Even the most talented writer makes a mistake every now and then, and for those who are looking to improve their skills, there is a free text-analyzer in the form of an app. Called Expresso, the web-based app gives users a breakdown of their writing.
“Expresso is a little tool to edit texts and improve your writing style,” the app stated in its website. “It will teach you to express yourself through writing more efficiently and help make your texts more readable, precise, and engaging.”
Users can paste or type their writing and select the “Analyze Text” button to get feedback. The web app will give editing metrics (percentages of filler words used, weak verbs, and extra-long sentences) and general metric (e.g., character count, words used, vocabulary size). The app also highlights text with different colors when you select the feedback so users can know exactly where they are messing up.
When writing, people tend to make the same mistakes over and over again so an app like Expresso, which is in beta, can help them identify their trends. The one limitation, however, is that the app only gives metrics — it won’t help you reformat your writing or save your changes.
“Expresso highlights weak parts of a text which can benefit from stylistic changes, making editing simpler and more enjoyable,” says the website. “With practice, it will help you develop an eye for awkward phrasing and find possible fixes.”
While the app is obviously great for writers, it can be used by anyone who is looking to improve their writing or trying to see what kind of mistakes they frequently make. It could also be a great tool for students that are trying to hone their written skills.
