Everyone who regularly writes texts knows it: put a comma or not? Upper or lower case? If you need clarification on the grammar, you can now use various online tools to check the spelling. We have tested the five most popular websites for you. Many may still remember the lessons and the tiresome topic of spelling. While previous generations could often never be sure of this, we can now use online tools to be safe. Scribbr, for example, was recently named the best tool for spell-checking. But how reliable are these websites? We tested it using an example.
Scribbr
Scribbr offers online academic proofreading and editing services. The company also checks academic texts for plagiarism and formatting. Interested parties can also access the online spell checker via the homepage. In our sample text, the algorithm detected a total of six errors. While this is almost the correct number, Scribbr marked some correct spellings as incorrect and missed incorrect spellings.
For example, the program noticed that “user” was missing the plural ending and noticed the incorrect capitalization of “comment”. However, it did not suggest correcting the commas, and the misspelling of “short message service” passed as correct. The company advertises that it finds twice as many errors as other programs. However, it should be the right one.
Language Tool
LanguageTool is an online grammar and spelling checker available in different languages. Experts are continuously developing open-source tools, making it possible for users to have their texts checked for grammatical and linguistic errors.
In our sample text, the program detected a total of six errors. For example, the tool noticed “maximum” and “so-called” incorrect spelling. The program also discovered the missing comma after “texts”. However, LanguageTool incorrectly suggests capitalizing the word “and”. The tool also overlooks that the word “user” requires the plural.
Spell Check24
The online tool Spellcheck24 checks the upper and lower case text detects double words, and recognizes colloquialisms. Spelling errors are highlighted in color on the website and with a solid underline. In addition, the tool checks corresponding texts for missing commas and errors in the writing style or redundancy.
If desired, users can also have their letters analyzed for sources of error and readability. Spellcheck24 recognized a total of six errors in our text. The program also marked “maximum” and “so-called” as faulty here. It also recognized that a comma is missing after “texts”. However, it incorrectly suggested capitalizing “and” and didn’t recognize the plural error in “user”.
Duden Mentor
Duden Mentor is an online tool from the Duden editorial team. The service is available, among other things, as a free version with a limited number of letters. The software checks texts for errors and makes suggestions for improvement. In addition, users can take advantage of a style analysis that checks the readability and comprehensibility of their text.
Our example text should be shorter for the tool, so we must correct it in two steps. For example, the software suggests a comma between “allowed” and “contributions” and after “texts”. She also notes the incorrect spelling of “maximum” and “so-called”. The plural of “user” is still missing. So, one comma too many is suggested. Although Duden Mentor found the extra comma after “Instagram”, it did not notice any errors in the last sentence of the text.
Conclusion
This is how well the online spell-check tools perform in the test. All online spell-check tools detected about 50 per cent of our built-in errors. Although everyone has found the correct spelling of “maximum” and “so-called”, not all tools agree on correct comma placement. The programs also don’t know where the plural is appropriate and where it isn’t. The error in the “dass” is not recognized after the first comma.
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