/humanize

Strip AI writing patterns from user-facing text. Takes a file or pasted text and rewrites it to read like a human wrote it, without losing meaning or structure.

Why this exists

LLM output has recognizable tells — em dashes, stock phrases, promotional inflation, performed authenticity. Readers (and Google) notice. This skill catches those patterns and rewrites them.

When to use

• After /content-gen, /landing-gen, /video-promo — polish the output
• Before publishing any user-facing prose (blog posts, landing pages, emails)
• When editing CLAUDE.md or docs that will be read by humans
• Standalone: /humanize path/to/file.md

Input

• File path from $ARGUMENTS — reads and rewrites in place
• No argument — asks to paste text, outputs cleaned version
• Works on .md, .txt, and text content in .tsx/.html (string literals only)

Pattern Catalog

1. Em Dash Overuse (—)

The most obvious AI tell. Replace with commas, periods, colons, or restructure the sentence.

Rule: Max 1 em dash per 500 words. Zero is better.

2. Stock Phrases

Phrases that signal "AI wrote this." Remove or replace with specific language.

Filler phrases (delete entirely):

• "it's worth noting that" → (just state the thing)
• "at the end of the day" → (cut)
• "in today's world" / "in the modern landscape" → (cut)
• "without further ado" → (cut)
• "let's dive in" / "let's explore" → (cut)

Promotional inflation (replace with specifics):

• "game-changer" → what specifically changed?
• "revolutionary" → what's actually new?
• "cutting-edge" → describe the technology
• "seamless" → "works without configuration" (or whatever it actually does)
• "leverage" → "use"
• "robust" → "handles X edge cases" (specific)
• "streamline" → "cut steps from N to M"
• "empower" → what can the user now do?
• "unlock" → what's the actual capability?

Performed authenticity (rewrite):

• "to be honest" → (if you need to say this, the rest wasn't honest?)
• "let me be frank" → (just be frank)
• "I have to say" → (just say it)
• "honestly" → (cut)
• "the truth is" → (cut, state the truth directly)

3. Rule of Three

AI loves triplets: "fast, secure, and scalable." Real writing varies list length.

Rule: If you find 3+ triplet lists in one document, break at least half of them.

4. Structural Patterns

Every section has the same shape: AI tends to write: heading → one-sentence intro → 3 bullets → transition sentence. Real writing varies section length and structure.

Hedging sandwich: "While X has limitations, it offers Y, making it Z." → Pick a side. State it.

False balance: "On one hand X, on the other hand Y." → If one side is clearly better, say so.

5. Sycophantic Openers

• "Great question!" → (cut)
• "That's a fantastic idea!" → (cut, or say what's specifically good about it)
• "Absolutely!" → (cut if not genuine agreement)
• "I'd be happy to help!" → (just help)

6. Passive Voice / Weak Verbs

• "It should be noted that" → (cut, just note it)
• "There are several factors that" → name the factors
• "It is important to" → say why
• "This can be achieved by" → "Do X"

Process

1. Read the input — file path or pasted text.

2. Scan for patterns — check each category above. Count violations per category.

3. Rewrite — fix each violation while preserving:

   • Technical accuracy (don't change code, commands, or technical terms)
   • Structure (headings, lists, code blocks stay)
   • Tone intent (if the original was casual, keep it casual)
   • Length (aim for same or shorter, never longer)

4. Report what changed:

   Humanized: {file or "pasted text"}
   
   Changes:
     Em dashes:  {N} removed
     Stock phrases: {N} replaced
     Inflation: {N} deflated
     Triplets: {N} broken
     Sycophancy: {N} cut
     Total: {N} patterns fixed
   
   Before: {word count}
   After:  {word count}
   

5. If file path: write the cleaned version back. Show a diff summary. If pasted text: output the cleaned version directly.

What NOT to change

• Code blocks and inline code
• Technical terms, library names, CLI commands
• Quotes from other people (attributed quotes stay verbatim)
• Numbers, dates, URLs
• Headings structure (don't merge or split sections)
• Content meaning — only rephrase, never add or remove ideas

Edge Cases

• Short text (<50 words): just apply stock phrase filter, skip structural analysis
• Already clean: report "No AI patterns found. Text looks human."
• Code-heavy docs: skip code blocks entirely, only process prose sections
• Non-English text: apply em dash and structural rules (they're universal), skip English stock phrases