With more than 3 billion Internet users across the globe, there are potentially 6 billion eyes ready to pinpoint and ridicule errors in your online content. Decrease the odds of making mistakes with the help of Grammarly.
This Web-based app can check your content for more than 250 grammatical errors and spelling mistakes, with you specifying the type of content you’re checking to get the most accurate results.
You can opt to use the online text box to check content, or go for the Grammarly Add-in for Microsoft Office Suite that integrates the tool into Word and Outlook. Another option is a browser plug-in that checks as you type anywhere on the Web. Premium plans go for about $30 per month.
Pros
Grammarly is generally more powerful than the built-in spelling and grammar checkers in most word processing systems. It also comes equipped with a plagiarism checker to help ensure your content is truly unique.
Additional perks include the contextual spell checker and vocabulary enhancement tool. The contextual spell checker looks at the words surrounding an identified mistake to ensure that it wasn’t intentional and that you’re using the proper word.
The vocabulary enhancement feature continuously makes suggestions about word choice, helping to ensure that you’re using the most powerful and effective words to get your point across.
Cons
The free checker lets you paste your text right into the text box on the platform but then teases you by requiring you to set up an account with your email address before it will hand over the results.
Some have complained that their free trials turned into automatic subscription plans, which they were unable to easily cancel. As is the case with some grammar checkers, Grammarly has been known to be a tad overzealous, pinpointing errors where there are none or making superfluous suggestions.
Grammarly could be an ideal tool for non-native English speakers or others who fall prey to common grammatical mistakes but might be more of a nuisance to those with a firm command of the English language who are writing more advanced copy.