# Copy that sounds generated

> Strip the statistical habits of generated prose (model vocabulary, not-just-X, the rule of three, em dashes, puffery, chatbot residue) and put a real voice back.

Module: Spotting AI-default UI · Level: beginner · 7 min · https://school.agents.org.in/design/tells/copy-tells

A product announcement, the kind an agent drafts in a second. Tap each phrase that gives it away, then press **Rewritten**.

*[Interactive demo: Eight copy tells in two sentences, then the same news said by a person.]*

No single phrase there is wrong. "Additionally" is a real word; em dashes are real punctuation. But together they form a watermark. Each copy tell (A habit of generated writing: words like delve and leverage, 'not just X, but Y', lists of three, em dashes, puffery, 'I hope this helps!'. Each is fine alone; together they are a watermark) is defensible alone and damning in a crowd.

The pass goes in order: words, then sentences, then punctuation, then claims. Then you put a voice back, because clean and voiceless is its own tell.

## Words

| Generated | Write |
|---|---|
| delve into | look at |
| crucial, pivotal | important, or name the consequence |
| leverage, utilize | use |
| facilitate | help |
| enhance | improve, or say the specific change |
| showcase, underscore | show |
| landscape, tapestry | field, mix, or delete the sentence |
| additionally | also |
| in the event that | if |
| serves as, boasts | is, has |

Delete filler on sight: "in order to", "it is important to note that". Cut adverbs or fix the verb ("runs quickly" becomes the number). Swap promotional adjectives (seamless, robust, stunning, vibrant) for a plain description and let the reader supply the adjective. Metaphor jargon (north star, flywheel, paradigm) costs credibility when a plain word exists.

## Sentences

- **"Not just X, but Y."** State Y. If Y can't stand without the runway, Y is the problem.
- **Break the rule of three (The habit of listing exactly three things ('fast, simple and secure') because three sounds complete, whether or not there are three real items).** Count the real items; write two, or five.
- **Kill false ranges** like "from startups to enterprises". Name the one that matters.
- **Repeat the word.** Cycling synonyms for one thing is a school-essay habit; the same word helps the reader track it.
- **Name the actor.** Passive voice hides who does what.
- **Hedge once at most.** "Could potentially possibly" is a model avoiding commitment.

## Punctuation and formatting

No em dashes in product prose: use a period or a comma. A colon introduces a list; it does not glue two clauses. Bold is for scanning, not emphasis. **The bold-label-plus-colon list that restates its own line is the strongest formatting tell there is.** Sentence-case headings, no decorative emoji.

*(This lesson has no em dashes in it. You probably didn't miss them.)*

## Claims: the two tests

Puffery (Big promotional words that claim a lot and can't be checked: 'seamless', 'robust', 'a testament to', 'revolutionary'. Replace them with what actually happens) ("a testament to", "sets the stage for") gets replaced by what happened. Delete the trailing "-ing" clause that bolts a conclusion onto a fact ("…, ensuring reliability"). No generic conclusions ("exciting times ahead") and no chatbot residue (Lines the model wrote to the person prompting it that got pasted into the product: 'I hope this helps!', 'Great question!', 'Certainly! Here is…') ("I hope this helps!", "Great question!").

Then every product sentence faces two tests:

  **Step: Can it be restated as a concrete instruction, fact or number?.** "Saves you time" fails. "Drafts the invoice from your timer" passes.

  **Step: Could it appear unchanged in another product's docs?.** "Built for teams that ship" could be anyone's. If it could, cut it.

Fail either, cut the sentence.

  **Before (avoid):**

Our robust, seamless platform empowers teams to unlock their full potential, ensuring every project succeeds.

  **After (do this):**

Billable turns your tracked hours into an invoice. Most people send their first one in under 4 minutes.

## Putting a voice back

Stripping alone overshoots: a sentence reduced to nouns reads as generated too. The target is a sentence a specific person would say about this specific product.

- Have a reaction. Real reactions are mixed ("fast, though the setup is fiddly").
- Vary the rhythm. A short sentence after two long ones.
- Use "I" or "we" when it fits.
- Be specific over evocative: the specific image can't be produced by averaging.
- Let a little mess in: a tangent, an admitted uncertainty.

This applies to every text a person reads: button labels, error messages, empty states, marketing pages, docs, release notes, the README.

**Copy tells pass (paste into your agent):**

```text
Edit this text to remove generated-prose habits, in this order:
1. Words: delve, crucial, pivotal, leverage, utilize, facilitate, enhance, showcase, landscape, additionally, seamless, robust → plain words or delete.
2. Sentences: no "not just X but Y", no rule of three, no false ranges, name the actor, one hedge max.
3. Punctuation: no em dashes, no bold-label-colon lists, sentence-case headings, no emoji.
4. Claims: cut puffery, trailing "-ing" conclusions, generic endings, chatbot residue.
Every remaining sentence must be a concrete fact, instruction or number, and must not fit another product unchanged. Keep a human voice; don't strip it to nouns.
```

**Check yourself:** Which sentence passes both tests (concrete, and not pasteable into another product)?

- [ ] Our platform seamlessly enhances your workflow.
- [ ] Built for modern teams that move fast.
- [x] Flowly flags the two tasks blocking someone else every Monday at 9.
- [ ] Flowly isn't just a to-do app, it's a productivity revolution.

*Why:* It states a specific behavior with a time and couldn't describe another product unchanged. The others are puffery, a false range of 'modern teams', or the not-just-X construction.

## In the skill

- https://school.agents.org.in/skill/anti-patterns/copy-tells.md