In their piece they’ve tested free versions of both tools, and outlined that “Linguix is no match for ProWritingAid when it comes to understanding your writing.”

This was a nice take, but the outline seemed a bit unreliable to us, so we decided to conduct our own side-by-side test. Here is what we’ve found.

Step #1: Analyzing the UX

Folks from PWA have tested the web apps, so we would do the same. Linguix web editor has several important features its competitor could not offer, including:

• Document storage. In Linguix, you can create as many documents as you need, and keep them in your storage.
• Folders and search. Once you’ve created dozens of documents, the navigation issue arises. We solve this by offering easy-to-use search and folders that allow you to organize and browse your content easily.
• Secret mode. Need to edit sensitive content? No worries, just use our Secret mode, get your writing checked, and then the text will vanish forever. It works like secret chat in a messaging app.

What about ProWritingAid? We’ve tried, but failed to find any way to store more than one document, any privacy-related features. Not talking about folders! 

Note: maybe, all these features are in place, but we’ve failed to find them, which tells a lot about the UX.

Step #2: What about the grammar check?

Again, let’s quote folks from PWA:

[..] ProWritingAid went deeper, highlighting issues with commas, capitalization, overly complex language, and confused words. Furthermore, you can use the ProWritingAid reports to visualize key document stats like sentence length to make sure you’re including enough variety.

Alright, let’s test and verify or bust this claim. Here is the test sample we’ve used to run through both Linguix and ProWritingAid (unlike competitors, we’re posting it here, so everyone could run their own test):

Excel has been a goto solution for financial planning for decades. This is a potent tools; however, it allows building linear models only, which may not be good enough in the modern business environment. In addition, such models are limited in their flexibility and could not be easily optimized for higher performance.

Here is an example. A US-based trucking company decided to boost its operations by implemented a more advanced solution for shipping optimization. The goal was to optimized the truck loading and shipment processes ​so that the weight and the axles load are always within the street legal restrictions. If the truck was overloaded, the company can get a fine.

Obviously, there are some mistakes in this sample content. Let’s paste it to both free Linguix and PWA to see what we will be able to get from them.

Here goes Linguix:

We can see nine (9) alerts, some of which are premium.

What about ProWritingAid? Here you go:

We see seven (7) highlighted words and phrases. But what assistant did its job better?

Although Linguix offers some Premium alerts, which do not contain explanations for free users, the tool still highlights the issues. So, the user can in fact understand what to fix to improve the text. For example, here is the sentence: 

In addition, such models are limited in their flexibility and could not be easily optimized for higher performance.

Here you should switch the word could with can to make the sentence grammatically correct. PWA does not see an issue here, while Linguix highlights it to let you improve your content. 

Wait, you may say, but there are some corrections that ProWritingAid shows and Linguix does not. A closer look at these purple underlines tells us that all of them are passive voice, which the PWA’s algorithm does not like:

However, as you can easily read on the web, the passive voice is not grammatically incorrect, and you are not “wrong” if you use it. This is an idea we support here at Linguix. And as so, we do not highlight things that are not actual mistakes. 

Another correction that was not highlighted by Linguix is the “decided to boost” phrase within the second sentence in the last paragraph:

‘

PWA thinks that this affects readability, whatever it may mean. Again, this is not an actual mistake! In turn, Linguix’s Paraphrasing Engine allows you to see how you can change the sentence to make it sound native, all on demand. This makes the whole sentence more readable, not the part of it!

So, Linguix showed more mistakes, it showed actual mistakes, and it offered the way to make any sentence in the text more native, not a part of it.

Step #3: Free app’s functionality

At this point, the PWA’s research was finished, and folks switched to promoting their premium features. What about features that might be useful for a retail customer? Colleagues have mentioned:

• Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge extensions
• Microsoft Word
• Scrivener and Final Draft (we do not have that)
• Google Docs
• Open Office, Rich Text, HTML, Markdown (we do not have that)

Sounds great. Until you know that almost all these features (and even more) are free in Linguix! 

• Browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
• Desktop applications
• MS office add-ins (including Outlook!)
• Mobile keyboards for iOS and Android (PWA does not have them!)
• Writing Coach and Content Templates (no alternatives!)
• Paraphrasing Engine (again, PWA does not offer it)
• Intelligent shortcuts for faster typing
• Vocabulary enhancement features

You can use all these applications and features at no cost! Also, while testing, we’ve found out that a free ProWritingAid is limited to 500 words…At that point we felt that this was enough and stopped calculating points.

Final thoughts: we would never build this without you

Here at Linguix we are actively working on the product, constantly pushing new features, and always talking to customers via email (for e.g., you can reach our founder Alex here) or in our Facebook Community.

