How to Make AI Text Sound More Human

AI-generated writing often gets criticized for sounding stiff, overly formal, or just plain unnatural. Using AI has also become controversial, especially in academic circles, where genuine originality and authenticity are extremely valued. Because of this, various tools are popping up (squarely aimed at educators) that claim to detect AI-written content. Then, other tools that promise to “humanize” existing text, or write human-like text from scratch.

Tools made to write and edit text that sounds human are targeted toward 2 different audiences. One of the audiences is obviously students, trying to use AI their hastily generated AI essay or report past their teacher’s AI detection tool. There are some obvious moral and ethical dilemmas with AI in school that can (and should) be discussed in great length. But in this article we are going to focus on a second type of audience.

There’s a bigger, better, and much more ethical reason for wanting AI writing to sound human than simply dodging AI detection. It’s about delivering ideas and information that actually connect with a reader effectively. The second audience that is interested in humanizing AI content is much larger. This audience consists everyone else using AI to write.

You can use AI to generate text for emails, ad copy, social media posts, bios, articles, proposals, scripts and even poetry. But once you begin using AI heavily, it doesn’t take long before you start recognizing repetitive wording, predictable vocabulary, and those telltale patterns that scream “This is AI-generated!” Even though generic AI outputs are often grammatically correct, detailed, and factually accurate, the “AI styling” quickly becomes obvious to readers—and those readers are getting more and more sophisticated at recognizing AI-generated writing.

You might be thinking: Does that even matter? Isn’t clear communication good enough? Not always. Unless you’re writing something purely practical, like a user manual or legal document, you’re usually aiming to engage readers and resonate emotionally. The secret to great writing isn’t just about accuracy. It’s about style, the words you choose, the rhythm of your sentences, your unique voice, and most importantly, your individual perspective. We can all agree that there is a difference between average writing and great writing. You want your writing to be great because great writing connects with your reader. And with that connection, your ideas, messages, and stories are delivered with more impact.

Pardon Me, Your AI is Showing

When readers pick up on the fact that something they’re reading was generated by AI, trust in the source of the content can quickly take a hit. Questions start popping up: Did a human even check this over? Can I trust this information? Are these ideas insightful, or is this just fluff generated by an algorithm?

Because AI makes it incredibly easy to churn out large volumes of content, the internet is increasingly cluttered with hastily generated articles and blogs published with little oversight or care. These pieces are usually driven by short-term SEO goals, packed with excessive word counts but little substance. It’s low-effort. Some call it fluff. Some call it slop. Other offenders are using AI to generate social media posts and comments, with unedited unoriginal quips that would offend Captain Obvious himself. As search and social feed algorithms improve, the quantity over quality approach will not sustainable long-term. Robotic content does not connect, build a fan base, or foster community.

But I have to assume you’re not interested in adding more AI-generated “slop” into the internet mix. Instead, you’re focused on using AI thoughtfully, combining it with your own domain expertise, unique insights, and genuine effort. You’re carefully crafting prompts that reflect original thinking, thoroughly reviewing each output, and editing it intentionally for your audience. In other words, you’re committed to producing content that truly matters.

When your readers detect AI, doubts about the quality of your ideas start to surface. These doubts aren’t just distracting, they might even prompt readers to wonder if they’d be better off just consulting an AI directly. That’s why understanding what makes writing “feel AI-generated” is important. At the very least, learning to recognize AI clichés, phrases, and repetitive patterns will help you recognize AI when you see it, and act accordingly.

So what is the best way to make AI generated text sound human? To answer that, we need to take a step back and ask this weird question:

What Does a Human Usually Sound Like?

Once again we are faced with a question that never needed to be asked before AI came along. How do humans sound when they write?

What makes writing truly feel “human” often comes down to its small imperfections and subtle touches—things like casual wording, changing rhythms, or even breaking grammar rules on purpose just to show feeling or highlight a point. People naturally vary sentence lengths, switch to a conversational style, or toss in personal stories and metaphors drawn from real life. Rather than sticking rigidly to logical flow or absolute clarity, human writing comfortably includes humor, nuance, empathy, and sometimes even uncertainty.

