De-Slop
Strip AI writing patterns from text to restore natural, human-sounding prose.
Based on Wikipedia: Signs of AI writing and WikiProject AI Cleanup.
When to Use
- Editing any prose that sounds like chatbot output
- Reviewing drafts generated with AI assistance
- Self-check before publishing AI-assisted writing
- When text feels "off" but the reason is hard to pinpoint
Process
Step 1: Diagnose
Read the full text before changing anything. Load references/word-list.md and references/structural-patterns.md to identify which patterns are present.
Categorize findings into three severity levels:
Red — Immediate tells (fix first)
- Chatbot leakage ("I hope this helps", "Certainly!", template blanks)
- Grandiose filler ("stands as a testament", "in today's fast-paced world")
- Synonym cycling (same entity referred to by 4+ different names)
Yellow — Statistical signals (fix in clusters)
- 3+ words from the overused word list appearing in close proximity
- Rule of three used more than twice
- Tailing participle phrases ("emphasizing the significance of")
- Em-dash density higher than ~1 per 200 words
Green — Structural patterns (require rewriting, not word swaps)
- Relentless balance (every section same length)
- Uniform register (no tonal variation)
- Generic specificity (hypothetical examples, no real names)
- Excessive hedging (qualifiers every third sentence)
- Risk aversion (no specific claims, no edge)
Present the diagnosis as a brief summary before making changes. Example:
Diagnosis: 4 red flags (chatbot leakage, grandiose filler), 7 yellow signals
(word clusters in paragraphs 2, 5, 8), 2 green patterns (relentless balance,
uniform register).Step 2: Fix Red Flags
Remove or replace all Red items. These are unambiguous AI artifacts.
Chatbot leakage: Delete entirely.
Grandiose filler: Replace with plain statements or delete.
- "stands as a testament to" -> "shows" or "is"
- "plays a vital role in shaping" -> "shapes" or "affects"
- "in today's fast-paced world" -> delete (it never adds meaning)
Synonym cycling: Pick one term and stick with it. Use pronouns for variety.
Step 3: Fix Yellow Signals
Work through clusters. The goal is not to ban specific words but to break up detectable patterns.
Word clusters: Replace overused words with plain alternatives.
- "delve into" -> "look at" / "examine" / (often just delete)
- "leverage" -> "use"
- "robust" -> "strong" / "solid" / (ask: is this adjective needed at all?)
- "nuanced" -> "detailed" / "complicated" / (often delete)
- "landscape" -> name the actual domain
- "multifaceted" -> drop it; describe the actual facets instead
- "crucial" / "pivotal" / "paramount" -> "important" or delete
Copula avoidance: Restore simple verbs.
- "serves as" -> "is"
- "features" / "offers" / "boasts" -> "has"
Transition abuse: Remove mechanical connectives.
- "Moreover," / "Furthermore," / "In addition," -> start the sentence without them, or use "and" / "also"
Rule of three: Break at least half of them. Use two items, or four, or one.
Tailing participles: Rewrite as separate sentences or delete.
- "..., emphasizing the importance of X" -> delete, or: "X matters because..."
Step 4: Fix Green Patterns
These require actual rewriting, not substitution.
Relentless balance: Redistribute weight. Expand important sections. Trim or collapse unimportant ones. A 3-sentence paragraph next to a 12-sentence paragraph is fine.
Uniform register: Inject tonal shifts. A blunt short sentence after a complex one. A casual aside in a technical passage. Let the writing breathe.
Generic specificity: Replace hypothetical examples with real ones, or remove examples that add nothing.
Excessive hedging: Remove qualifiers that don't reflect genuine uncertainty. If something is true, state it without "often" / "generally" / "can be."
Risk aversion: Sharpen claims. Add an opinion. Allow an imperfect sentence to stand if it has energy.
Enthusiasm gap: Vary paragraph investment. Spend more words where the writer (or subject) is more interesting.
Step 5: Final Read
Read the entire edited text once more. Check for:
- Overcorrection — Did fixes make the text choppy or too informal? Restore where needed.
- Meaning preservation — Does every sentence still say what it originally meant?
- New patterns — Did edits introduce their own repetitive patterns?
- Voice consistency — Does the text sound like one person wrote it?
Principles
- Prefer plain words. "Use" over "leverage." "Is" over "serves as." "Important" over "crucial."
- Prefer short sentences. Break long compounds. Not every thought needs a clause.
- Preserve meaning. Never change what the text says, only how it says it.
- Don't over-correct. Some em dashes are fine. An occasional "furthermore" is fine. The goal is to break patterns, not ban words.
- Real > hypothetical. A named example beats "consider a scenario where..."
- Uneven > balanced. Spend more words on what matters more.
- Specific > vague. "Response time dropped from 200ms to 50ms" beats "significantly improved performance."