How2Day: Language Proofing Tools

Some language-proofing tools also provide a thesaurus. dictionary image by Ben Higham from Fotolia.com
Language-proofing tools, those that allow you to check whether or not you are using correct grammar, exist in a variety of forms. Microsoft Word has a built-in grammar checking feature that can be activated from the main menu. However, there are a number of stand-alone grammar-checking (or language-proofing) tools available from a variety of vendors, including at least one offered completely online allowing you to cut and paste your text and have it checked automatically.

In spite of the name, Spellchecker.Net does more than just check your spelling online. It also checks your grammar and makes sure that you are engaging in proper use of the English language. The website is free and offers spell checking in a number of other languages, though not all languages offer the grammar-checking feature that the English version offers.

White Smoke was created by a non native English speaker because she wanted to make sure that she was following the grammar rules of the English language correctly. After years of development, White Smoke is designed to offer users a complete tool to allow them to check their grammar and language usage for a variety of purposes. The program offers a comprehensive library of grammar rules and can check for many mistakes.

Similar to White Smoke, Grammar Expert Plus promises to help you to write with correct grammar by keeping a library of grammar rules and detecting potential mistakes in what you've written. The software also functions as a spell checker, and it includes a built-in thesaurus that allows you to look up alternate words when you can't think of just the right thing to say. Another feature of the program is that it can provide you with a statistical analysis of your writing, showing you how many words per sentence you use (on average), how many syllables you use and even the grade level of your writing.

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