Human writers naturally sprinkle their language with context-specific expressions, slang, cultural references, or idioms that click with certain readers or capture particular moments in time. They show an awareness of who their audience is, adjusting tone and word choices based on shared experiences, familiarity, or the emotional response they hope to evoke. At its heart, human writing is about creating a meaningful connection built on empathy, honesty, and emotional depth. These are qualities that AI-generated text has to deliberately mimic to come across as genuinely human.

What Does an AI Bot Typically Sound Like?

Even though AI language models are trained extensively on human writing, their default outputs tends to feel noticeably different. This is the effect of averaging huge amounts of written training data, including many formal sources like academic papers and news reports. And because these models rely heavily on predicting statistically likely word sequences, they often insert too many transitional phrases in an effort to sound coherent.

When an AI chatbot receives a vague or generic prompt, its responses tend to come off as somewhat stiff, predictable, or overly formal. You’ll notice it often sticks closely to neutral, general statements that could apply to almost anything. There’s usually an overly structured feel, with each sentence neatly tied to the last, following a mechanical logic that’s technically correct but emotionally flat.

AI responses commonly reuse bland or repetitive expressions, defaulting to clichés like “exploring possibilities,” “unlocking potential,” or “ever-changing world.” Without specific direction, AI writing also avoids taking a stance, frequently including unnecessary qualifiers like “It is important to note,” or “various perspectives suggest,” as if it’s hesitant to fully commit or express personality. AI language defaults to a careful neutrality, lacking the quirks, spontaneity, and emotional nuance that naturally human writing provides.

How to Prompt AI for Outputs that Sounds Natural and Human

What if I told you that you can make text sound more human using (wait for it) AI? A little prompt can go a long way. A longer prompt can go, well, longer. With a bit of practice and some skillful prompt engineering, you’ll get much better at steering AI toward writing that’s not just accurate, but also sounds like it was (almost) written by a human. Imagine quickly getting a draft that only needs proofreading and a little editing to absolutely nail the tone of voice and style you were aiming for.

Before we get into how to make text sound more human, let’s start by thinking clearly about what you actually include in your AI prompts. Ask yourself: what are you bringing to the table? Do you have a fresh idea, a personal story, or maybe an original take on a popular issue? Even if you’re not totally sure yet, or you have a big point but need context first, it helps to frame clear questions for the AI rather than fully formed answers. Remember, it’s crucial to start with something you genuinely want to say—don’t rely on the AI to do your thinking, or you’ll end up with the kind of generic “AI slop” we talked about earlier.

A strong prompt has a clear structure: We will give the AI a role, a clear goal, and enough context to write something of value. At this point, don’t worry about the style or making it sound human—just focus on getting something meaningful generated first.

Organizing Your Prompt

Assign a Role or Persona: It can help to tell the AI to “act as” a certain type of writer or assume a persona. For example, “You are an engaging storyteller” or “You are a friendly customer support agent”. This gives the model a frame of reference for tone. Prompt engineers often include a role and goal at the start of a prompt (e.g., “You are a governance analyst writing a report…”) to steer style and perspective.

Role and goal-based constraints limit the AI to a narrower, more appropriate range of responses, and the role taps into the AI’s natural language understanding capabilities, leveraging its pre-trained knowledge of effective conversation within that persona.

Working with AI: Two paths to prompting by Ethan Mollick

Define an Audience: Give background about who the text is for and why. Specifying the audience helps the AI tailor language complexity and style appropriately​. For instance, note if the writing is for general readers, industry experts, or perhaps a specific age group – the AI can adjust vocabulary and tone to match. Including the purpose (e.g. to persuade, inform, or entertain) guides the model’s approach as well.

Add your own ideas and context. Add your own original ideas, analogies, or, best of all, personal stories into your prompts. Because AI tends to be overly cautious, especially with definitive statements, you should clearly state your own convictions up front: What do you truly believe? What’s the right answer or the insight you’re certain about? Taking a firm stance or boldly declaring your viewpoint adds personality and authenticity, giving your content an unmistakably human voice.

