Microsoft Editor is an aggressive push from Microsoft to make tools like Grammarly redundant. Grammarly is a widely used grammar and content checker that is actively promoted amongst websites to their staff. If Microsoft’s Editor alternative proves to be as accurate or robust as Grammarly, it could have several advantages. Firstly, it is baked into Word so requires no additional downloads. Secondly, like Grammarly, it will also be available in browsers. As a browser add-on, Editor will make suggestions in 20 languages as you type. It works on websites, emails, and social media. The tool is available as a free version that covers spelling and basic grammar suggestions. It is baked into Outlook.com and Word and can be downloaded for the web.
Microsoft 365 Features
Users who subscribe to Microsoft 365 Personal and Family will receive more granular grammar and style refinements. For example, formal language, vocabulary changes, and more. Below are the features exclusive to Microsoft Editor in Microsoft 365:
“When you know what you want to say but can’t seem to find the “right” way to say it, just highlight a sentence and right-click for Rewrite Suggestions. Rewrite Suggestions in Word can offer ideas to help you rephrase sentences for more impact or clarity while staying true to your original meaning. For the first time ever in Word, Editor’s similarity checker leverages plagiarism-checking capabilities to support writers in creating original content and, when necessary, insert relevant citations right into their document with just a click. This tool allows writers to focus less on the mechanics of writing and more on the content. And teachers love that similarity checker helps students learn how to appropriately cite content. Additional style critiques including clarity, conciseness, formality, and inclusiveness assist Microsoft 365 subscribers to write with more confidence across documents, email, and the web. For example, the inclusive language critique can suggest refinements to help a writer avoid unintentional bias by suggesting a writer may want to try a term like “police officer” in place of “policeman.””
If you’re interested in trying Editor on your browser, you can get it for the Edge browser here and Chrome browser here.
