New AI editing tools can strengthen your writing. They spotlight misused or missing words, flabby phrases, and meandering sentences, then offer suggested edits. You choose which revisions to implement, just as you would with a human editor. I’ve found these digital writing assistants surprisingly useful. Read on for a few specific AI editors to try.1

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✍️ DeepL Write

DeepL Write is a free new tool, in beta, that offers two ways to sharpen your writing.

Pick more vivid words by replacing dull terms with more lively ones listed as suggested synonyms.
Rephrase sentences to add clarity to weak phrases or muddled paragraphs.

DeepL shows you multiple ways to reword a sentence, as in this example.

Languages: As of now it works for American or British English and German.
Translation: DeepL also makes DeepL Translator, which can translate text, PDFs, Word docs or PowerPoint files between 30 languages in seconds. It worked well when I converted a long German PDF into English.
My take: DeepL Write is the simplest of these new AI editing tools and the one I prefer for quick edit suggestions. It lacks the clutter of more complex editors. I like its clean drop-down menu with multiple edit alternatives.

🤖 Quillbot Paraphraser

Like DeepL, Quillbot’s AI offers multiple ways to rephrase sentences. It has multiple editing modes:

Formal Presents text in a more sophisticated and professional way
Simple Presents text in a way most people can understand
Creative Expresses ideas in a completely new way
Expand Adds more detail and depth to increase sentence length
Shorten Strips away extra words to provide a clear message

Pricing: Free for basic usage. $100/year for premium or $20/month.
My take: I found Quillbot’s interface clunkier than DeepL Write, though it has a broader array of features, including a “co-writer” option with Web search built in.

🌶️ Wordtune Spices

Wordtune Spices is a more advanced word processor. Paste or type in text and you'll notice phrases highlighted. Hover over them to get grammar or fluency suggestions. Incorporate any fixes you like, or ignore them to keep your writing unchanged. Editing notes appear in the right margin.2

You can choose which kinds of suggestions you want to see:

Improvements: Improve Clarity, Increase Fluency or Enhance Vocabulary
Corrections: Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation, Repetition, Missing Word

Wordtune can also help spice up your writing by suggesting additions to what you’ve written. Click the “+” button next to any line and choose among “spices” that build on what you’ve already written with any of the following:

Explain Adds a detailed explanation to what you’ve just written
Emphasize Reiterates your message to underscore your point
Expand on Expands on a point you’ve made
Give an example Provides a real-world instance
Counterargument Adds an opposing opinion
Define Adds an informative definition
Give an analogy Adds a simple comparison
Statistical fact Adds a data point to support your message
Make a joke Adds (an attempt at) comic relief
Historical fact Adds a fun fact from history
Nature fact Adds a fun fact about nature
Inspirational quote Adds a quote by a famous person

You can ask for suggestions that build on your writing

Wordtune for iOS suggests edits when you’re writing on your phone.
Microsoft Word fan? Use a Wordtune add-on or one for Quillbot.
Pricing: Free for basic usage. $120/year for premium or $25/month.

😒 Caveats on using AI for editing

♒️ Can interrupt freewriting
- AI editors can pull you into a perfectionist mindset by highlighting “errors” or making suggestions before you’ve fleshed out your ideas
💦 May water down your writing style
- If you rely heavily on software suggestions for every sentence, your writing may lose some of its distinctiveness.
🦾Can’t replace human sensitivity
- “AI Text Editors can lack human understanding and instinct, limiting their ability to provide meaningful feedback and analysis of the text.” —Lex.page’s AI response to my query about potential limitations of AI text editors.
🤐 Might diminish your editing confidence
- After relying on an AI editors, you may trust less in your own editing instincts. Counterpoint: Just as a personal trainer can help improve your fitness sensibility, an AI editor can strengthen your editing muscles.

Wonder Tools

Try these AI writing tools in 2023🔮

You’ll soon see AI in most writing tools. Canva, Notion, Craft, Coda and other popular writing services have been racing to add new AI features. Google Docs added a new AI-driven summarization feature. Read on for what AI can do for you, where the hype goes too far, and a few recommended tools to try…

3 months ago · 31 likes · 5 comments · Jeremy Caplan

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