- Danielle
Grammarly Review.
If you're a blogger or small business owner, chances are you spend quite a bit of time self-editing to be sure your content or ad copy is on-point before you make it visible to your clients. Spelling and grammar are so incredibly important, and I say that both as a blogger and as an editor (my "other" job). Nothing leads me to take a company less seriously than misspellings or embarrassing typos on their website. Really, in this day and age, there's no excuse for failure to spell check.
No one is perfect, and while I consider myself a bit of an expert on the Chicago Manual of Style and the conventions of the English language, I make my fair share of typos. It's not even just about not knowing how to spell a word or where to place a comma; sometimes, our fingers just slip. It's impossible to avoid. That's where Grammarly comes in. (Please note: this post contains affiliate links.)
Remember, back in the day, when you would type your papers for school in Microsoft Word and faithfully use the spell check feature before hitting print? Remember how your diligence in so doing started to slip with time and the increased use of internet-based submission or email for your work? Me too. That's why I really like Grammarly. The program, which you can sign up for here, has both free and paid versions. It essentially functions as a browser add-on.
As I sit here typing this, Grammarly is monitoring my every keystroke. If I make a typo, it will tell me, much like the Microsoft Word spell check feature of old. However, the beauty of Grammarly lies in its simplicity. Once I create an account and add it to my browser, I don't have to do anything. It will underline misspelled words or grammatical errors as I type. If I hover over the words it has picked up on, it will offer suggestions to me. How great is that?
Grammarly works across websites, so wherever you are (your blog, your website, Facebook, Twitter, email), it has your back. Many of the errors that Grammarly catches are ones that Microsoft Word won't, so you're better off using it than relying just on Word's spell check.
The free version of Grammarly is great, but don't be too quick to write off the Premium option. Premium allows you to check for plagiarism, which can be a big issue for bloggers and freelance writers. Grammarly Premium also offers genre-specific writing tips, which is pretty useful for folks like me who work within a certain niche. Grammarly Premium also suggests vocabulary alternatives to its users, to help you actually become a better writer. I wish I'd had this tool when I was in college!
I really like Grammarly so far. I'd recommend checking it out, even if to just give the free version a try. What do you have to lose?
Danielle
As a Grammarly affiliate, I will receive compensation in exchange for writing this review. However, although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own.