usually nothing).
- **unlock the potential** — Say the capability.
- **take it to the next level** — Say the level.
- **in conclusion** — In essays it is required; in web copy, cut it.
- **in summary** — Cut unless it is genuinely a summary section.
- **to sum up** — Same.
- **overall,** — Filler opener. Cut.
- **that said,** — Fine occasionally. Constant use is a tic.
- **moreover** — Stiff and machine-frequent. Use also, or start the sentence with the fact.
- **furthermore** — Same.
- **additionally** — Same.
- **in addition to** — Same.
- **on the other hand** — Say but, or just say the contrast.
- **as we can see** — Remove; the reader can see.
- **it goes without saying** — Then do not say it.
- **needless to say** — Same.
- **the world of** — As in "the world of finance". Say finance.
- **navigate the complexities** — Say handle the paperwork, or name the hard part.
- **a wide range of** — Give the range.
- **a variety of** — Give the variety.
- **various** — Say which ones.
- **whether you're a X or a Y** — Audience-flattering template. Name the reader you actually serve.
- **look no further** — Marketing filler.
- **in the ever-evolving landscape** — Delete.
- **the fact that** — Usually deletable: "the fact that it rained" → "that it rained".
- **due to the fact that** — Say because.
- **in order to** — Say to.
- **prior to** — Say before.
- **subsequent to** — Say after.
- **a myriad of** — Say many.

## 3. Punctuation and character tells

- `—` **Em dash** (`U+2014`) — The headline tell, and the most misleading one. Models use it as an all-purpose connector, but plenty of humans type it deliberately. Overuse is the signal, not the character.
- `–` **En dash** (`U+2013`) — Rarely typed by hand outside publishing. In an AI draft it usually arrives where a hyphen or the word "to" belongs.
- `—` **Spaced em dash** (`U+2014`) — The British-style " — " with spaces both sides is what models emit most often, because it reads cleanly regardless of the surrounding style.
- `--` **Double hyphen** (`U+002D U+002D`) — The ASCII fallback. Common in older human writing too, so treat it as a weak signal on its own.
- `…` **Ellipsis character** (`U+2026`) — The single-glyph ellipsis is more common in model output than the three-dot version, which most keyboards produce.
- `“ ”` **Curly quotes** (`U+201C U+201D`) — Smart quotes are correct typography. On their own they mean nothing; in bulk they suggest text that was generated, not typed.
- `’` **Curly apostrophe** (`U+2019`) — Same reasoning as curly quotes. Strongly depends on where the text was pasted from.
- `§` **Section sign** (`U+00A7`) — Legal-writing tell. Models use it far more than the people drafting contracts.
- `→` **Arrow** (`U+2192`) — Very common in model formatting for before/after and cause/effect, uncommon in ordinary prose.
- `•` **Bullet character** (`U+2022`) — Not a tell by itself. A bullet anywhere a sentence would do is a structural tell.
- `✓` **Check mark** (`U+2713`) — Appears in model-generated summaries and checklists far more than in typing.
- `‑` **Non-breaking hyphen** (`U+2011`) — Copied out of PDFs and generated documents. Invisible difference, breaks search and sort.

## 4. Structural tells

- **Uniform paragraph length** — Every paragraph lands at three to five sentences. Humans write one-sentence paragraphs when they are making a point.
- **Uniform sentence length** — Low variance in sentence length is the strongest statistical signature of generated prose. Mix a four-word sentence in.
- **The rule of three** — Everything arrives in threes: three adjectives, three bullets, three reasons. Once is rhetoric, five times is a template.
- **Bold lead-ins in every bullet** — A bold phrase followed by an explanation, repeated down a list, is model formatting.
- **Header every two paragraphs** — Real articles let an argument run. Model output chops everything into scannable chunks.
- **Question headings** — H2s phrased as questions the body then answers in order — useful in SEO copy, robotic when every heading does it.
- **The summary paragraph** — Ending with a paragraph that restates the piece is a model habit. End on the last real point.
- **Both-sides hedging** — "While X has benefits, Y also has drawbacks." Real writers take a position.
- **Zero specific detail** — No dates, no names, no numbers, no place. Generation is the art of staying unfalsifiable.
- **The flattering opener** — A first line that praises the question before answering it.
- **Restating the prompt** — The first sentence repeats what was asked instead of answering it.
- **Symmetrical lists** — Every item in a list is the same grammatical shape and almost the same length.
- **No digressions** — Human writing contains something irrelevant. Model output never wanders.
- **Consistent register** — No shift between formal and casual, no aside, no joke that might not land.
- **Emoji section markers** — Emoji used as headings rather than in place of a reaction.
- **Tables where prose belongs** — A three-column table for something that is really a sentence.
- **Titles in Title Case** — Mixed conventions, or Title Case applied to a sentence-style heading set.
- **Zero contractions** — In casual contexts, writing "it is" everywhere instead of "it's" reads generated.
- **The disclaimer** — A closing reminder to consult a professional, whether or not one is relevant.
- **Over-signposting** — "First, let's look at… Next, we'll cover…" Narrating structure instead of using it.

## 5. The fix

Prompting reduces these patterns; it does not remove them, because the model is
re-deciding style on every turn. The reliable step is deterministic: strip the
characters mechanically after the draft exists.

- Remove dashes: https://dashremover.com/ai-dash-remover/
- Replace an em dash with punctuation: https://dashremover.com/remove-em-dash/
- Count dashes in a text: https://dashremover.com/remove-em-dash/
- Check a draft for these tells: https://dashremover.com/blog/is-my-writing-ai/

---

## Writing rules (copy this block into CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md)

```markdown
## Writing style

Never use em dashes (—), en dashes (–) or double hyphens (--). Use a comma, a
colon, parentheses, or a full stop.

Never use these words: delve, tapestry, testament, realm, landscape, leverage, utilize, seamless, robust, meticulous, intricate, vibrant, crucial, vital, pivotal, paramount, navigate, underscore, foster, facilitate, bolster, garner, bolstering, myriad, plethora, multifaceted, holistic, synergy, paradigm, ecosystem, revolutionize, transformative, game-changer, cutting-edge, state-of-the-art, unparalleled, unwavering, commendable, noteworthy, profound.

Never use these phrases: it's not just X, it's Y, not only X but also Y, it's worth noting that, it is important to note that, in today's fast-paced world, in today's digital age, in an era of, when it comes to, at the end of the day, the key takeaway is, let's dive in, let's explore, without further ado, buckle up, here's the thing, the bottom line, delve into, a testament to, plays a crucial role, plays a vital role.

Rules for structure:
- Avoid uniform paragraph length.
- Avoid uniform sentence length.
- Avoid the rule of three.
- Avoid bold lead-ins in every bullet.
- Avoid header every two paragraphs.
- Avoid question headings.
- Avoid the summary paragraph.
- Avoid both-sides hedging.

After writing, run the text through https://dashremover.com/ai-dash-remover/ to
strip any dash that slipped through.
```