Hemingway Editor Plus can now catch more types of writing issues. Set up a custom style guide to refine which errors it looks for and build a brand dictionary of terms unique to your writing.
Highlight more kinds of issues
Originally, our green highlights only flagged spelling and grammar errors. Now, we’re introducing a range of new issue types that you can toggle on or off in your style guide. These cover deeper issues that a real human editor would flag:
Grammar and mechanics
Spelling, grammar, punctuation, and grammatical usage.
Clarity and fluency
Awkward wording, unnatural phrasing, and sentence-level clarity.
Before
The reason the meeting was delayed was because the director was unavailable.
After
The meeting was delayed because the director was unavailable.
Ambiguity and references
Unclear references, modifier attachment, and multiple interpretations of supplied wording.
Before
When Maria spoke to Elena, she said the application was incomplete.
After
When Maria spoke to Elena, Elena said the application was incomplete.
Why
In the before, it wasn’t clear if she referred to Maria or Elena.
Logic and support
Contradictions, unsupported conclusions, and overgeneralizations in the supplied text.
Before
All three customers we interviewed preferred the new design, so every customer will love it.
After
All three customers we interviewed preferred the new design, so other customers may also like it.
Why
You can’t extrapolate the opinions of three customers to every customer.
Tone and audience
Tone and formality mismatches supported by the surrounding text.
Before
Thank you for contacting our support team. You obviously forgot to attach the receipt.
After
Thank you for contacting our support team. The receipt wasn’t attached.
Why
“You obviously forgot” feels rude and harsh. It doesn’t match the polite, customer service tone.
Concision and complexity
Redundant wording and unnecessarily complex sentence structure.
Before
In the event that you are unable to attend, it is necessary for you to notify us in advance.
After
If you can’t attend, let us know in advance.
Why
The before example uses phrasing that is more complex and confusing.
Flow and cohesion
Transitions, paragraph unity, and connections between ideas.
Before
The new checkout has fewer steps. Customers were abandoning their carts. We redesigned the checkout to address this.
After
Customers were abandoning their carts, so we redesigned the checkout with fewer steps.
Why
The before example orders the information in a more confusing manner. The after example streamlines it, so that readers understand the cause and effect more cleanly.
Consistency
Local consistency in ordinary terminology, numbers, units, dates, point of view, and requirements.
Before
The workshop runs from 2 to 3 p.m. This two-hour session includes a live demo.
After
The workshop runs from 2 to 3 p.m. This one-hour session includes a live demo.
Why
The before example is clear that the workshop runs from 2 to 3 p.m., but then mistakenly refers to it as a 2-hour session.
Inclusive language
Exclusionary assumptions, disrespectful identity wording, and unnecessarily gendered roles.
Before
Each employee should submit his timesheet by Friday.
After
Each employee should submit their timesheet by Friday.
Why
The pronoun “his” assumes that all employees are male. “Their” is a more inclusive choice.
Create a brand dictionary
Build a custom dictionary of the brand names, acronyms, proper names, and technical terms unique to your writing. Hemingway will check that they’re spelled and capitalized the way you specify.
To add a term, write it into the “Preferred term” box in your style guide. You can also add additional context to provide better guidance to writers using your style guide.
Customize your style guide
Custom Style Guides are available now for all Hemingway Editor Plus plans. To customize your guide, head to the Style Guide settings page. If you don’t have Editor Plus yet, use the link below to start a free trial and try style guides.