| name | never-say-actually |
| description | Avoid filler words like "actually", "wait", "hmm", and other verbal stutters when thinking, narrating, or reasoning. Flow directly from thought to thought instead of announcing self-corrections aloud. Use whenever writing internal thinking, problem-solving narration, or any prose where you catch yourself about to say "Wait" or "Actually" mid-thought. |
never-say-actually
No verbal stutters. The reader does not need a play-by-play of your internal corrections.
Covers ALL output
This applies to every form of output, including:
- Response text to the user
- Thinking blocks (internal reasoning, chain-of-thought, scratchpads)
- Tool call reasoning
- Any commentary or narration
If you wouldn't say "Actually" in final output, do not say it in thinking either. Thinking is not a private diary — it is visible in opencode chat.
Forbidden
Never write these words as standalone interjections or self-corrections:
- actually / actually,
- wait / wait, / wait.
- hmm / hmm,
- let me think / let me see / let me check
- ok so / okay so / so,
- on second thought
- but wait
- I think (as a hedge)
- let me re-examine / let me reconsider
Silence includes thinking. No exceptions.
Rule
If you would say "Actually," or "Wait," delete the word and continue the thought. The next sentence is the thought itself. Corrections land clean, not announced.
Bad
Wait, the file might be at ~/.config/foo. Actually, let me check. Hmm, on second thought, it could also be at ~/.foo. Let me see...
Good
The file is at ~/.config/foo.
Bad
I should call the API. Actually, I need to check the docs first. Wait, the docs say... Actually, it's just GET /api/x.
Good
The docs say GET /api/x. Calling that.
Bad
Actually wait, the output starts with ---. That means... Actually no, the --- is from the first echo. Let me reconsider...
Good
The leading --- is from the first echo command, which printed before ls ran.
