UtilibyWritten by the Utiliby editorial team · Last updated October 17, 2026 · Rules and formulas reviewed October 2026
What this free grammar and style checker does
Everyone makes small mistakes: a doubled word, a missing apostrophe, an a before a vowel sound, a sentence that starts in lower case. This free online grammar checker and style checker finds them as you type, explains each one in plain English and offers a fix you can apply with a click. You can also fix every clear-cut issue at once and undo it if you change your mind.
It goes beyond typos. It flags the most common word-choice errors such as should of, then for than and its for it's, spots wordy phrases like in order to and due to the fact that, highlights possible passive voice and filler words, and warns about very long sentences and repeated sentence openings. You can check for US or UK spelling and switch on a formal mode that flags contractions. A marked-up view colours each issue by type, and a style report summarises the draft.
The checker is rule based, not artificial intelligence, so it runs instantly, works offline once the page has loaded and never sends your writing anywhere. That makes it a good first pass for emails, essays, applications and web copy that you do not want to paste into a cloud service. It is honest about its limits, which are explained below.
How to use the grammar and style checker
- Paste or type your text into the box, or press Try a sample to see the checker at work.
- Read the writing score and the number of suggestions above the tabs.
- Review the suggestions on the first tab. Each card shows the type of issue, the reason, the text in context and a button to apply the change.
- Show in text jumps to the marked-up view so you can see the issue in place. Ignore dismisses a suggestion you disagree with.
- Choose your options: US or UK spelling, whether to flag adverbs, and whether to flag contractions for formal writing. Switch off any type of check you do not need.
- Press Fix all safe issues to apply the clear-cut fixes in one go. Press Undo straight away if you want the old text back.
- Open the style report for the breakdown by type, passive voice and long sentence counts, and readability. Print, copy or download the report.
What the checker looks for
| Type | Examples it finds |
|---|---|
| Spelling and typos | teh, recieve, definately, seperate, alot, missing apostrophes in dont and cant, US and UK spelling variants |
| Grammar | the the, a idea, should of, more then, their are, its a, loose for lose, he don't, they was, double negatives, lowercase i |
| Punctuation and spacing | extra spaces, space before a comma, no space after a full stop, repeated !!, lowercase after a full stop, unbalanced brackets |
| Wordiness | in order to, due to the fact that, at this point in time, a large number of, prior to, each and every |
| Style and clarity | passive voice, filler words, clichés, long sentences, three sentences in a row with the same opening |
Each rule is narrow on purpose. A narrow rule gives a suggestion that is usually right, whereas a broad rule produces noise. That is why the tool does not pretend to check every possible grammar error.
The mistakes people make most
Many everyday errors come from words that sound alike. The checker looks for the patterns that are almost always wrong.
- Should of, could of, would of. These come from the way should've sounds. The correct form is should have.
- Then and than. Use than to compare (better than) and then for time (and then we left).
- Its and it's. It's means it is or it has. Its is the possessive, as in the company changed its name. A quick test is to say it is in its place.
- Their, there and they're. Their shows ownership, there shows place or introduces a statement, and they're means they are.
- Your and you're. You're is you are. Your belongs to you.
- Lose and loose. Lose is the verb that means to misplace or fail to win. Loose means not tight.
- A and an. The choice depends on the sound, not the letter: an hour, a university, an MBA.
Cutting wordiness
Short writing is not the same as thin writing. Plain-language guidance for government and business writers recommends choosing the shorter of two words that mean the same thing and removing phrases that add length but not meaning. The checker has a list of common offenders and gives the shorter alternative.
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| in order to | to |
| due to the fact that | because |
| at this point in time | now |
| a large number of | many |
| has the ability to | can |
| prior to | before |
| on a daily basis | daily |
| in the event that | if |
| each and every | each |
| make a decision | decide |
Cutting these phrases usually shortens a text by five to ten percent and makes it easier to read, with no loss of meaning. Read the result aloud to make sure the sentence still sounds natural.
Passive voice, adverbs and filler words
Passive voice reverses the order of a sentence: the contract was signed by the client instead of the client signed the contract. It is useful when the doer is unknown or unimportant, but overused it makes writing vague and slow, because the reader has to wait to find out who did what. The checker flags a form of to be followed by a past participle. Some flags will be adjectives (she was tired), so treat them as prompts, not errors.
Adverbs and filler words are the other common drag on a draft. Words such as very, really, quite and basically often add nothing, and an adverb attached to a weak verb can usually be replaced by a single stronger one: walked slowly becomes strolled. The filler list is switched on by default. Adverb flagging is optional because it produces more suggestions.
US and UK spelling
Spelling differs by region: color and colour, organize and organise, center and centre, traveled and travelled. Neither is wrong, but mixing them in one document looks careless, and many schools, publishers and employers specify one. Choose a variant and the checker flags words in the other and offers the right form. The list covers the most common differences, including the -ize and -ise families, but it is not complete, and Canadian, Australian and other varieties follow their own rules.