This unbelievable connection between the whole team at Linguix and our users and customers makes the whole thing work. As a result, the simple test that follows the methodology of side-by-side comparison of two writing assistants leads to Linguix’s win. We could never achieve this without your support, so thank you!

P. S. And in the meantime I’ve searched for letters from PWA in my inbox, and guess what I’ve found? 

Asking for feedback using a noreply email address..

P. P. S. I still think Chris Banks and his team are doing a great job at PWA. However, we at Linguix do even more.

The post ProWritingAid vs Linguix: A Side-by-Side Comparison appeared first on Linguix Blog.

But what if someone told you there is a way to reduce the time and money spent on email and social media writing by 90%? That would definitely be great. But is this REALLY possible? 

Meet Linguix Shortcuts, our brand-new feature that allows you to save $18 per hour and $10,600 a year on email writing by speeding up the writing process by 90%.

How this works

Tired of repeatedly typing something like “Hi all, I’ve applied changed to the project. Looking forward to your feedback” on corporate emails, or “I’ve come across your profile, and thought it would be nice to connect” on LinkedIn? Now you can create a shortcut i.e. a template of an email, pitch, invite, or social media update, assign and then instantly insert it where needed by typing //yourshortcut.

How do I create my shortcut?

You will need a Linguix account. Then you’ll be able to login to our web app. In the left-hand menu choose the “Shortcut” menu. Then either browse through our system shortcuts library or create your own from scratch. 

After the shortcut is saved, all you need to apply it on Gmail, LinkedIn, or any other website. To do this, install our browser extension (available for Chrome, Firefox, and MS Edge) and type //yourshortcut.

I don’t remember my shortcut

Forgot your shortcut? No problem, just type // to instantly see all your shortcuts:

Just browse it, choose the right shortcut, and insert it. Even better, as you now have the Linguix extension installed, your shortcut-based text will be instantly checked for grammar and writing errors.

Upgrade to use unlimited shortcuts

We provide our shortcuts as a free feature just as we do with both our grammar checking engine and our templates library. However, to experience the full power of the shortcut-fueled writing, we recommend upgrading to our Premium plan. This will allow you to create an unlimited number of custom shortcuts and insert them as many times per day as you need. 

Let us know what you think!

Have questions about the browser extension or Premium access? Found some bugs? Tweet us or ping us at support@linguix.com to provide feedback or ask for help.

The post New Feature: Create Custom Keyboard Shortcuts to Expand and Replace Text as You Type appeared first on Linguix Blog.

You will experience 2,700 AI-fueled corrections for punctuation, grammar, context, and sentence structure, and get fixes for 9M typos. Linguix is a top-rated grammar checker: 4.5 stars and 114 reviews at G2.com, and  #1 Grammar Checker at Product Hunt. 

Get Linguix for your Mac or Windows right now. Tell us what you think in the comments below! 

P. S.To make things even better, now you can purchase Linguix Annual Premium plan for just $52.8 instead of $227.4 if paid monthly. It is just $4.4/mo! Hurry up, the deal ends soon!

The post Meet Linguix For Desktop: Check Your Writing on Mac & Windows appeared first on Linguix Blog.

This is why we here at Linguix developed a tool called Mini helper. A handy small feature is working as a part of Linguix Browser Extension and instantly shows you your readability scores plus cards with explanations for every mistake in your text. More importantly, Mini helper has a built-in navigation that allows you to easily switch between alerts to review them faster.

How it works

Everything is super-duper easy:

• Type your text.
• Hover over the red circle with the number of mistakes.
• Click it to launch the mini helper.

Now, you can easily switch between alerts within the text, review suggested edits using cards, and apply corrections.

You will save tons of time using this small feature! It is already available for our Chrome and Firefox users, Edge is soon to come!

Let us know what you think!

Have questions about the browser extension or Premium access? Found some bugs? Tweet us or ping us at support@linguix.com to provide feedback or ask for help.

The post Meet Mini Helper: Easily Review and Apply Grammar Suggestions on Millions of Websites appeared first on Linguix Blog.

The free-to-download Chrome/Mozilla/Edge extension, for example, allows the user to check their spelling and grammar wherever they write on the web thanks to the Linguix database of corrections, stocked by language experts. Get suggestions as you write, including on popular sites such as Facebook, Gmail and LinkedIn. 

The extension also allows users to avail of a huge language library consisting of dictionary definitions of words and a comprehensive list of synonyms and antonyms. By simply hovering over the word in question – again anywhere on the web – the user can unearth all the information needed about that particular word.

The content building tool on the Linguix application allows users to formulate their text and avail of spell-checking, grammar-checking and style-checking reviews that have been built by professional writers and linguists.

