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[ARTICLE · art-110942] src=dev.to ↗ pub= topic=developer-tools verified=true sentiment=↑ positive

Make your writing easier to read without AI

Developer Drew G. has built Simplify Your Writing, an open-source tool that runs entirely in the browser to identify wordy phrases and suggest simpler alternatives, such as replacing 'due to the fact that' with 'because'. Unlike AI writing assistants, it does not rewrite text or change the user's voice, relying instead on a deterministic dictionary of phrase-to-replacement rules. The project is seeking contributors to expand its dictionary and improve the tool.

read1 min views1 publishedAug 25, 2026

Good writing isn't about using more words. It's about making your point easy to understand.

I built Simplify Your Writing to help with that.

Paste in your writing and it finds wordy phrases that can be replaced with simpler, more concise alternatives.

**Try it:** [https://simplify-your-writing.drewg2009.workers.dev/](https://simplify-your-writing.drewg2009.workers.dev/)

For example:

due to the fact that

because

in close proximity to

near

at this point in time

now

Removing unnecessary words makes writing clearer, easier to scan, and easier to understand.

And unlike an AI writing assistant, it doesn't rewrite your work or change your voice. It only points out specific phrases that can be simplified, and you decide whether to change them.

There's also no AI involved.

Everything runs in the browser using a dictionary of phrase → replacement rules. The suggestions are deterministic, transparent, and predictable.

The biggest limitation right now is the dictionary.

There are thousands of wordy phrases that could be added, and I'm looking for contributors to help build it.

You don't need to know JavaScript. If you can find a wordy phrase and suggest a shorter alternative that preserves the meaning, you can contribute.

I'm especially interested in phrases from:

Developers can also contribute to the matching engine, UI, tests, accessibility, and other parts of the project.

The goal is to build a useful open-source tool for making writing clearer and easier to read.

I could see the project expanding to an api or library in the future but for now just expanding the dictionary and improving the tool will be great!

**Try it:** [https://simplify-your-writing.drewg2009.workers.dev/](https://simplify-your-writing.drewg2009.workers.dev/)

**GitHub:** [https://github.com/drewg2009/simplify-your-writing](https://github.com/drewg2009/simplify-your-writing)

If you find a phrase the tool should catch — or a suggestion that isn't quite right — open an issue or PR. I'd love the help.
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