FIND THE CLEARER WORD
To simplify words, choose familiar language that fits the sentence. Sometimes that means replacing a formal word; sometimes it means keeping a precise term and explaining it. Paste the sentence around a difficult word so the rewrite has context.
Paste a sentence or passage and choose a simplification level.
These are possible replacements, not rules for every sentence. Read the example to see which meaning is being simplified.
| Word or phrase | Try | In a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| utilize | use | Use the template for your report. |
| commence | start | The workshop starts at 10 a.m. |
| prior to | before | Save your draft before closing the window. |
| in the event that | if | If the room is full, wait outside. |
| subsequent to | after | You will receive a receipt after payment. |
| approximately | about | The walk takes about 20 minutes. |
| sufficient | enough | Check that you have enough paper. |
| purchase | buy | You can buy tickets at the desk. |
| assist | help | A volunteer can help you find your seat. |
| retain | keep | Keep a copy of the receipt. |
These hand-written examples illustrate editing choices. They are not measured results from the AI tool.
The installation requires approximately 20 minutes to complete.
The installation takes about 20 minutes.
‘About’ keeps the uncertainty. Removing it would turn an estimate into an exact time.
Illustrative exampleAccess to the archive is contingent upon completion of registration.
You can access the archive only after you finish registering.
‘Only after’ keeps registration as a requirement. Saying ‘register to learn more’ would lose that condition.
Illustrative exampleThe notice addresses concerns about access to the venue.
The notice deals with concerns about getting into the venue.
Here, ‘addresses’ means ‘deals with.’ A replacement about a street address would not fit the sentence.
Illustrative exampleKeep a term when it names the exact concept your reader needs. For example, replacing every occurrence of ‘photosynthesis’ with ‘a plant process’ would make study notes less specific. Keep the term and a checked explanation alongside it.
For further guidance on choosing familiar words and using terms consistently, see Digital.gov’s plain language guidance.
Paste a complete sentence or short passage. Nearby words help distinguish meanings, such as a financial bank and a river bank.
Try Lightly simpler for smaller changes, Clear & simple for everyday language, or Extra simple for more basic explanations. Keep Same language selected if you want the original language.
The tool may change sentence structure as well as individual words. Compare the people, actions, amounts, uncertainty, and conditions with the original.
Use Copy text after checking the result. If a specialist term has been lost or changed, restore it and check its explanation against your source.
You can enter a word, but a complete sentence gives the tool more context. This is a text rewriting tool, so it does not promise a dictionary definition or a list of synonyms for isolated words.
A thesaurus suggests related words. Simplifying also requires choosing the right meaning, checking how common the replacement is, and making the whole sentence easier to follow. A synonym can be harder than the original.
No. Word length alone does not determine whether a word is useful or familiar. Names and precise technical terms may need to stay. Review the output instead of judging it by the number of words changed.
You get 2 free rewrites per day, shared by people on the same network and reset at 00:00 UTC. Shared daily capacity also applies. Each request accepts up to 1,000 words and 16,000 characters. No account is needed.
For alternatives to the phrase itself, such as ‘explain in simpler terms,’ see our Dumb It Down synonyms guide. This page focuses on simplifying words inside your own text.
Bring the difficult word with its context, then compare a clearer version.