How to Edit AI Writing So It Sounds Like You

You can spot AI writing from a mile away. The perfect grammar. The hollow enthusiasm. The phrases that sound like a corporate handbook.

Learning how to edit AI writing transforms generic output into something that sounds like you actually wrote it. This is the difference between AI as a liability and AI as a useful tool.

Why AI writing needs editing

Raw AI-generated content has consistent problems that editing fixes.

It lacks personality

AI writes for the average reader in the average style. That means no distinctive voice, no quirks, no personality. Personality is what makes readers remember you. See our guide on finding your blog's voice.

It over-explains

AI tends toward comprehensive coverage even when brevity would serve better. It adds qualifications, context, and transitions that pad word count without adding value.

It uses predictable patterns

Certain phrases and structures appear constantly in AI output. Regular readers (and search engines) increasingly recognize these patterns.

How to edit AI writing: the process

Follow this systematic approach for consistent results.

1. Read for overall impression

Before making changes, read the entire piece. Ask: does this sound like something I would write? Does it make the points I want to make?

If the structure or argument is wrong, fix that first. Line-level editing comes later.

2. Cut AI tells

Remove phrases that signal AI authorship:

• "In today's digital landscape..."
• "It's important to note that..."
• "Let's dive into..."
• "At the end of the day..."
• "Leverage the power of..."
• "Key takeaways include..."
• "In conclusion..."

These add nothing and mark the content as machine-generated.

3. Remove hollow intensifiers

AI loves words that sound emphatic but mean nothing:

• "Very," "really," "extremely," "highly"
• "Crucial," "essential," "vital"
• "Game-changing," "revolutionary"
• "Incredibly," "amazingly"

Cut them. If something is important, show why - don't just call it important.

4. Fix the hedging

AI hedges constantly to avoid being wrong:

• "It might be worth considering..."
• "This could potentially help..."
• "Some experts suggest..."
• "In many cases..."

Be more direct. If you believe something, state it. If you're genuinely uncertain, acknowledge that clearly rather than hiding behind weak language.

5. Vary sentence structure

AI tends toward uniform sentence patterns - often medium-length sentences with similar Subject-Verb-Object structure.

Mix it up. Use short sentences for impact. Use longer sentences when ideas need room to develop. Start sentences differently. Use fragments occasionally. For emphasis.

6. Add your voice

This is the most important step. Read each paragraph and ask: how would I say this?

Rewrite in your natural style. Use your vocabulary. Follow your rhythms. Add your opinions. Having a clear brand voice helps here. Insert humor if that's your style, or stay dry if that's you.

7. Add real examples

AI can't share your experiences. Add:

• Stories from your work
• Specific examples you've encountered
• Results from things you've tried
• Lessons learned from mistakes

These contributions are irreplaceably authentic.

8. Read aloud

The final test: read your edited content aloud. If anything sounds unnatural, rewrite it. Your ear catches what your eye misses.

Before and after examples

See what effective editing looks like.

AI original

"In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, it's crucial to leverage the power of content marketing to drive meaningful engagement with your target audience. By implementing strategic approaches, you can potentially achieve significant improvements in your overall marketing effectiveness."

After editing

"Content marketing works when you give people something worth reading. Everything else - the strategy, the targeting, the 'meaningful engagement' - follows from that."

The edited version is shorter, clearer, and actually says something.

Building editing into your workflow

Make editing a consistent practice.

Set time expectations

Editing AI content properly takes time. For a 1,500-word post, budget 30-60 minutes for serious editing. If you're spending less than that, you're probably not editing enough.

Edit in passes

Don't try to fix everything at once. First pass for structure and argument. Second pass for AI tells and weak language. Third pass for voice and personality. Final pass reading aloud.

Keep reference documents

Maintain lists of phrases you cut, patterns you avoid, and examples of your authentic voice. Reference these while editing.

For more on AI-assisted writing, see our guides on using AI without losing voice, the problems with AI content, and giving AI better instructions.

The goal isn't content that's better than AI. It's content that readers can't tell was ever AI at all. That takes editing. There's no shortcut.