Avoid Overly Short Prompts: Don’t be afraid to write a longer prompt that lays out detailed guidance. Prompt refinement often expands a simple instruction into a richer set of guidelines. Providing sufficient detail gives the AI more to work with, resulting in more natural-sounding text without excessive style direction.

Break Your AI Writing Process into Steps

Even though your prompt can technically be quite long, you’ll usually get better results if you break down the writing process into smaller, clear steps for the AI to handle separately. For instance, if you’re working on a longer article or a detailed guide, don’t try to cram everything into a single request. Instead, begin by prompting the AI just to create an outline so you can clearly map out what your piece will cover. Next, craft a detailed prompt, with a clear role, goal, audience, and context, that focuses entirely on the substance of your content: the core ideas, main arguments, and essential details. Finally, once you’ve got your fully developed draft, use a third prompt specifically to polish the style, adding a more natural and human tone. By separating content creation from stylistic revisions, you avoid overwhelming your initial prompt with too many instructions.

The last step should always include a human editor. It may go without saying, but humans know how to write like humans. As you read and go over the output, you’ll most likely see opportunities where you can improve and simplify the writing to make it sound natural. This seems obvious, but should be said.

Whether you decide to break your task into multiple clear steps or prefer one large, comprehensive prompt to produce a draft, you’ll still need to explicitly instruct the AI to adopt a more human-like tone. When crafting your humanizing prompt, it helps to know which specific AI tendencies make text feel robotic so you can identify and eliminate them, kind of like The Terminator.

Spot and Remove Robotic Words and Phrases

Here are a few examples of common AI-generated clichés and patterns to steer away from. If they appear in the AI’s draft, you can instruct the model to remove or revise them. At the end of this article, you’ll see a more comprehensive list of cliché words and phrases, as well as a prompt that incorporates some tips.

Overused Transitional Phrases: AI text generators often rely too heavily on terms like “Furthermore,” “Moreover,” , However,” “In addition,” or “On the other hand.” Overusing these at the start of every other sentence feels unnatural. Humans do use transitions, but not as consistently rigid; it’s fine (even preferable) to have some sentences that just flow without formal openers. In prompts, you might say: “avoid starting each sentence with formal connectors – use them sparingly.”

Excessive Hedging and Qualifiers: Phrases such as “It is important to note that…”, “It might be the case that…”, or “One could argue…” are common in AI outputs as the model tries to cover all bases​. While some hedging can be appropriate, too much makes the text feel non-committal.  Too many uses of “maybe,” “could,” “possibly,” “somewhat,” and similar words can make your writing seem vague or lacking conviction. On the flip side, AI tends to avoid booster words like “clearly”, “definitely”, “certainly”.  When you write a prompt, encourage confident, direct statements (unless the context truly calls for cautious language). You can specify: “state facts or opinions directly instead of using ‘it might be’ or similar hedging.”

Repetitive or Formulaic Structure: AI-generated text might start every paragraph with a similar construction or present points in a very predictable order. Introductions and conclusions can be especially formulaic (e.g., opening with a bland definition or ending with “In conclusion, …”)​. Real human writing usually has more variation and sometimes even breaks the expected pattern. Ensure the prompt or your follow-up tells the AI you don’t want a stiff five-paragraph essay structure. For example: “Don’t mirror a standard essay format; write it in a naturally flowing way as a human would.”

Redundant Phrases and Filler Words: AI text often includes a lot of fluff that doesn’t add meaning. This can be double adjectives (“extremely important and crucial”), filler phrases (“in order to”), or repeating the same idea in slightly different words. A professional writing guide explicitly advises avoiding repetitive phrases and clichés. Your prompt can reinforce this by saying “be concise and avoid clichés or repeating ideas.” If the source text has such redundancy, ask the AI to trim it while rewriting.

Jargon and Buzzwords: Without guidance, AI might sprinkle in popular buzzwords that sound generic or hypey. For example, “innovative solutions,” “leveraging cutting-edge technology,” “game-changing results,” etc. Overuse of buzzwords or corporate jargon is a tell-tale sign of AI (or just bad writing) and can make the content feel impersonal. One analysis noted that AI content often reads as a “wordy and generic approximation of corporate writing” – overly formal, repetitive, and bland​. To avoid this, you can instruct: “Use plain language and specific descriptions rather than corporate buzzwords.” In other words, favor clear meaning over trendy terminology.

