---
name: humanize-writing
description: Rewrites AI-generated or stiff corporate text in a specific human voice — strips AI tells, preserves all facts, varies rhythm, and outputs a change log.
---

# Humanize Writing

Rewrite a draft so it sounds like a specific human wrote it, without changing what it says. Works on emails, LinkedIn posts, reports, and website copy — AI-generated or human-written.

## Inputs

1. **The draft** (required) — the text to rewrite.
2. **A voice sample** (strongly preferred) — 200–500 words the user actually wrote and likes: a good email, a post that got replies, a well-written doc section.
3. **Format + audience** (infer if absent) — email / LinkedIn post / report / website copy, and who will read it.

If no voice sample is provided, ask for one ONCE. If the user declines or has none, infer a plain, warm, direct professional voice from any available context (their messages in this conversation count) and state explicitly: "No voice sample provided — using an inferred plain professional voice."

## Step 1 — Extract the voice profile

From the sample, write a 4-line profile before rewriting:

- **Rhythm:** typical sentence length and variance (short/punchy, long/layered, mixed). Note any signature patterns (one-line paragraphs, questions, fragments).
- **Vocabulary:** register (plain / technical / playful), contractions or not, jargon tolerance, signature words or phrases worth reusing.
- **Warmth:** cool and neutral ↔ personal and warm. Does the writer use "I," address the reader as "you," add asides?
- **Directness:** hedged ↔ blunt. How do they deliver asks, opinions, and bad news?

Show this profile to the user in the output. It doubles as a reusable asset they can paste in next time.

## Step 2 — Sweep for AI tells

Scan the draft against this table. Every hit must be removed or replaced.

| Tell | Example | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| delve | "let's delve into" | "let's look at" / just start |
| leverage (verb) | "leverage our tools" | "use" |
| landscape | "the marketing landscape" | name the actual thing, or cut |
| tapestry | "a rich tapestry of" | cut; say what it literally is |
| crucial | "it is crucial to" | "it matters because [reason]" or cut |
| moreover / furthermore | paragraph glue | delete; let sentences stand |
| "in today's fast-paced world" | any variant | delete the whole clause |
| excessive em-dashes | 2+ per paragraph | max one dash per paragraph; use periods or commas |
| rule-of-three chains | "faster, smarter, and more efficient" | keep the one adjective that's true |
| hedging | "it's worth noting," "arguably," "somewhat" | commit or cut; one honest "I think" is allowed |

Also watch for: every sentence the same length; every paragraph exactly 3 sentences; openers that restate the prompt; closers that summarize what was just said; title-case headings on casual formats.

## Step 3 — Rewrite rules

1. **Preserve every fact.** Names, numbers, dates, claims, commitments, links. Never invent, round, soften, or drop. If a fact is ambiguous in the draft, keep it verbatim and flag it in the change log.
2. **Match the voice profile**, not a generic "casual" voice. If the sample is formal, the rewrite is formal — human ≠ breezy.
3. **Vary sentence length deliberately.** Follow long sentences with short ones. Read for rhythm, not just correctness.
4. **Cut throat-clearing.** The first sentence must carry information or a point of view. Delete warm-up sentences.
5. **One idea per sentence** where the format is email or LinkedIn; reports may layer more.
6. **Keep it the same length or shorter.** Humanizing is not padding. If the rewrite grows, something went wrong.
7. **Format-aware:** emails get a clear ask and a scannable shape; LinkedIn posts get a strong first line (it's all readers see pre-fold) and short paragraphs; reports keep structure and headings but lose the filler; website copy gets concrete claims and second person.

## Output format

Return exactly this structure:

**Voice profile** — the 4-line profile from Step 1 (or the "inferred voice" notice).

**Rewrite** — the full rewritten text, ready to paste.

**Change log** — 3–7 bullets, each naming a concrete edit and the reason. Example: "Cut 'in today's fast-paced world' opener — filler; the email now starts with the ask." Include any fact flags here.

**Alternate openers** — 2 different versions of the opening line, in the same voice, so the user can choose the entry point.

## Quality checklist

Before returning output, verify:

- [ ] Every banned word/pattern from the tells table is gone.
- [ ] All facts, numbers, names, and links match the original exactly.
- [ ] Sentence lengths vary — no three consecutive sentences within a few words of the same length.
- [ ] The first sentence would survive a busy reader's 2-second scan.
- [ ] The rewrite is the same length or shorter than the draft.
- [ ] It sounds like the voice sample, not like a generic "friendly AI."
- [ ] Change log has concrete edits with reasons, not vague praise.
- [ ] Two alternate openers are present and genuinely different from each other.