I keep getting told my copy sounds like a translation. How do I write English marketing copy that reads natural when English isn't my first language?
The short answer
Write the way you'd explain it to a friend over chai, then transcribe that, most "translation-y" copy comes from writing formally instead of conversationally. Read every line out loud: if you'd never say it in a real conversation, cut it. Tools can polish grammar, but the fastest fix is switching from formal-essay mode to spoken-voice mode.
Go deeper, your way
3 hand-picked resources, 3 link-checked. Pick how you want to dig in.
▶️ Video
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Why we picked it
This is a short, plainly delivered walk-through of turning stiff, formal writing into copy that sounds like a real person, which is exactly the fix when English is your second language and everything comes out too proper. Clare Lynch runs seven concrete swaps on live examples: drop the preamble, use "you", use contractions, pick the simple word, keep sentences and paragraphs short. Watch it once, then rewrite one paragraph of your own using the same moves.
Why we picked it
When people say your copy reads like a translation, they usually mean it reads like writing, not like a person talking. This piece gives you concrete moves to close that gap: read it aloud, cut the words you would never say out loud (utilise, regarding), use contractions, and write to one reader as "you". It is a practical starting point you can run over your next landing page in an afternoon.
Why we picked it
If you cannot yet hear which of your sentences read as translated, this free tool shows you. Paste your draft and it highlights the sentences that are hard to read (yellow and red), the passive voice, and the fancy words that have a plainer alternative, then gives you a readability grade to aim lower on. It will not fix your voice for you, but it flags the exact spots where formal, tangled writing is tripping the reader up.