Lack of Personal Touch or Emotion: AI outputs may come out factually correct and well-structured but emotionally flat. They typically don’t include personal anecdotes, humor, or empathy unless prompted to do so. As a result, the text can feel cold. To humanize it, consider asking for a bit of personal tone if appropriate: “You can include a personal touch or mild humor to make it more relatable.” Even in professional contexts, a hint of empathy or a conversational aside (e.g., a rhetorical question or a simple joke) can break the robotic rhythm and show there’s a human behind the words. The key is to add just enough personality to engage readers, while staying on message.

By anticipating these issues, you can direct the AI to avoid them from the outset. For example, a prompt could say: “Rewrite this paragraph to sound more human. Use varied sentence lengths, add a friendly comment or two, and drop any overly formal phrasing or filler like ‘in conclusion’.” Such instructions explicitly guard against the common giveaways of AI-generated text.

What do you replace these overused words and phrases with?

Here’s a ranked list of words most commonly overused by AI, along with natural, everyday alternatives that can be used instead.

• Delve → Look into, Explore, Dig into, Investigate, Check out
• Tapestry → Mix, Collection, Blend, Pattern, Variety, Story
• Deep-dive → Look further into, Look closely at, Examine
• Vibrant → Lively, Bright, Energetic, Full of life, Bold
• Landscape → Scene, Setting, Environment, Space, Outlook
• Realm → Area, Field, World, Space, Niche
• Embark → Begin, Start, Set out, Kick off, Take on
• Excels → Does well, Stands out, Succeeds, Shines, Performs well
• Vital → Important, Key, Crucial, Necessary, Essential
• Comprehensive → Thorough, Complete, Full, Detailed, All-inclusive
• Intricate → Complex, Detailed, Complicated, Delicate, Elaborate
• Pivotal → Key, Crucial, Important, Defining, Essential
• Moreover → Also, Plus, What’s more, On top of that, Besides
• Arguably → Possibly, Maybe, One could say, Likely, It could be said
• Notably → Importantly, Clearly, Worth mentioning, Standing out, Significantly
• Dynamic → Lively, Engaging, Ever-changing, Active, Flexible
• Efficient → Quick, Effective, Productive, Well-organized, Smooth
• Exciting → Fun, Interesting, Thrilling, Engaging, Cool
• Exemplary → Outstanding, Great, Impressive, Top-notch, Ideal
• Innovative → New, Creative, Fresh, Unique, Smart
• Adept → Skilled, Good at, Talented, Capable, Proficient
• Commendable → Praiseworthy, Impressive, Worth noting, Admirable, Great
• Ever-evolving → Always changing, Growing, Developing, Shifting, Adapting
• Transformative → Life-changing, Eye-opening, Big, Impactful, Game-changing
• Seamless → Smooth, Effortless, Easy, Flawless, Natural
• Robust → Strong, Sturdy, Solid, Reliable, Durable
• Groundbreaking → New, First-of-its-kind, Bold, Unseen before, Fresh
• Revolutionary → Game-changing, Radical, Big, New, Different
• Synergy → Teamwork, Collaboration, Connection, Balance, Harmony
• Cutting-edge → Advanced, High-tech, New, Leading, Modern
• Leverage → Use, Make the most of, Take advantage of, Apply, Utilize
• Journey → Path, Process, Experience, Ride, Road
• Resonate → Connect with, Feel right, Make sense, Strike a chord
• Unlock → Open, Discover, Access, Figure out, Gain
• Unleash → Let loose, Set free, Show, Release, Bring out
• Elevate → Improve, Raise, Make better, Boost, Lift
• Amplify → Increase, Boost, Expand, Make bigger, Strengthen
• Game-changer → Big improvement, major shift, real difference, turning point
• Next-level → Better, improved, advanced, even greater, a step up
• Supercharge → Boost, strengthen, improve, enhance, speed up
• Harness → Use, take advantage of, make the most of, apply
• Foster → Encourage, support, help grow, build, develop
• Testament → Proof, sign, example, reflection, result
• Spearhead → Lead, start, take charge of, drive, be at the forefront of
• Landscape (metaphor) → Field, industry, market, environment, scene
• Treasure trove → Collection, wealth of information, valuable resource
• Move the needle → Make a difference, have an impact, create change, improve results
• Mission-critical → Essential, crucial, key, very important

