ChatGPT words to avoid in 2026 (measured)
Most "ChatGPT words to avoid" lists are stuck in 2023. We counted the words in 300 current AI answers against human answers to the same questions. The old tells are mostly gone. The new ones are offers, hedges and formatting.
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The words to actually watch in 2026
| Word / phrase | AI vs human | AI /10k | Human /10k | ChatGPT 2022 /10k | % AI answers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| if you tell me | 34.1× | 5.02 | 0 | 0 | 11.3% |
| it's important to | 16.6× | 2.36 | 0 | 9.09 | 5% |
| here are some | 12.2× | 3.54 | 0.15 | 1.3 | 8% |
| can help | 13.6× | 8.12 | 0.45 | 8.37 | 12.7% |
| can lead to | 17.5× | 5.16 | 0.15 | 3.61 | 7.3% |
| beneficial | 13.6× | 1.92 | 0 | 0.58 | 4% |
| crucial | 11.7× | 1.62 | 0 | 0.14 | 3.7% |
| tailored | 8.8× | 1.18 | 0 | 0.29 | 2.7% |
| practical | 9.2× | 2.66 | 0.15 | 0.43 | 5.7% |
| typically | 4.2× | 8.71 | 1.97 | 9.24 | 17.3% |
| often | 3.5× | 30.99 | 8.79 | 17.32 | 42.3% |
| may | 4.3× | 45 | 10.31 | 54.55 | 48.7% |
| specific | 8.2× | 12.25 | 1.36 | 9.96 | 21.3% |
| common | 6.7× | 14.02 | 1.97 | 4.47 | 21.7% |
| i can explain | 6.5× | 2.8 | 0.3 | 0 | 6.3% |
The closing offer is the sharpest verbal tell: "if you tell me" appeared in 11.3% of AI answers and almost never in human ones. "It's important to" is still overused, though less than in ChatGPT's 2022 answers (9.09 per 10k then, 2.36 now).
Words you can probably stop hunting
Per 10,000 words in this Q&A study. Zero means we didn't see it — not that it can never appear in a marketing post.
| Phrase | Modern AI | ChatGPT 2022 | Human |
|---|---|---|---|
| delve | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| tapestry | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| testament | 0.3 | 0.58 | 0 |
| leverage | 0.74 | 0 | 0.15 |
| utilize | 0.15 | 0 | 0 |
| robust | 0.44 | 0 | 0.15 |
| landscape | 0.44 | 0.14 | 0 |
| foster | 0.15 | 0.43 | 0.15 |
| seamless | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| pivotal | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| plethora | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| myriad | 0 | 0 | 0 |
"Delve" and "tapestry" had zero uses in 67,773 words of 2026 AI answers. "Leverage" (0.74) and "landscape" (0.44) still trickle through, so the unslop rule list keeps them. Download every number: CSV · full AI words list.
It isn't only words
Formatting gives current models away before the vocabulary does: 4.5 em dashes, 32.68 bold spans and 29.24 bullet lines per 1,000 words, vs 0.21, 0 and 0.03 for humans. Use the em dash remover and read the 12 signs of AI writing.
FAQ
What ChatGPT words should I avoid in 2026?
Skip the chatbot offers and hedges that still show up: "if you tell me", "it's important to", "here are some", "can help", "can lead to", "beneficial", "crucial", "tailored", plus stacked "may", "often" and "typically". The 2023 list (delve, tapestry, pivotal) is mostly gone from current answers.
Does ChatGPT still say delve?
In 67,773 words of 2026 AI answers we found zero uses of "delve" or "tapestry". Lists of "ChatGPT words to avoid" that lead with those are out of date.
Are these words banned?
No. Humans use "often" and "specific" too. The point is rate and clustering: if a short paragraph stacks three hedges, an offer and an em dash, it reads as a chatbot. Use a plain word when you mean a plain thing.
How was this measured?
We compared 300 modern AI answers (gpt-6-luna, gpt-5.4-nano, gpt-4o-mini) with human answers to the same HC3 questions, and also report ChatGPT's December 2022 answers. Full method and a CSV of 100 phrases: gounslop.com/ai-slop-phrases.