Free Passive Voice Checker
Our passive voice detector automatically highlights passive voice in your writing and suggests stronger, active alternatives.
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I am continually impressed with the positive input this program offers me every time I sit down to write. My skills have improved immensely since I bought it and heartily recommend it to anyone who wants to have more confidence in their own writing.
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I’ve tried every free and paid writing/editing/grammar extension out there and this by far is the best one my team and I have found. It’s fast, accurate and really helps improve your writing beyond simple grammar suggestions.
Joel Widmer
ProWritingAid has been a resource in my writer toolkit for many years. The program helps me to craft and clarify my stories for a better reader experience. Your editor will thank you for making their job easier.
Siera London
Power up your writing with ProWritingAid
Get an editing tool that goes beyond being a passive voice checker, with real-time suggestions to improve spelling, grammar, style, and more.
Check for passive voice
ProWritingAid’s passive voice checker highlights passive voice in your writing and gives you active voice options that keep your sentences clear and compelling.
Avoid grammar and spelling errors
Whether you’re working on a short email or a full-length novel, ProWritingAid will catch spelling and grammar errors as you write so that no pesky mistakes slip through.
Get real-time style suggestions
ProWritingAid’s in-depth writing reports give you real-time style suggestions, such as avoiding overused words and varying your sentence lengths.
Works in all your favorite writing apps
Access all ProWritingAid's features directly in your writing app of choice.
What type of content needs a passive voice checker?
You should check any text that will be read by someone else.
For business writers, it improves your:
- emails
- reports
- pitches
- cover letters
- resumes
- contracts
- strategies
- marketing copy
For creative writers, it improves your:
- stories
- articles
- memoirs
- blog posts
- social posts
- essays
For students, it improves your:
- essays
- lab reports
- assignments
- applications
ProWritingAid’s Passive Voice Checker FAQs
1. What is passive voice?
Active voice and passive voice are two different grammatical voices in the English language. When a sentence is written in active voice, the subject performs the verb. When a sentence is written in passive voice, the subject gets acted upon by the verb. For example, “I’m writing a novel” is in active voice, whereas “A novel is being written by me” is in passive voice.
2. Why should I avoid passive voice?
Passive voice isn’t a grammatical error, but it’s typically weaker than active voice. Sentences written in passive voice tend to feel unnecessarily convoluted or indirect. Unless you have a strong stylistic reason for using the passive voice, it’s better to write your sentences using the active voice.
3. How does ProWritingAid’s passive voice detector beat Grammarly’s?
With 25+ different writing reports, ProWritingAid offers a more detailed analysis of your writing than other passive voice checkers on the market, such as Grammarly. Plus, ProWritingAid’s premium package is cheaper and more affordable than Grammarly’s.
4. Can I detect passive voice in email? And on social media?
Yes! You can use our browser extensions (Chrome, Firefox and Edge) to use our passive vs active voice checker on nearly every website out there, like Facebook, Twitter, and Medium, as well as on web-based email providers like Gmail and Yahoo.