What is more, Linguix insights allow the user to avail of important statistics pertaining to his or her writing; from the average number of words in a sentence to the average number of sentences in a paragraph; from the reading time to the text suitability in terms of the chosen audience; from a reading score based on the highly valued Flesch-Kincaid system, to the ability to configure the style and tone of the text and even the English dialect that you are aiming for. 

Then there is a content template library meaning users do not need to start from scratch when wanting to formulate an important document. 

And at the start of 2020, Linguix was even made compatible with Google docs, meaning the writing assistant tool is now available for collaborative teams to use.

But now there is even more that Linguix has to offer:

200% faster web editor

Enjoy our brand-new web editor: we’ve increased the speed of grammar check for long documents by 200% percent on average. Now, after your text is uploaded to the system, any changes are checked instantly with no delay.

Redesigned Chrome/Mozilla/Edge extensions

The redisgned Chrome/Mozilla/Edge extensions mean even more of a seamless integration into your existing web writing practices. The database of suggestions and recommendations has grown, and the number and suitability of synonyms and word definitions has been refined further.  

Advanced writing insights

Advanced writing insights, already available in the application, are now accessible to Premium users right there in the extension on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Edge. This means that the same level of audience and readability compatibility insights are easily accessed for writing that is already published on the web by simply highlighting the text in question.

This tool not only works as an editing tool, but it is educational in the level of detail and understanding provided for an already-written text. In particular, understanding of the suitability of the text to the target audience is invaluable. 

With these new updates, the Linguix writing assistant is going from strength to strength.

The post The Exciting New Features That Linguix Has to Offer appeared first on Linguix Blog.

“That is right,” he said.

The problem with ‘said’ is that all it does is report the words that someone speaks. It doesn’t say anything about the way that the words were actually spoken, not to mention any meaning, emotion or feeling that was behind the words. So, here is a list of synonyms that could be much better to use, depending on the context.

announced, agreed, whispered, shouted, reported, conceded

Although these words all communicate slightly different interpretations of the way in which the man said the words, every single one of them communicates more. More accurately. More insightfully. It’s simply better communication.

Why learning synonyms improves your writing

As the example with ‘said’ reveals, finding the correct word to express yourself is an essential part of clear and accurate communication. 

Most people will lean on their favorite words to say what they mean, but often there is a much better word to do the job. In the English language there are over a million words, while most people rely on a narrow vocabulary group of about 20,000 words to get by. That is a very small percentage of the words that can be accessed, and immediately reveals that there is probably a much more suitable option for the word that you have chosen. Statistically speaking, that is almost certain. 

And it’s not about being over-complicated either. It’s simply about finding the word that conveys, concisely and accurately, exactly what you wanted to say.

Here is an example.

““That is right,” he conceded.

‘conceded’ means that the man was somewhat reluctant in his admission that the other person was right. But he did agree in the end. That conveys so much more meaning that ‘said’, which gives none of those insights.

As long as that is the context of the words, then you have successfully chosen the word that can sum up the situation perfectly. That’s what the right synonym can do. 

How you can learn synonyms to improve your writing

The impractical way to learn synonyms to improve your writing would be to have a dictionary by your side, or to copy and paste every given word into a thesaurus or dictionary to get the given synonyms. But then you would need to cross-reference those words to get the true meaning of the synonym. You want to be correct, of course.

There is a much better way.

The Linguix writing and look-up assistant, free to download for Chrome, Firefox and Edge, allows you to highlight and click on words wherever you find them on the web and get an instant list of synonyms, as well as all important definitions for each category of synonyms.

For example, if you highlight the word ‘shifted’.

It’s that easy!

Get definitions depending on context, and then the synonyms which can correctly communicate the concept you are looking for.

So, boost your vocabulary, your writing and your communication ability today with Linguix.

The post The Importance of Learning Synonyms to Improve Your Writing, and How You Can Do It appeared first on Linguix Blog.

Here is what’s new in Linguix.

Long Google Documents support

Since we released Google Docs support back in February, the top requested feature to add has been the opportunity to check very long documents. To do this, we’ve redesigned integration, and are now proud to announce support for very long documents up to 30 pages long. 

Now you can check your articles, blog posts, college essays, and any other big documents with no performance issues, and see the complete report right away.

More features for Premium users

The ability to grammar check texts of unlimited length in Google Docs is also now available to our Premium users. In addition, our Premium plan subscribers can now access comprehensive statistics and readability scores for their writing in one click. Just hover your mouse over to the menu where the number of mistakes is shown, and click the diagram icon. 

Then, a pop-up with comprehensive stats on document length, reading, and speaking time, as well as the average length of word/sentence, will appear. The readability score is one of the most important metrics here, as this allows you to align your writing with your target audience.

Increased performance 

We’ve also worked hard to enhance the performance of our extensions. Sometimes, you open long documents not to edit them, but to get some information. In this case, running the whole text through the grammar checking algorithm is not such a good solution from a performance point of view. 