The Ultimate Text Humanizer Prompt

We’ve taken all the tips and insights discussed above and put them together into a powerful custom prompt designed specifically to help you humanize AI-generated text. Feel free to edit or fine-tune it to reflect your unique style or tone of voice. This prompt is versatile. You can use it on its own by simply pasting your AI-generated content into the quotes provided at the bottom, append it directly to your existing prompts, or adapt it slightly as special instructions in your ongoing projects, such as a custom GPT or brand voice guidelines. This prompt is very similar to the prompt that runs our one step text humanizer tool. Go ahead and copy it below!

Text Humanizer Prompt Template:

You're an expert editor with exceptional skill in creating engaging, authentic, and human-sounding writing. Your task is to rewrite the provided text to sound completely natural, original, and genuinely human-written.

Follow these instructions precisely:

1. Maintain the original message, key points, structure, and context without altering facts or overall intent. Reflect the author's original tone (formal, conversational, persuasive, informative, etc.) unless otherwise instructed.

2. Avoid using phrases commonly associated with generic AI-generated content such as "delve," "realm," "tapestry," "unleash," "unlock," "ever-evolving," "treasure trove," and similar clichés. Avoid overly repetitive or predictable transitional phrases like "Moreover," "In conclusion," "Furthermore," or repetitive sentence structures.

3: Write naturally, varying sentence lengths and structures. Employ everyday language and conversational expressions where appropriate. Include contractions and a more casual grammatical style if suitable for the context. Use figurative language sparingly, and only when it genuinely enhances understanding or readability.

4. Personalize and Add Subtle Human Touches: Incorporate relatable examples, brief anecdotes, rhetorical questions, or mild humor if contextually appropriate and relevant.

5. Proofread for Natural Flow: After rewriting, read the output as if you're the intended audience. Ensure it feels natural and authentic; Something a person would comfortably say or write.

Here is the text to humanize:

"{Insert AI generated text here}"

Strategies for Different Tones of Voice

What it means to “sound human” will change slightly with different writing tones. A conversational blog post, a corporate email, and a persuasive sales letter should all feel natural to the reader, but each requires a distinct style. In your prompts, you will tailor instructions to achieve the specific tone of voice you need. Below is a breakdown of approaches for a few common tones — conversational, professional, persuasive, and friendly, along with example prompts for each.

Conversational Tone

A conversational tone is like how you’d speak to someone in casual dialogue. The writing should be informal, accessible, and engaging. Contractions (“I’m, you’re, don’t”) and first- or second-person address are welcome because that’s how people naturally talk. You can even allow slight grammatical looseness (starting a sentence with “And” or “But,” using colloquial phrases) to make it flow like everyday speech​

Sentence lengths should vary – some short and punchy, others a bit longer, mimicking a real conversation’s rhythm. To achieve this, prompt the AI to “write as if chatting with a friend”. Emphasize simplicity over big words and encourage a friendly, narrative style. For example, after adding instructions to be conversational and avoid fancy terms, a previously stiff explanation became much more relaxed and human-sounding​

Example Prompt (Conversational):

“Rewrite the following text in a casual, conversational tone, as if you were explaining it to a friend over coffee. Use everyday language, contractions, and feel free to add a light-hearted comment. Avoid any overly formal wording. Text: "{insert the AI-generated words}.”

Professional Tone

A professional tone is often required for business or academic contexts. The goal here is to sound clear, respectful, and authoritative without slipping into robot-like formality. In practice, a professional human tone means using polished language and correct grammar, but still sounding like a person rather than an legalese template. You’ll want to avoid slang and too much humor, but you also avoid buzzword overkill or unnecessarily complex sentences. In your prompt, you might specify a tone that is “formal yet natural”. For instance, instruct the AI to write as if composing a polite business email: courteous, straightforward, and trustworthy​

mindesigns.com.au. You can mention the need for concise sentences and a confident voice. If the original AI text is rambling or stiff, ask to “make it more succinct and corporate-friendly, with a professional tone.” This could involve using terminology appropriate to the field but phrased in a way a colleague or client would easily understand. Essentially, it should read as professional and human – like a competent person wrote it, not a boilerplate generator. Focus on active voice and clarity.

