Brand, Web & Presence

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?

A starting point

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

Hand-picked from around the web, each with a note on why it earns your time.

3 resources 3 link-checked Watch Read Use

Watch

▶️ Video

✓ Link checked Free Beginner

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.

Write like you speak!

On YouTube by Dr Clare Lynch (Doris & Bertie Writing School) ~5 min

Cut the polite preamble and just say the thing: "Come to my party" beats "I would like to invite you to my party".
Contractions and simple word choices (use, not utilise) instantly make written English sound spoken.
Short sentences and short paragraphs, even one-line ones, are what make the copy read natural rather than translated.

Watch on YouTube youtube.com →

Read

📄 Article

✓ Link checked Free Beginner

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.

Write Like You Talk: 12 Tips for Conversational Content

From Content Marketing Institute by Darek Black ~10 min read

Read your copy aloud: if a sentence makes you gasp for breath or sounds stiff, it is not how you would actually say it.
Swap formal words for spoken ones (use, not utilise) and lean on contractions and short sentences to loosen the rhythm.
Write to one person as "you" so the copy feels like a conversation, not a corporate announcement.

Open contentmarketinginstitute.com →

Use

🛠️ Tool

✓ Link checked Freemium Beginner

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.

Hemingway Editor

From Hemingway App Free web version, paid desktop app

Colour-coded highlights point at your hard-to-read and overly complex sentences so you know precisely what to simplify.
It flags passive voice and formal words that have simpler alternatives, the usual tells of copy that reads translated.
The free browser version does all of this: aim for a lower reading grade (roughly 6 to 9) for general marketing copy.

Open hemingwayapp.com →