Content humanize

Overview

AI-generated text has measurable signatures that readers and search engines detect. This skill encodes the science behind those signals, a scoring diagnostic across 8 dimensions, and a 7-pass rewrite technique for eliminating them. The goal isn't evasion — it's quality. Human-written articles get 5.44x more traffic and hold reader attention 41% longer.

Instructions

Why AI Text Is Detectable

Signal	AI pattern	Human pattern
Perplexity	~21 (predictable word choices)	~36 (unexpected, domain-specific vocabulary)
Burstiness	Uniform sentence lengths (15–25 words)	Dramatic variation — fragments to 40-word sentences
Vocabulary	50+ dead words/phrases at 5–10× frequency	Natural, specific, domain-appropriate
Contractions	Absent or sparse	Constant — "don't", "it's", "won't"
Grammar	Perfect throughout	Natural breaks — "And", "But", fragments, asides
Voice	Detached, encyclopedic	First-person, opinionated, emotionally varied
Structure	Parallel sections, equal lengths, formulaic	Deliberately unequal, unpredictable
Transitions	"Furthermore", "Moreover", "Additionally"	Absent, or "But.", "So.", "The catch?"

Google's March 2026 update amplified "Experience" — content demonstrating genuine first-hand experience outranks comprehensive but impersonal content. 96% of AI Overview citations come from sources with strong E-E-A-T signals.

8-Dimension Diagnostic

Score each dimension 1–10 (10 = fully human). Sum = X/80.

Risk levels: Pass (65+) / Borderline (45–64) / Flagged (30–44) / Critical (<30)

1. Perplexity (Word-Level Unpredictability)

• Flag every statistically obvious word choice
• Count AI vocabulary hits (dead words, transitions, phrases)
• Check for domain-specific or unexpected vocabulary
• Score: high unique/surprising vocabulary = high, generic/predictable = low

2. Burstiness (Sentence-Level Variation)

• Measure sentence length range (shortest vs longest)
• Flag 3+ consecutive sentences within ±5 words of each other
• Check for fragments (<5 words for emphasis)
• Check for long momentum sentences (>30 words)
• Check paragraph length variation across the piece
• Score: dramatic variation with intentional rhythm = high, uniform = low

3. Vocabulary Hygiene

Count every instance of dead vocabulary (see content-voice skill for full lists). Scoring: 0 hits = 10, 1–3 = 7, 4–8 = 4, 9+ = 1.

Also flag formal overreach: "utilize" (use), "facilitate" (help), "demonstrate" (show), "commence" (start), "culminate" (end), "subsequent" (next), "prior to" (before), "in order to" (to), "serves as" (is).

4. Contraction Density

• Count uncontracted forms: "do not", "it is", "will not", "can not", "they are", "we have", "does not", "is not", "was not", "would not", "should not", "could not"
• Target: <2 uncontracted forms per 500 words (unless deliberate emphasis)
• Score: natural contractions throughout = 10, formal throughout = 1

5. Grammatical Humanity

• Sentences starting with "And", "But", "So", "Or" — present? (humans do this constantly)
• Sentence fragments for emphasis — present?
• Parenthetical asides — present?
• Trailing participles: sentences ending with "...highlighting", "...ensuring that", "...contributing to", "...underscoring", "...reflecting" — count each
• "Not just X, but also Y" constructions — count
• Semicolons connecting simple phrases — count (AI overuses these)
• Triads: groups of three adjectives, phrases, or examples used for rhythm ("bold, innovative, and transformative") — count each; 2+ in a piece is a tell
• Em-dash density — count em-dashes per 100 words. AI default is 3+ per paragraph; humans average <1 per 100 words. Total absence is also a tell (over-corrected humanization). One per ~100 words used naturally is the human shape
• Perfect grammar throughout with zero breaks = AI signal
• Score: natural grammar breaks present = high, perfect throughout = low

6. Voice & Personality (carries the E-E-A-T "Experience" load in 2026)

• First-person markers: "I've found", "In my experience", "What I've seen", "We tested" — present?
• Opinions: "I'd argue", "Honestly", "This is overrated", "This matters more than people think" — present?
• Emotional variance: enthusiasm, skepticism, frustration, curiosity, humor — any present?
• Conversational asides: parenthetical thoughts, self-corrections, rhetorical questions?
• Vulnerability or uncertainty: "I'm not sure about this", "The data is mixed", "We got this wrong"?
• Hedging or false balance where a real position exists: "on one hand... on the other", "it depends", "there are pros and cons to both" — count each; genuine uncertainty is fine, avoiding a real answer is not
• Specific references: named tools, named versions, exact settings, exact error messages, people, events, publications, dates?
• Time-boxed case study language: "I tried this for 30 days", "We ran this for one quarter", "Here's the dashboard at week 6" — present where the content type allows?
• "From the field" proof: screenshot callouts, captioned photo references, dashboard descriptions — present?
• Score: rich personality + first-hand experience signals throughout = 10, detached encyclopedic = 1

