Humanizer¶
Edit prose for style: cut filler, deflate inflated wording, vary rhythm, and match the register, so the text reads like the author on a good day. This goes beyond deleting words — it addresses rhythm, register, word choice, and the stock structural patterns that make drafts generic.
When to use — and what it is not¶
- Only when the person asks ("tighten this", "edit for style", "humanize this"). No command runs it automatically, and it is never a default step before a critic, a save or a submission.
- A style edit, not a disguise. It improves readability. It does not make AI-assisted text undetectable and must never be used or described as a way to evade AI detection or disclosure rules. AI assistance is declared: the AI-use statement in
/paper --submitand the AI-use declaration in/grant-proposal. - Content is fixed. Facts, numbers, statistics, citations, hedges and technical terms stay exactly as they are. If a sentence cannot be improved without changing what it claims, leave it.
Step 1 — Cut filler and inflated wording¶
Cut or replace the words and patterns below. Exception: technical senses (next paragraph).
Word blacklist — replace or cut:
| Word / phrase | Why cut it |
|---|---|
| delve, delving | Rare outside fantasy novels; say "examine" or "look at" |
| comprehensive, robust, nuanced | Vague intensifiers that pad without adding meaning |
| crucial, pivotal, vital, essential | Overused emphasis words |
| seamlessly, effortlessly | Fake smoothness |
| leverage (as a verb) | Corporate jargon; use "use" or "apply" |
| notably, importantly, significantly | Throat-clearing before a point |
| transformative, groundbreaking, revolutionary | Unjustified superlatives |
| in the realm of, in the landscape of | Pompous filler |
| it is worth noting, it is important to note | Cut entirely; just state the note |
| this highlights, this underscores, this demonstrates | Tell the reader what it shows, don't announce that it shows it |
| the [noun] landscape | Cliché geography metaphor |
| moving forward, going forward | Corporate filler |
| at the end of the day | Cliché |
| em dash (—) | Overused; replace with comma, colon, or period |
Technical senses are exempt. Keep a listed word when it is the technical term, not emphasis: "significant" or "significantly" for a reported statistical test (name the test, or write "statistically significant" — the paper-critic and review-neuro require exactly that), "robust regression", "robust to outliers", "essential tremor", "critical period". Cut the word only where it is an intensifier.
Structural blacklist:
| Pattern | Replace with |
|---|---|
X not only A but also B |
X does A and B — or split into two sentences |
While X, Y (contrast opener) |
Rewrite without "while" — state X and Y as separate facts |
Not X — it's Y contrasts |
State Y directly; cut the negation |
| Three-part lists with parallel structure | Two items or prose; three identical grammatical units sound mechanical |
| Sentences starting with "It is" / "There is" / "There are" | Rewrite with a concrete subject |
| Paragraph ending with punchy one-liner summary | Vary the ending; not every paragraph needs a mic-drop |
| Wh- sentence openers ("What this means is…") | Restructure |
A temporal "while" ("while recording, we…") and a real three-item list (alpha, beta and gamma bands) are content, not patterns: keep them.
Step 2 — Fix rhythm¶
Prose in which every sentence has the same length and every paragraph the same arc is tiring to read. Break it.
Rules: - No three consecutive sentences of the same length (count syllables roughly) - Mix: one short sentence (≤8 words), one medium (9–20 words), one long (21+ words) — in any order - Allow a fragment when it lands. Like this. - Vary paragraph endings: summary, implication, question, example, half-finished thought — not always the same type - A paragraph can be one sentence. It can also be five.
Step 3 — Calibrate register¶
Match the register to the context — but always push toward natural.
Academic writing: - Formal but not stiff; hedges are fine when honest ("may suggest", "consistent with") - First-person is allowed and often clearer ("We found" not "It was found") - Avoid the false objectivity of passive voice when there's a real actor - Technical terms stay; inflated vocabulary goes
Grant / proposal writing: - Confident, not boastful - Specific, not grandiose - Short sentences in the Aims — every word is costing you space - Reviewers have read ten proposals today; write for a tired reader
General prose: - "You" beats "the reader" or "people" - Contractions are fine when the prose is not highly formal - A mild colloquialism is fine where the register allows it
Step 4 — Preserve voice¶
The goal is not to homogenize. Cut the patterns above while keeping what makes the author's writing individual.
- If the author has characteristic phrases or constructions that are not on the lists above, keep them
- Do not make every sentence identical in structure (that's just a different kind of monotony)
- Ask: does this sentence sound like the author, or like generic filler?
Quick checks before delivering¶
Run through each line:
- Any word from the blacklist used as emphasis? Replace or cut (technical senses stay).
- Em dash anywhere? Remove.
- Three sentences same length in a row? Break one.
- Passive construction where there's a real actor? Name them.
- Sentence starts with "It is" / "There is"? Rewrite.
- "Not X, it's Y" contrast? State Y.
- Paragraph ends with punchy summary? Vary it.
- Any fact, number, citation or hedge changed? Put it back.
Scoring¶
Rate 1–10 on each dimension. Below 35/50: revise.
| Dimension | Question |
|---|---|
| Naturalness | Does this read like the author's own prose? |
| Rhythm | Varied, or metronomic? |
| Plainness | Free of the listed filler words and patterns? |
| Voice | Distinct, or generic? |
| Density | Any word that could be cut? |