Writing and proofreading
A good checker catches the spelling slip, the missing word, or the sentence that has lost its way, all of which can be hard to spot in your own writing. That is where these tools help, and why they are especially important for students with dyslexia or SpLD. However, there are two limitations worth mentioning. Spellcheckers work with words and grammar rather than meaning, so they can miss the point and will sometimes mark correct writing as wrong. That is why you need to use your own judgement rather than accepting every suggestion. There is also a difference between a tool tidying your writing and a tool writing for you, and it is important to be transparent and in line with academic conduct.
Writing and proofreading software
- Microsoft Editor: built into Word and Edge on your account. It checks spelling, grammar and clarity as you write, at no extra cost.
- Grammarly: a checker that works across your browser and documents. The free version handles spelling, grammar and punctuation; the paid version adds more.
- Quillbot: helps you rephrase and avoid repetition in sentences you have written. Use it to refine your own work rather than to generate new text.
- Google Docs: free, with its own dictation and accessibility tools.
- An online thesaurus: a simple, free option when you cannot find the right word.
- Academic Phrasebank: a free online resource from the University of Manchester that provides examples of academic language for structuring arguments, introducing evidence and discussing findings. It is useful for helping you phrase your ideas clearly while keeping the work in your own words.
