AI Stop Words, Banned Phrases & Natural Transitions

Banned AI Stop Words — Never Use

These appear in AI-generated content constantly. Remove every instance:

The Core Banned List

delve, crucial, navigate, multifaceted, embark, leverage, utilize, synergy,
robust, holistic, seamless, cutting-edge, best-in-class, game-changing,
Moreover, Furthermore, Thus, Hence, Based on, According to research,
In conclusion, It's important to note, Additionally, Nevertheless,
Therefore, Consequently, As a result, In fact, Indeed, Notably,
Importantly, Essentially, Basically, Literally, Actually, Generally,
Typically, Usually, Often, Sometimes, Probably, Possibly, Clearly,
Obviously, Undoubtedly, Certainly, Definitely, Absolutely, Completely,
Entirely, Totally, Quite, Rather, Very, Extremely, Incredibly,
Amazingly, Surprisingly, Interestingly, Significantly, Substantially,
Considerably, Relatively, Fairly, Somewhat, Slightly, Moderately,
Particularly, Especially, Specifically, Precisely, Exactly, Strictly,
Purely, Simply, Merely, Just, Only, Solely, Exclusively, Primarily,
Mainly, Largely, Mostly, Chiefly, Predominantly, Principally

Banned Opening Phrases

• "In today's digital landscape..."
• "In today's fast-paced world..."
• "At its core,..."
• "When it comes to the realm of..."
• "This begs the question..."
• "Let's delve into..."
• "It's worth noting that..."
• "That being said,..."
• "In conclusion" (at paragraph start)

Banned Transitions

• "That being said,..."
• "It's worth noting that..."
• "At its core,..."
• "When it comes to the realm of..."

Natural Transitions — Use These Instead

Previewing Content Structure

• Here's what we'll cover...
• This guide walks you through...
• Below, you'll find...
• We'll start with X, then move to Y...
• First, let's look at...
• Let's break this down step by step.

Introducing a New Topic

• When it comes to X,...
• Now let's talk about X.
• Another key factor is...
• X is worth exploring because...

Referring Back

• As mentioned earlier,...
• Building on that point,...
• Going back to X,...
• Earlier, we explained that...

Indicating Addition

• Also,...
• Plus,...
• On top of that,...
• What's more,...
• Beyond that,...
• There's also...

Note: Use "moreover" and "furthermore" sparingly — they can sound AI-generated when overused.

Indicating Contrast

• However,...
• But,...
• That said,...
• On the flip side,...
• In contrast,...
• While X is true, Y...

Indicating Cause and Effect

• So,...
• This means...
• As a result,...
• That's why...
• Because of this,...
• The outcome?...

Giving Examples

• For example,...
• For instance,...
• Here's an example:...
• Take X, for instance.
• Consider this:...
• Say you want to...

Emphasising Key Points

• Here's the key takeaway:...
• The important thing is...
• What matters most is...
• The bottom line?...

Summarising

• To recap,...
• Here's the short version:...
• In short,...
• The takeaway?...
• Quick summary:...

Concluding

• Here's what to do next:...
• The bottom line is...
• Final thoughts:...
• Ready to get started?...
• Now it's your turn.

Question-Based Transitions (good for conversational tone + featured snippets)

• So what does this mean for you?
• But why does this matter?
• How do you actually do this?
• What's the catch?
• Sound complicated? It's not.
• Wondering where to start?

Rules

1. Match tone to audience: B2B can be slightly more formal; B2C benefits from conversational transitions
2. Vary transitions: Repeating the same phrase gets noticed
3. Don't over-signpost: Trust your reader; not every sentence needs a transition
4. Front-load key info: Put the important word or phrase early in the transition
5. Read aloud: If it sounds forced, simplify

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