"Delve" went from a rare literary verb to a punchline after chatbots started using it in nearly every long answer. Researchers measured the jump in academic abstracts after 2023. It's the best-known example of a bigger problem: a small set of words that models use far more often than people do.
What it looks like
delve, delve into, delving
tapestry, testament, realm, landscape (as an abstract noun)
leverage, harness the power of, unlock the potential, elevate your
moreover, furthermore, additionally (at the start of sentences)
Why it reads as AI
None of these words is wrong. The tell is frequency and clustering. One "crucial" is normal; "crucial," "pivotal" and "landscape" in the same paragraph reads like a default setting. Readers have learned the pattern, so these words now cost you credibility.
Examples and fixes
BeforeLet's delve into the intricate landscape of B2B pricing.
AfterHere's how B2B companies set prices.
BeforeOur seamless integration empowers teams to leverage their data.
AfterIt connects to Salesforce in about ten minutes, so your reports use live data.
BeforeThis study is a testament to the pivotal role of sleep.
AfterIn this study, people who slept under six hours made twice as many errors.
How to fix it
Swap the word for the plain one: delve into → look at, leverage → use, crucial → important (or cut it), landscape → market/field.
Better: replace the adjective with a number or a fact.
Search your draft for the list above before publishing. SlopScore highlights all of them.
When it's fine
Technical meanings are fine: a robust estimator, a load-bearing pivot, the AWS landscape diagram. The tell is figurative use.
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