1. Relatedwords.org – If you need the right word, a more specific term, or a synonym, this is among the writing apps that will find related terms for you. It works as an electronic thesaurus or a word association generator.
For example, the top results for the word “energy”:
- Kinetic energy
- Work
- Radiant energy
- Vitality
- Electricity
And the word lists can run long. You may click on each for a definition with the option to find more related words. They can help you compile article topics and outlines.
2. Ludwig.guru – This app shows how to use a word or phrase properly in a sentence and offers definitions and alternate terms. It works in other languages, too, such as Latin. And you can even find out which terms are popular to get a better sense of common usage. For example, “Take a shower” is used 80 percent of the time versus “have a shower” at 20 percent. The premium version gives you unlimited queries and more search results, together with an advanced filter library. Desktop or mobile versions are available.
3. Headline Generator – This tool by Content Row will create headlines based on one word. It scores their quality on a 1-100 scale and can analyze them for their strengths (their word count, whether it’s positive, negative, or neutral) and for improvement. It also filters the results by category, including whether a headline qualifies as “clickbait.” Other tools in the kit include lists of trending topics, a word counter, and a title case converter. To make headlines and use the editor, you must register for free.
4. Wave Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool – This browser add-on helps you find which parts of a document are missing alt text, which can affect whether people with disabilities can understand it. It also analyzes design elements, including contrasting colors, font sizes, and navigational structure. It covers many of the common Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). You can also enter a website address for analysis.
5. Searchresponse.io – This tool offers results based on terms you search for to reveal what people ask in search engines, their related searches, and keywords. It’s like a combo of Google, Google Ads’ Keyword Planner, and answerthepublic.com. Under the free plan, searches are limited. Other apps, like Ahrefs and BuzzSumo, go one step further and veer into content analysis for engagement based on search terms. But this app helps you gauge your options and the level of interest in a topic, especially for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Have you tried every tool and are still unhappy with your writing? Get help turning your gibberish into everyday English.
What are your favorite writing tools? Feel free to comment below.
Quotes
“Having a set of writing tools helps when you get lost in your writing process. And we all get lost sometimes.” ~ Leigh Shulman
“You have certain writing tools but generally creating something from nothing makes one quite mad and Cynthia and I are quite mad, you know.” ~ Barry Mann
Published December 6, 2022