How to use it
- Paste the text.
- Untick any kind of filler you do not want to see, and add your own words if you have pet phrases.
- Read the highlighted text and the list. Wordy phrases show a shorter alternative.
How it works
The text is searched for each word and phrase in the chosen lists, as whole words and regardless of case, with longer phrases tried before shorter ones. Each match is highlighted in place, then the matches are grouped and counted.
Example
In the sample, “Um” and “you know” are hesitations, “I think” and “kind of” are hedges, “basically”, “just”, “actually”, “really” and “very” are intensifiers, and “in order to”, “at the end of the day” and “due to the fact that” are wordy phrases - with the suggestions “to”, cut it, and “because”.
Tips
- Remove the wordy phrases first; that shortens text without changing what it says.
- Search for one intensifier at a time in your own words list to catch a personal habit.
- After editing, run the text through the readability score to see the effect.