promptsforbusiness
Free AI prompt · ChatGPT · Claude · Gemini

Do and don't word list with examples

Get a practical, scannable list of words, phrases and habits to use and avoid, each with a short example, so anyone on the team can apply the voice immediately.

Task: creating a brand voice do and don't listBest in: AnyFormat: single promptPack: Brand voice guide from your own copy

What you'll fill in

  • [brand name] Your brand name e.g. “Ferro Coffee Roasters”
  • [voice audit] Your voice audit (from the first prompt) or a short description of your voice e.g. “Precise not pretentious, warm and direct, dry humor sparingly...”
  • [banned words] Words or phrases you already know you dislike (optional; write "none" if not) e.g. “artisanal, curated, elevate”

Copy the prompt

The prompt
You are an editor writing the "do and don't" page of a brand voice guide for [brand name]. It should be the page people actually use while writing.

Voice audit / description:
[voice audit]

Words we already dislike: [banned words]

Create:
1. Words and phrases we use (12-20): each with a 3-8 word example in context.
2. Words and phrases we avoid (12-20): each with the reason in a few words and a preferred alternative. Include generic marketing clichés this brand should never use, plus anything from the audit's inconsistencies.
3. Habits: 6 "Do" and 6 "Don't" rules about structure and mechanics (sentence length, exclamation marks, emoji, jargon, how we address the reader, numbers vs. adjectives). Each rule gets a one-line before/after example.
4. Three "gray area" words that are fine in some contexts but not others, with guidance on when.

Format it as a compact table or tight bullet lists, ready to paste into a doc. Every example must sound like the brand as described in the audit. Do not invent product facts; use generic but plausible examples, or placeholders like [product].

How to use it

  1. Open a new chat in ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini (the others work too).
  2. Paste the prompt and replace every [bracket] with your details.
  3. Review the output, check any facts, and edit to taste.

Why Any: All three models produce good lists; the quality depends on your samples and audit.

Tips

  • Add your team's pet-peeve words to banned_words; it makes the list feel owned rather than generic.
  • Print or pin the habits section. It is the part people remember.

Example output

Words we use: - "Roasted [day]" — "Roasted Tuesday, shipped Wednesday." - "Dial in" — "Here's how to dial in your first bag." - "Brew" (verb) — "Brew within three weeks." - "Tell us" — "Tell us how the first shot pulls." - "Honestly" (sparingly) — "Honestly, start with the grind." Words we avoid: - "Artisanal" — vague, overused. Say what we do: "roasted in 12 kg batches." - "Curated" — sounds like a museum. Say "picked" or "chosen." - "Elevate your coffee ritual" — cliché. Say what changes: "a sweeter shot." - "Premium" — unprovable. Name the detail instead. - "Don't miss out!" — pressure. Say when it ends: "Available until Friday." Habits: Do use numbers instead of adjectives. Before: "super fresh." After: "roasted 2 days ago." Do talk to one person. Before: "Customers can..." After: "You can..." Don't use exclamation marks on the website. Before: "New coffee!" After: "New coffee: a washed Ethiopian." Don't explain jokes or stack them. One per piece, max. Gray areas: - "Notes of" — fine on product pages for tasting notes; avoid in emails. - "Specialty" — fine for wholesale buyers; avoid with beginners. - Emoji — one allowed on Instagram; never in email subject lines.

FAQ

Does this prompt work in ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini?

Yes. It is plain-language and written to work in all three. Best fit: Any. All three models produce good lists; the quality depends on your samples and audit.

What do I need to fill in?

Replace each bracket with your own details: [brand name], [voice audit], [banned words]. The more specific your input, the more useful the result.

Is this prompt free?

Yes. Copy it above and use it as often as you like. It is one of the free samples from the Brand voice guide from your own copy pack.

Will I get the same result as the example?

No. The example was made for a fictional business to show the shape and quality of the output. Your result depends on your input and the model, so review and edit before you use it.

Do I need a paid AI plan?

Usually not. Free plans handle most prompts. Paid plans help when you paste in long documents or run a long multi-step sequence in one chat.

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Turn off-brand copy (old pages, generic drafts, AI output) into on-brand versions with annotations, creating the examples section that makes a voice guide click for writers.