7. Structural Unpredictability

• Section lengths: all roughly equal? (AI) or deliberately varied? (human)
• Paragraph openers: all topic sentences? Or varied (question, example, continuation)?
• Same paragraph template repeated (topic sentence → explanation → example → summary, again and again)? — flag every repetition after the first
• Conclusion: recap of main points? (AI) Or forward-looking/question/callback? (human)
• Opening: broad definitional? (AI) Or specific scene/claim/stat with commentary? (human)
• Subheadings: generic labels ("Benefits", "Challenges")? Or personality ("Why This Actually Matters")?
• Synonym rotation: same concept called different names each paragraph? (AI tell)
• Format matches the venue: a short reply or comment with ## Headers, 3+ bullet points, or bold mid-sentence reads as AI regardless of word choice. Long articles can use structure when it serves reading; replies, comments, and short posts must be prose unless the surrounding chain uses markdown. Score down hard for short-form content with templated structure
• Score: unpredictable, varied structure = high, formulaic = low

8. Transition Quality

• Count formulaic transitions: "Furthermore", "Moreover", "Additionally", "Moving on", "As we discussed", "It's worth noting"
• Check for conversational alternatives: "But here's the thing", "So.", "The catch?", "And yet."
• Check for zero-transition jumps (just starting the next idea — humans do this often)
• Score: organic or absent transitions = high, formulaic = low

Diagnostic Report Format

## 🧬 HUMANIZATION DIAGNOSTIC: [filename or "Draft"]
**Word count**: X words
**Overall humanization score**: X/80
**Risk level**: Pass (65+) / Borderline (45–64) / Flagged (30–44) / Critical (<30)

| Dimension          | Score | Key Findings              |
|--------------------|-------|--------------------------|
| Perplexity         | X/10  | [summary]                |
| Burstiness         | X/10  | [summary]                |
| Vocabulary         | X/10  | [X dead words found]     |
| Contractions       | X/10  | [X uncontracted forms]   |
| Grammar humanity   | X/10  | [summary]                |
| Voice & personality| X/10  | [summary]                |
| Structure          | X/10  | [summary]                |
| Transitions        | X/10  | [X formulaic found]      |

### Worst Offenders (fix these first)
1. [Most impactful issue — specific location — fix]
2. [Second — specific location — fix]
3. [Third — specific location — fix]

### Dead Word Inventory
[List every flagged word/phrase with location]

7-Pass Rewrite Technique

Apply section by section, in order. Preserve every fact, citation, and data point — rewrite the voice, not the content.

Pass 1: Vocabulary — Replace every dead word, dead transition, dead phrase, and formal overreach. Use the simplest natural word. Don't replace with another AI-sounding synonym — use what a human expert in this field would actually say.

Pass 2: Contractions — Convert every uncontracted form unless it's deliberate emphasis. "Do not touch this" (emphasis) is fine. "It does not appear to be the case" → "It doesn't look like it."

Pass 3: Rhythm — Rebuild sentence lengths for burstiness. Find runs of 3+ similar-length sentences: break one into a fragment, merge two into a long flowing one. After any sentence >25 words, follow with one <8 words. Insert a one-sentence paragraph between dense ones.

Pass 4: Transitions — Kill every formulaic transition. Replace with nothing (just start the next idea), or: "But.", "So here's the thing.", "The catch?", "And yet —", "Which brings up something interesting."

Pass 5: Grammar humanity — Start 2–3 sentences per section with "And" or "But". Add 1–2 parenthetical asides per major section. Use at least one fragment per section. Remove all trailing participle phrases — rewrite as separate sentences. Remove all "not just X, but also Y" constructions. Remove semicolons connecting simple phrases.

Pass 6: Voice injection — At least one first-person observation per major section (if content type allows). At least one opinion or position taken. At least one moment of specificity: a named tool, person, date, or publication. At least one emotional beat: enthusiasm, skepticism, surprise, frustration.

Pass 7: Structure — Make section lengths deliberately unequal. Vary paragraph openers (question, example, continuation — not always topic sentence). If the conclusion recaps, rewrite to end with a question, prediction, or callback. If subheadings are generic, inject personality. Kill synonym rotation — pick the best word and stick with it.

Examples

AI writes:

"Digital marketing has evolved significantly over the past decade. Companies now utilize multiple channels to reach their audiences. Social media platforms offer unique opportunities for engagement. Content marketing remains a powerful strategy for building trust."

Human writes:

"Digital marketing looks nothing like it did ten years ago. Nothing. The channels alone — social, search, email, video, podcasts, influencer partnerships — would've seemed absurd in 2014. And most companies are still figuring it out, throwing budget at whatever platform had a good case study last quarter."

What changed: Specific over abstract. Fragments for punch. Contractions throughout. First-person energy. Unexpected vocabulary. Dramatic rhythm shifts. No dead words.