Adverb counter
Paste an English draft to see the adverbs in it. Words ending in -ly and a list of common adverbs are highlighted and counted, with the most used ones listed. It is a quick estimate by spelling, not a grammar check.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Paste English text.
- Leave “Also mark common adverbs” on to include words like “very” and “just”, or turn it off to look at -ly words only.
- Check the highlights, the share and the list of distinct adverbs with counts.
How it works
Each word is lowercased and checked against the common-adverb list (if enabled) and the -ly rule. The two groups have different highlight colors. The share is adverbs divided by all words, in percent.
Worked example
“She quickly and quietly left; he is very tall.” has 9 words. “quickly” and “quietly” are -ly adverbs and “very” is a common adverb, so 3 adverbs, 33.3%. With common adverbs off, 2 are found.
Tips
Edit with the highlights in view: try a stronger verb (“whispered” for “said quietly”) and re-check. Treat the list as a prompt, not a rule.
Frequently asked questions
How does it decide a word is an adverb?
Two rules. A word of at least five letters ending in -ly is marked, unless it is on a list of -ly words that are not adverbs, such as family, July, Italy, ugly, friendly and early. With the option on, a fixed list of common adverbs without -ly, such as very, just, often, almost and never, is marked too.
Why can the result be wrong?
A tool that only looks at spelling cannot read the sentence. It misses adverbs like fast or hard, and may mark a word that is an adjective in your sentence. Use the numbers as a hint.
Why count adverbs at all?
Many style guides advise using them sparingly, since a stronger verb often says the same thing. Whether that suits your text is your choice; the counts only show where they are.
Does it work for other languages?
No, the rules and the list are for English only.