Some words are tells. A reader sees them and, even without thinking about it, feels that a machine wrote the text. They are not wrong words exactly. They are just words that AI reaches for far more often than people do, so they have become a signal.
Here are 27 of the worst offenders, grouped by type, with what to write instead. If you started a draft with AI, run a search for these first.
The fancy verbs
AI loves to dress up simple actions. These are the most common:
| Sounds like AI | Write instead |
|---|---|
| Utilize | Use |
| Leverage | Use, or tap into |
| Delve into | Look at, get into |
| Facilitate | Help, make easier |
| Employ | Use |
| Foster | Build, encourage |
| Harness | Use |
| Streamline | Simplify, speed up |
The empty phrases
These add words without adding meaning. Cut them or replace them with the plain point.
| Sounds like AI | Write instead |
|---|---|
| It is worth noting that | Just say it |
| In today's digital landscape | Right now, or cut it |
| It is important to note | Cut it |
| When it comes to | For, with, or cut it |
| In the realm of | In |
| Navigating the world of | Cut it |
| At the end of the day | In the end, or cut it |
| Needless to say | Then do not say it |
The overused describers
AI leans on the same handful of adjectives and connectors. Spread these out or drop them.
| Sounds like AI | Write instead |
|---|---|
| Comprehensive | Full, complete, or be specific |
| Robust | Strong, solid, reliable |
| Seamless | Smooth, or say what happens |
| Cutting-edge | New, or name the thing |
| Game-changer | Say what actually changed |
| Furthermore | Also, or a new sentence |
| Moreover | Also, and |
| Additionally | Also, and |
| Consequently | So |
| Ultimately | In the end, or cut it |
| Elevate | Improve, lift, raise |
Why these words matter beyond detectors
It is easy to think of this as a game about beating AI detectors. It is bigger than that. These words make writing feel generic to a human reader too. They are the vocabulary of press releases and corporate blog posts nobody finishes. Cutting them does not just lower your AI score, it makes your writing sharper and more honest.
The one habit that fixes it long term
Write the way you talk. When you catch yourself typing "utilize," ask whether you would ever say that out loud to a friend. You would say "use." That instinct, the plain word over the fancy one, is the whole skill. The list above is just training wheels until it becomes automatic.