Hemingway Editor
Making writing clearer and easier to read by flagging complex sentences and passive voice
- Best for
- Making writing clearer and easier to read by flagging complex sentences and passive voice
- Pricing
- Freemium
- Free plan
- Yes
- Platforms
- Web, Desktop app (Mac/Windows, paid)
- Category
- Writing
What is Hemingway Editor?
Hemingway Editor is a writing tool that highlights sentences which are hard to read, flags passive voice and unnecessary adverbs, and scores your writing’s readability grade level. Unlike AI rewriting tools, it doesn’t rewrite text for you; instead it teaches you to spot and fix your own overly complex sentences. The web app is free, while a paid desktop version adds offline editing and publishing features.
How students can use it
- Tightening up an essay draft for clarity
- Checking readability level before submitting a paper
- Spotting overly long or passive sentences
Key features
- Readability grade-level scoring
- Highlights for hard-to-read and very-hard-to-read sentences
- Passive voice and adverb flags
- Simpler-word suggestions
Pros and cons
Pros
- Simple and fast, no account needed for the free version
- Encourages concise writing
- Clear visual highlighting system
Cons
- Only highlights issues rather than generating AI rewrites
- Desktop app costs extra
- No plagiarism or citation checking
Is Hemingway Editor free?
Yes — there is a free plan you can use without paying.
The web editor is free to use in the browser; a one-time paid desktop app adds offline use and publishing features.
How to use it well
Paste a finished draft in and fix the red (very hard to read) sentences first
Aim for a grade-level score appropriate to the assignment rather than the lowest possible score
Limitations to know about
Grammar checking is less thorough than Grammarly
English only
Alternatives to Hemingway Editor
A paraphrasing and summarising tool aimed at writers and students.
A writing assistant that checks grammar, clarity and tone as you type.
Deep style and grammar editing with detailed reports beyond basic spellcheck
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