Filler Word Checker
Paste your writing and instantly spot the "ums," weak qualifiers, and padded phrases that dilute your message.
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What Is a Filler Word Checker?
Filler words are the small, low-value words and phrases that slip into writing without adding meaning β "um," "just," "basically," or "in order to" instead of the simpler "to." Alone they're harmless, but across a page they blur your point and slow the reader down.
This tool checks your text against three groups: verbal fillers picked up from speech, weak qualifiers that soften a statement, and redundant phrases that pad a sentence. Every match is highlighted and grouped below by category, so you can see exactly what's cluttering your copy.
Editors, podcast hosts turning transcripts into posts, and anyone prepping a speech use tools like this for the same reason: filler language is easy to miss in your own writing but fast to cut once you can see it.
How the Score Is Calculated
Each piece of text is checked against four weighted factors:
| Factor | What it checks |
|---|---|
| Filler word density | What share of your total words are fillers β a high share signals your copy needs tightening. |
| Repetition check | Whether you're leaning on the same filler word repeatedly instead of writing more directly. |
| Redundant phrase usage | How many padded, multi-word phrases appear that could be a single clear word. |
| Sentence impact | Whether fillers cluster inside single sentences, which reads more awkwardly than fillers spread thinly. |
Common Filler Patterns to Watch For
A few patterns show up again and again, each with a quick fix:
- Verbal fillers: "um," "uh," "like," "you know" β rarely belong in written copy; cut them outright.
- Weak qualifiers: "very," "really," "just," "basically" β remove the word and see if the sentence still holds up.
- Redundant phrases: "in order to," "due to the fact that" β shrink to a single word like "to" or "because."
Tips for Tighter Writing
Read your sentence without the flagged word first β if the meaning holds, the word wasn't doing any work and can go. This test catches most weak qualifiers and verbal fillers in one pass.
For redundant phrases, use the shortest version that says the same thing: "due to the fact that" becomes "because." These swaps rarely change your meaning but noticeably tighten your sentences.
Don't aim for zero fillers, though β a few in the right place can sound natural, especially in dialogue or casual emails. The goal is control over the pattern, not elimination. For more on how word choice affects whether copy converts, see our landing page copywriting formula guide, or the Wikipedia entry on linguistic fillers.
Related Tools
- Headline Analyzer β score your title for clarity and click-through potential.
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- Smart Text Generator β turn a topic into ready-to-use text.
- Word Counter β live word, character, and reading-time stats.
Want the writing behind the tool? Read Landing Page Copywriting Formula on our blog, or see the full list on the Free AI Writing Tools page.