How to detect ai writing if i'm just using it for synonyms?

[Zara]

This is probably silly, but it's keeping me up at night. I wrote a 10-page paper on Victorian literature. All the ideas, arguments, and structure are mine. But, I’ll admit, I used an AI tool to suggest synonyms for words I overused, like "depicted" or "illustrates." Now I'm terrified that my "improved" vocabulary will trigger an AI detector. Is that a thing? How to detect ai writing that's just been lightly edited for style? Will the lack of my usual simpler vocabulary be a dead giveaway? I'm this close to deleting my final draft and going back to my original, clunky but "human" version. Help a paranoid student out!

 

[PatriciaWong]

I used AI to help with transitions and was convinced I'd get flagged. But here's the thing: detectors don't work like that. They're looking at sentence rhythm, predictability, and whether entire passages are AI-generated. A few synonym swaps won't trigger anything. That said, if you're super nervous, read your paper aloud. If it sounds like you (but with fancier words), it's fine. The Victorian lit professor probably won't even notice—they're too busy grading 50 papers on Dickens.