Forum Posts Feed
Smartword - a free tool for all writers
< Next Topic | Back to topic list | Previous Topic >
Posted by Franz Grieser
Jul 30, 2012 at 03:59 PM
Hi.
The author of PageFour also write an interesting free tool (still free - there will soon be a commercial Pro edition): SmartEdit scans your text, creates a list of used words, counts the frequency of words and shows duplicate words, (user-defineable) phrases, clichés, etc.
That’s a feature I’ve been missing in all my word processors. If I am not mistaken, only PageFour and Apple Pages have it.
Franz
Posted by Dr Andus
Jul 30, 2012 at 05:14 PM
Franz Grieser wrote:
>The author of PageFour also write an interesting free tool (still free - there
>will soon be a commercial Pro edition): SmartEdit scans your text, creates a list of
>used words, counts the frequency of words and shows duplicate words,
>(user-defineable) phrases, clichés,
>etc.
>http://www.smart-edit.com/
Cool! Thanks for that!
Posted by Hugh
Jul 31, 2012 at 07:27 PM
Franz, thank you.
The six checks run by the Pro version look as if they will be particularly useful. There’s a strand of thinking that says that software like this isn’t necessary, is no substitute for the human eye and brain, is almost cheating. I don’t agree. At the very least it’s easy when you’re writing fast, up against a deadline and tired to overuse particular words and phrases. Actually, there’ one of mine: “particular”. And another: “actually”.
IME hitherto the best in the field, apart from heavy-duty academic text-analysis programmes, has been Textanz: http://www.cro-code.com, but I think that only runs checks on overused words and phrases, not the additional screens that the new software applies.
Unfortunately, I don’t know of anything equivalent for the Mac platform, and that’s a little odd given the alleged writing bias of the Mac-user community. (Textanz claims to work on a Mac, but I haven’t been able to get it to do so.)
Posted by Franz Grieser
Jul 31, 2012 at 07:50 PM
Hugh.
Actually, I have a license for Textanz, too, which I do use when writing copy for my customers or for my websites.
If found its creator very helpful when I had to install Textanz an my new PC and didn’t find the license info - he instantly sent a copy of the registred version.
But I hadn’t seen that Textanz runs on the Mac now.
What I like about Smart-Edit is the “Ignored phrases” and “Cliches” feature.
Franz
Posted by Hugh
Aug 1, 2012 at 09:30 AM
Franz Grieser wrote:
>Hugh.
>
>Actually, I have a license for Textanz, too, which I do use when writing copy
>for my customers or for my websites.
>If found its creator very helpful when I had to
>install Textanz an my new PC and didn’t find the license info - he instantly sent a copy
>of the registred version.
>
>But I hadn’t seen that Textanz runs on the Mac now.
>
>What I
>like about Smart-Edit is the “Ignored phrases” and “Cliches” feature.
>
>Franz
I just tested SmartEdit, briefly, with 60 pages of current work. So far, so easy and good (the software, that is, not the 60 pages…). I like the “ignored phrases” and “cliches” features too. I also like the naming and shaming of adverbs. Five minutes ago I was proud of what I thought was my record of shunning adverbs. No longer.
H