Let’s face it: Not everyone has good English. I have fellow bloggers who have English so bad that they can barely speak nor string a sentence together but somehow they manage to write pieces that are not only error-free but are very popular among readers. How do they manage it? How do I manage good English and grammar on my blog? Even those who can write reasonably well tend to commit mistakes either due to carelessness or being simply unaware of the 1001 rules of English. So just how do we produce quality error-free work?
The answer is the usage of grammar and spelling checker software. There are actually quite a number of them in the market right now, so let’s take a look at some of the good ones:
1. Grammarly
Claimed to be the most accurate grammar checker in the world and used by more than 300,000 university students, Grammarly’s list of features include:
- Grammar checker and error explanations
This tool checks your article against 150 grammar rules for errors. You can see what these rules as the check is being performed. Once the article is checked, the mistakes are highlighted and suggestions of correct usage are provided. Explanations are also given to why the sentences are wrong. So not only will your articles be error-free but you stand to improve your grasp of the language too through these explanations. - Style checker
This feature improves your style and sentence structures. - Contextual spell check
This spell checker identifies words that are used out of context. Synonyms will then be suggested in order to make the writing more engaging and lively. - Vocabulary enhancement
Grammarly gives you a list of synonyms so that there will be variety in the vocabulary used. - Plagiarism detection
A plus point for Grammarly is that it is also an anti-plagiarism tool. Your work will be checked for any similarities with existing texts. Not only that, it even generates references so that you can add these to your work to avoid plagiarising the work of others.
Grammarly is great because it is convenient where you can view all errors at a glance without having to scroll over the text. Grammarly is one of my favorite grammar checkers because the plagiarism detection feature is a bonus and a unique feature that I have yet to see included in any other software. Thus all these feature helps in making Grammarly one of the best Grammar checker.
2. English Software
Just like Grammarly, English Software has the advanced grammar checker, contextual spell checker and style checker. What’s different are the following:
- Text enrichment engine
When you are stumped for an adjective or an adverb, use this feature to get a list of recommendations. - Multi-lingual dictionary and translator
English Software doesn’t just serve as a grammar and spelling checker but also as a dictionary and a translator. You can look words up easily, find synonyms and translate words or even the whole article in just one click. - Letter templates
Now you also have an “office assistant” of 600 ready-made letter templates.
English Software is pretty attractive for the dictionary and translator feature that it has, although I would say that the plagiarism detection in Grammarly is handier for bloggers and writers.
3. WhiteSmoke
WhiteSmoke is rated the best grammar and spelling checker by TopTenReviews.com. It has the same basic features as the other softwares such as the ability to detect overused, misspelled and incorrectly used words. It also has a built-in dictionary and thesaurus as well as a collection of letter templates.
WhiteSmoke differs from the rest through these features:
- Industry-specific
If you work with articles in a specific field and require a tool that performs a more focused and in-depth analysis of your work, WhiteSmoke is the tool for you. The basic version is good enough for general users but there are also legal, creative writing, executive, business and medical versions. There is even a dating version! - Works on many platforms
WhiteSmoke is one of the few softwares that work well with several commonly used programs, namely Word, WordPerfect, Outlook and HTML. It even works on MSN, so your contacts will be impressed in your ability to converse well.
WhiteSmoke is recommended if you need to check articles written in specific fields. It is also interesting as it caters to social needs, most evident from the presence of a love letter template!
Every grammar and spell checker software has about the same basic features. What differentiates one from another is the ease of use and the presence (if any at all) of additional features, such as those mentioned above. Thus, I’d say that Grammarly, English Software and WhiteSmoke are my personal favorites. Do check our Digital Marketing Course for more.
