# Strip AI-sounding phrasing from a draft, keep the meaning

> Edits out the stock phrases, filler lists and inflated vocabulary that make a draft read as AI-written, while keeping every fact and claim intact.

- **Author:** [Abhay Pratap Mishra (@abhay)](https://promptabide.com/abhay)
- **Tested on:** Claude · Opus 5.5
- **You fill in:** `author`, `audience`, `draft`
- **Published:** 2026-08-26
- **Updated:** 2026-09-24
- **Tags:** `editing`, `writing`, `content-creation`
- **Keywords:** make ai writing sound human, remove ai phrases from text, edit chatgpt draft to sound natural, words that make writing sound like ai, humanize ai generated content
- **Views:** 1210
- **Likes:** 28

**Best for:** Anyone who drafted with AI (or writes in a stiff, corporate register) and needs the piece to sound like a specific person before publishing.

## Prompt

```
Edit the draft below so it no longer reads as AI-written, while keeping every claim, fact and the overall structure. The author is {{author}} and the piece is for {{audience}}.

Draft:
{{draft}}

Fix these patterns wherever they appear:
- Stock openers and closers ("In today's...", "In conclusion", "Ultimately")
- Inflated vocabulary: delve, tapestry, landscape, robust, seamless, crucial, leverage, navigate, realm, elevate, strive
- Lists of three that are there for rhythm, not content
- "It's not X, it's Y" and "Whether you're X or Y" constructions
- Em dashes used as all-purpose punctuation
- Vague claims with no example. If you can't make one specific from the draft, mark it [NEEDS EXAMPLE] rather than inventing one
- Every paragraph the same length

Keep: the author's own phrases that sound human, technical terms, and every number or quote exactly as written.

Output:
1. The edited draft.
2. A change log: the 5 most important edits, before and after.
3. Anything you cut or softened that changed the meaning even slightly, so I can put it back.
```

## Variables

- `{{author}}` — Who the piece is by (e.g. a nurse practitioner writing on her clinic's blog)
- `{{audience}}` — Who will read it (e.g. the clinic's patients)
- `{{draft}}` — The full draft to edit (e.g. In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to let your health take a back seat...)

## Example input

```
author: a nurse practitioner writing on her clinic's blog
audience: the clinic's patients
draft:
In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to let your health take a back seat. But when it comes to flu season, timing is crucial. Whether you're a busy parent or a retiree, getting your flu shot is not just a personal choice — it's a community responsibility. The CDC recommends getting vaccinated by the end of October, as it takes about two weeks for your body to build protection. At our clinic, we strive to provide a seamless, stress-free experience. Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm, and most insurance plans cover the shot at no cost. Our team is here to help you navigate your options and make informed decisions. Ultimately, a small step today can make a big difference tomorrow. Don't wait — protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community this flu season.
```

## Output

*Produced by Claude · Opus 5.5.*

```
**1. Edited draft**

Flu season is here, and when you get your shot matters. The CDC recommends getting vaccinated by the end of October, because it takes about two weeks for your body to build protection.

A flu shot protects you, and it also protects the people around you.

We try to make it quick. Walk-ins are welcome Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm, and most insurance plans cover the shot at no cost. If you're not sure which option is right for you, or whether your plan covers it, ask us and we'll help you work it out.

If you haven't had your shot yet, don't wait. Come in any weekday before the end of October.

**2. Change log**
1. "In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to let your health take a back seat." → cut. It delays the point and applies to any health topic.
2. "timing is crucial" → "when you get your shot matters."
3. "not just a personal choice — it's a community responsibility" → "it also protects the people around you." Same idea, without the "not X, it's Y" construction or the em dash.
4. "we strive to provide a seamless, stress-free experience" → "We try to make it quick."
5. "Ultimately, a small step today can make a big difference tomorrow. Don't wait — protect yourself, your loved ones, and your community" → a direct ask with a deadline taken from the CDC line already in the post.

**3. Meaning changes to check**
- **"Whether you're a busy parent or a retiree"** is gone. If you want to speak to those groups specifically, put it back as a plain sentence.
- **"Community responsibility"** is softer now. "Protects the people around you" is a benefit, not a duty. If the stronger framing was deliberate, restore it. [NEEDS EXAMPLE: if you want to say who is most at risk, name the groups you actually see in your clinic.]
- **"Seamless, stress-free" became "quick."** That's a slightly different promise; only keep "quick" if walk-in waits really are short.
- **"Before the end of October"** in the last line is new wording, but it restates the CDC recommendation from the first paragraph.
```

## Why it works

A **named list of patterns** works far better than "make it sound human," which just produces a different set of clichés. Telling the model to **keep every number and quote exactly** protects the facts, and the **[NEEDS EXAMPLE] marker** stops it inventing specifics to replace vague claims, which is the most common way a de-AI edit introduces errors. The **change log** lets you check the edits quickly, and the **"what changed the meaning" list** is the safety net: tone edits often soften a claim without anyone noticing.

## When not to use it

This fixes surface style, not thin thinking: if the draft has nothing specific to say, it will still say nothing, just more plainly. Don't use it to pass off AI writing as your own where that breaks a rule (school, some publications, client contracts). For your own voice, feed in a few paragraphs you wrote yourself as a reference.

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