Example Prompt (Professional):

“Revise the following text to a professional, business-appropriate tone. It should sound polite and confident, as if written by an expert addressing colleagues or clients. Keep the language clear and straightforward, and remove any slang or overly casual phrases. Text: "{insert AI-generated words}.”

“Revise the following text to a professional, business-appropriate tone. It should sound polite and confident, as if written by an expert addressing colleagues or clients. Keep the language clear and straightforward, and remove any slang or overly casual phrases. Text: {insert passage}.”

Persuasive Tone

A persuasive tone is used in marketing, sales, or any context where you want to convince and motivate the reader. Human persuasion often involves emotional appeal, vivid language, and a clear call-to-action – but delivered in a sincere voice, not a hype machine. To prompt for this, you can ask the AI to “use an engaging and passionate tone” or explicitly combine tone words like compelling, confident, and encouraging. For example, you might say: “Rewrite this in a persuasive tone that is enthusiastic but genuine – it should inspire the reader to act.” The AI should focus on benefits to the reader, use positive and action-oriented words, and perhaps pose rhetorical questions or paint a quick narrative to hook the audience. An urgent and persuasive style often has a sense of energy and direction​

mindesigns.com.au (“Imagine if you could…”, “Don’t miss out on…”), much like a strong salesperson’s friendly pitch​

mindesigns.com.au. The key is to keep it human by not going over-the-top: avoid all-caps or excessive exclamation points, and maintain honesty. In your prompt instructions, balancing emotion with credibility is important – e.g., “evoke excitement and optimism, but keep the wording believable and sincere.” This helps prevent the AI from producing a melodramatic or insincerely gushy tone.

Example Prompt (Persuasive):

“Rewrite the text in a persuasive and enthusiastic tone that would appeal to the reader’s feelings and motivate them. Use strong, positive language and speak directly to the reader (use ‘you’), highlighting the benefits and urgency. However, keep it sincere – it should sound passionate, not gimmicky or overhyped. Text: {insert AI-generated words}.”

Friendly Tone

A friendly tone is approachable, warm, and often somewhat informal – but it may be used in professional communication where you want to put the reader at ease. To get a friendly voice, encourage the AI to write as if the author is a helpful colleague or a kind expert. This means using positive language, a caring or polite attitude, and sometimes inclusive words like “we” or asking gentle questions to engage the reader. You might specify a tone that is “friendly and understanding”, which is especially useful for things like customer service replies or educational content intended to be welcoming. One prompt example could be: “Take a friendly, conversational tone – imagine you’re guiding a newcomer patiently.” According to one set of tone guidelines, a friendly voice comes across as warm and approachable, similar to chatting with someone who is personable yet respectful​

In execution, that could mean the AI uses phrases like “I’d be happy to help with that!” or a sympathetic sentence like “I understand how frustrating that can be.” The writing should avoid stiff phrasing and instead sound neighborly and encouraging. In your prompt, you can also mention politeness (using “please” and “thank you” where it fits) and a touch of enthusiasm. This will direct the AI to produce a tone that readers instinctively trust and find likable.

Example Prompt (Friendly):

“Please rewrite the following message in a friendly, upbeat tone. It should sound like it’s coming from a supportive colleague – warm, patient, and encouraging. Use polite phrasing and a personal touch (e.g., ‘I’m here to help’), rather than any rigid or terse language. Text: {insert passage}.”

The Future

As language models evolve and get updated, the robotic words and phrases we’re used to seeing today might gradually fade away, replaced by new patterns depending on the specific AI model you use. That means you’ll need to periodically refresh your instructions to keep your text feeling authentically human. Eventually, AI-generated writing might become so natural that it’s impossible to spot the difference—but until that day comes, keep pushing to create content that’s engaging, original, and unmistakably alive.