How do I stop ChatGPT using em dashes and buzzwords?

ChatGPT has no setting that turns off em dashes or particular words. The place OpenAI documents for standing preferences is custom instructions. Tell ChatGPT what to do instead, not only what to avoid, check that older memories aren't pulling the other way, and read important text yourself before you use it. Expect fewer slips, not none.

Put the rule in custom instructions

On the web or desktop app, open Settings, select Personalization, make sure Enable customization is on, and type into the Custom Instructions field. On iPhone and Android, OpenAI's help page lists the same steps under Settings, then Customize ChatGPT. Lines like these give it something to do instead:

Use commas, periods or parentheses instead of em dashes.
Use plain, everyday words. Avoid words like delve, leverage, seamless and robust.
Keep sentences short and say things directly.

People in ChatGPT forums often report that "never use em dashes" on its own doesn't hold, and that naming the replacement works better. That is what users report, not something OpenAI promises.

Test in a new chat

OpenAI's help page says changes to custom instructions apply right away. To test fairly, start a new chat, so earlier answers in a long conversation aren't part of what ChatGPT is working from.

Check memory

Open Settings, then Personalization, then Memory. You can also ask ChatGPT what it remembers about you. If something there asks for a style you no longer want, correct it or delete it.

Try a plainer base style

On the web, select your profile icon, choose Personalization, and use the dropdown next to Base style and tone. On iPhone and Android, open Settings, go to Personalization and use Base style and tone. Efficient, which OpenAI describes as concise and plain, tends to suit people who want fewer flourishes.

For one important piece of writing

Say the rule in the request itself, because ChatGPT matches the tone of a requested email or post to your instructions and the context. If a draft still has the habits you don't want, paste it back and ask: "Rewrite this with no em dashes and none of these words: delve, leverage, seamless, robust. Keep my meaning."

Do a final check yourself

Before you send or publish, use your editor's find tool to search for the long dash character and for the words you want gone. It takes seconds and catches what the instructions missed.

Sources

Checked against OpenAI's help pages on 17 October 2026: ChatGPT Custom Instructions, Customizing Your ChatGPT Personality, Memory in ChatGPT. ChatGPT changes often, so if your screen looks different, trust your screen.

Want the step-by-step version? The Tone Fix: Make ChatGPT Sound Like a Person is a short PDF guide for $7.

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