To avoid any unexpected delays and to make the process of using Google Docs in combination with Linguix more enjoyable, we’ve designed an option that allows you to mark long documents as view-only. In such cases, the document won’t be checked by our artificial intelligence algorithm. If you do want to check the document, push the “Check it” button:

We’ve also conducted a lot of work under the hood, resulting in an overall performance boost of up to 30%. As a result, Linguix users can now check their grammar and receive writing stats at lightning speed!

Let us know what you think!

Have questions about the Google Docs integration or the product itself? Found some bugs? Tweet us or ping us at support@linguix.com to provide feedback or ask for help.

The post Google Docs Integration Updated, New Features For Premium Users, Increased Performance appeared first on Linguix Blog.

Over 700 Premium writing checks

Although the basic functions of Linguix will always be free, there is a set of additional checks for punctuation, grammar, context, and sentence structure that are available only to Premium users. We have a database of more than seven hundred grammar rules and writing checks that will significantly boost your writing.

Also, as a Premium user you get advanced style suggestions to help make your texts as good as possible. For example, the system can help you improve your writing style better than any other grammar checking software. 

Clear and actionable Premium suggestions will help you to fix the mistake right away, and avoid making them in the future:

Vocabulary enhancement at full swing

Linguix is designed to not just to be a regular grammar checker. It is a powerful language learning engine that helps you expand your vocabulary and master the true sense of the language. 

When you are stuck on an unknown word while reading online and have the Linguix extension for Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge installed, just right-click and choose “Look up in Linguix.”

Also, both our Chrome/Firefox extensions and the Web App feature an AI-fueled synonyms-selection engine. It helps you learn better alternatives to words you already know. Just hold the ALT button and double-click the word when typing something online to get a full list of synonyms divided into categories. Synonyms are grouped based on the context of a sentence:

600% faster content creation

Writers’ block can become a significant problem. It is hard to overcome, it eats up time, and harms your motivation for both writing and learning. To help you win this battle, we’ve prepared dozens of templates for almost any type of text you may need: blog posts, different types of essays, white papers, press releases, and more.

Using content templates can speed up your writing by up to 600%! 

The post How Linguix Premium Improves Your Writing and Promotes Language Learning appeared first on Linguix Blog.

One of the top problems when using a grammar checking software is that the program only tells you what to fix. You accept the suggestion, but make the same mistake again and again.

We here at Linguix want to help our users to develop a better understanding of a language and its grammar. This is why we’ve released a brand-new extended rules feature in our Web app.

How it works

Now the system offers extended explanations of grammar rules that should be applied to avoid making a particular mistake in the future. Everything is pretty simple. While working on a text using the Linguix Web App you can see the suggested fixes at the right side of the screen:

Now, when you click on some of them you will see a “Show more” link.

Clicking on this link will open a thorough explanation of the particular error with a corresponding language rule used to fix it. Also, there will be examples of correct and incorrect usage of the rule.

Initially, such extended rule explanations are available for several dozen of the most frequent mistakes made by Linguix users. We will continually work on expanding the library of language rules.

The post Improve English Knowledge Through Your Mistakes appeared first on Linguix Blog.

Miami, FL, Dec. 2, 2019.

Linguix Inc. a mother company of Linguix.com AI-based writing assistant, announces an angel investment round. Nitrx Capital LLC, a Delaware-based private investment firm, will invest $350,000 that will be used for upgrading Linguix.com grammar checking technology and launching new features. 

“We never wanted to just build another grammar checker,” says Lashkow, the co-founder and Linguix CEO. “From the day one we were working to give our users a better and more powerful product. This is why we provided them with unique content creation features, like content templates library, and gave more control over privacy with the pastebin mode for editing sensitive information. Now we are moving towards launching an AI-based personalized language learning engine and mobile applications. This will significantly boost the overall user experience and the value of Linguix”.

“We were impressed by the vision, experience, and skills of the Linguix team,” says Avner Zakharyaev, the VP at Nitrx Capital LLC. “These are strong factors that create a tremendous opportunity for worldwide growth, which is our top requirement for startups seeking investment. We liked the product, it’s business model, as well as the fact it has already acquired thousands of users from dozens of countries. Everybody at Nitrx Capital is excited about this new partnership and its perspectives”.

For now, Linguix software is available as a web application, and browser extension for Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox browsers.

Linguix.com (ex-Linguix.ai) is an AI-based writing assistant and grammar checker that helps users to eliminate mistakes in their writing. The software detects grammar, spelling, punctuation mistakes in English writing and generates corrections and recommendations. The company’s headquarters is located in Miami, FL, as well as offices in Berlin, Germany and Moscow, Russia.

The post Linguix Announces Its First Investment Round appeared first on Linguix Blog.