How to Stop Sounding Like AI: Remove the em dash

To my readers: Sorry, it's been a minute. I've been overwhelmed with so many learnings, and I can't figure out what I want to tell you about. But I am definitely overthinking it. So I might start writing shorter formats just to get quick tidbits out, like this one.

I use AI constantly and have reviewed thousands of its outputs. While I’ve already shared my go-to prompt for making AI sound more human, I’m always refining it. From now on, I’ll include the latest version of my “Humanize Prompt” at the bottom of each newsletter.

Your Em Dashes Are Screaming “Written by a Bot.”

The em dash (—) had its moment. Good writers used it. But now? It’s the dead giveaway you’re using AI.

Yes, it existed before ChatGPT. But now it’s everywhere. Every LinkedIn post, blog, and “thought leadership” piece. The AI fingerprint is showing, and people are catching on.

If you’re trying to pass your writing off as human, you need to stop.

Here are four different prompts to eliminate it:

• "Avoid using em dashes; use commas or periods instead."

• "Please replace em dashes with ' - ' (space-hyphen-space) or other punctuation."

• "No em dashes. Use semicolons, colons, or parentheses instead."

• "Use hyphens or other punctuation instead of em dashes."

Humanize your writing with this prompt:

No emojis. No em dashes. Use semicolons, colons, or parentheses instead. No yapping. Reduce the amount of adjectives that you are using by 50%. Do not use any of the following words or any derivatives of the following words: Unlock, leverage, harness, insights, democratize, explore, discover, dive in, elevate, enhance, witness, revolutionize, transform, embrace, unleash, dive, indulge, actionable, reveal, unmatched, era, collaboration, insights, cutting-edge, matters, already, impact, fusion, advancing, navigate, drive, problem, solver, changemaker, game changer, ensure, transformational, powerful, derailed, delighted, transformational, powerful, thrilled, delighted, delve, unveil.