What a rule-based checker cannot do
It helps to know where a tool like this stops. It does not read for meaning, so it cannot tell that the dogs runs disagrees in number unless a specific rule covers it, and it cannot decide whether a sentence is logical, well organised or persuasive. It will not catch every misspelling, because it checks a list of common errors rather than a full dictionary. It cannot see context, so it sometimes flags correct text, for example a deliberate repetition, a quotation, a name or computer code. It handles English only.
For that reason, treat each suggestion as advice, not a verdict. Use the checker to catch the careless slips that eyes skip over after reading the same draft many times, then read the text again, ideally aloud or after a break, and use your browser's spell check and a human reader for anything important.
Tips for editing your own writing
- Edit after you draft. Write first, then run the checker, so the process does not interrupt your thinking.
- Read aloud. Awkward phrasing and missing words show up when you hear them.
- Take a break. Leave a draft for an hour or a day. Mistakes you could not see become obvious.
- Change one thing at a time. Fix mechanics first, then wordiness, then structure.
- Keep your voice. Not every flag needs a change. If a passive or an adverb is right, ignore the suggestion.
- Check names and numbers separately. No tool can verify facts.
- Pair it with a word counter. Check length and reading level once the text is clean.
Privacy and how the tool works
All checking happens in your browser using JavaScript. The text you enter is not uploaded, logged or shared, which makes the tool suitable for drafts that contain private or commercial information. The page keeps nothing once you close it, so copy or save your corrected text before you leave. Suggestions and the score are generated from the fixed rules described above, so the same text always gives the same result.
Related free tools
Use these free online tools together with this one:
- Check the length and reading level of the clean draft with the word counter.
- Fix capitalisation and title case with the text case converter.
- See exactly what you changed between drafts with the text compare tool.
- Time a speech or article with the reading time and speech length calculator.
- Check the rhythm of a line with the syllable counter.
- Format your references with the citation generator.
- Score a headline with the headline analyzer.
- Check an email before you send it with the email spam word checker.
- Make the finished text easier to skim with the bionic reading converter.
Frequently asked questions
How does this free grammar checker work?
It applies a fixed set of rules to your text in the browser. The rules look for typos, common grammar mistakes such as should of, punctuation and spacing slips, wordy phrases, passive voice and weak style, then mark each one with a reason and a suggested fix.
Is it as accurate as Grammarly or other AI checkers?
No. It does not use artificial intelligence and does not understand meaning, so it cannot catch subtle errors in agreement, tense or logic. It is best at common, rule-based mistakes and style issues, and it works instantly and privately.
Does it check spelling?
It checks a built-in list of common misspellings and missing apostrophes. Your browser also underlines other misspelled words as you type if its spell check is on, so use both together.
What kinds of mistakes does it catch?
Repeated words, a and an, should of, then and than, there, their and they're, its and it's, double negatives, missing capitals, extra spaces, repeated punctuation, missing apostrophes, common misspellings, wordy phrases, passive voice, clichés and very long sentences.
What does Fix all safe issues do?
It applies the suggestions that are clear-cut, such as spacing, capitalisation, repeated words, a and an and common typos. It leaves judgement calls such as passive voice, filler words and long sentences for you to decide. Use Undo if you change your mind.
Can I undo a change?
Yes. After a fix, the Undo button restores the previous text. Undo is cleared when you type, so use it straight away.
What is passive voice and why is it flagged?
In passive voice the thing acted on comes first, as in the report was written by the team. Active voice, the team wrote the report, is usually shorter and clearer. Passive voice is not an error, so treat the flag as a prompt to check.
Why does it flag adverbs and filler words?
Words such as very, really and quite often add little. Replacing an adverb and a weak verb with one strong verb tightens writing. You can switch adverb flags on or off.
Can I check British or American spelling?
Yes. Choose a spelling variant and the tool flags words in the other variant, such as colour and color or organise and organize, and suggests the one you chose.
What does formal writing mode do?
It flags contractions such as don't and can't and suggests the full form. Academic and legal writing often avoids contractions.
Does it work for other languages?
No. The rules are written for English only.
Will it flag correct text as an error?
Sometimes. Rules are simple and cannot see context, so a few suggestions will be wrong. Quoted speech, names, code and deliberate style choices can all trigger flags. Use Ignore to dismiss a suggestion.
What does the writing score mean?
It starts at 100 and drops for each issue, scaled by the length of the text, with grammar and spelling counting most and style least. It is a rough guide to how much editing a draft needs, not a grade.
Is my text uploaded or stored?
No. The checking runs in your browser, and nothing is sent, saved or logged. Refreshing the page clears the text.
Can I check long documents?
Yes. Paste in sections for the clearest results. Very long text may update more slowly on older phones.
How do I print or save only the report?
Use the print or save button. The printout contains the score table and suggestion list only, not the page layout or article. You can also copy the report or download a CSV.
Is this grammar checker free?
Yes. It is free to use online with no sign-up and no word limit.
Sources and further reading
- Purdue Online Writing Lab, Grammar.
- U.S. General Services Administration, Plain language: write concisely.
- GOV.UK, A to Z of GOV.UK style.
- Purdue Online Writing Lab, Mechanics and punctuation.
Sources were consulted in October 2026. Standards and rules can change, so always check the official page for your situation.