Adverb Finder
Paste your writing and the finder highlights each -ly adverb, counts them, ranks the repeats and gives you adverbs per 100 words. It looks only at words ending in -ly (minus about 40 it knows are not adverbs), so it shows you where a stronger verb might replace a verb-plus-adverb pair — and leaves the choice to you. Free, no sign-up, and your text stays in your browser.
How to Use the Adverb Finder
- Paste your text. The counts and highlights update as you type; there is no button to press and nothing is uploaded.
- Read the four numbers. Total words, adverbs found, unique adverbs and adverbs per 100 words (adverbs divided by words, times 100).
- Scan the highlighted copy. Every flagged word is shaded in your own text. Look at what each one is attached to — quickly approved, extremely positively — and ask whether the verb or adjective already says it.
- Use the frequency list. Words are ranked by count. A word that appears five times (significantly, clearly) is a habit worth breaking even when each use is defensible.
What Counts as an Adverb Here
An adverb modifies a verb (ran quickly), an adjective (extremely tired) or another adverb (very quickly). The finder uses one test: a whole word that ends in -ly. It then drops a built-in list of about 40 common -ly words that are not adverbs or that you rarely want flagged — family, supply, apply, reply, July, Italy, ugly, lovely, friendly, elderly, assembly and similar — plus only, early and likely. Everything else ending in -ly is highlighted, including names (Emily) and adjectives that are not on the list (daily, costly). Capital letters do not matter.
The test also means it cannot see adverbs without the ending: often, soon, always, never, very, quite, here, then, well are all adverbs and none is highlighted. For very, quite, rather and other intensifiers use the Filler Word Finder.
When an Adverb Earns Its Place
Adverbs are not a fault, and academic prose uses them honestly: respectively ties two lists together, approximately tells the reader a number is not exact, significantly in a results section may carry a statistical meaning. The ones to question are adverbs that prop up a vague verb or repeat what the verb already means (completely eliminated, quickly sprinted). There is no published threshold for how many are too many — compare your own drafts and your own field’s sample papers rather than chasing a number.
| Verb + adverb | One stronger verb | Keep the adverb if… |
|---|---|---|
| walked slowly | trudged, ambled | the pace is the point and you want it plain |
| said angrily | snapped, barked | the anger is stated elsewhere |
| carefully examined | scrutinised, inspected | the care is a finding, not a flourish |
| extremely tired | exhausted | you need a measurable degree |
| respectively | (no replacement) | it matches items in two lists |
Worked Example
The first paragraph has 25 words and 5 highlighted adverbs — quickly, significantly, extremely, positively, briefly — which is 20.0 per 100 words. only and family are on the exclusion list, so they are not counted. The revision keeps the facts but moves the work to the verbs and numbers:
Before
The committee quickly approved the proposal. The results were significantly better than expected. Participants responded extremely positively, and we only briefly discussed the family history.
After
The committee approved the proposal in minutes. The results beat expectations. Participants responded warmly, and we discussed the family history for ten minutes.
The revision has 23 words and one highlight (warmly), or 4.3 per 100. The gain came from replacing quickly with a fact (in minutes) and significantly better with a verb — only do that last swap if you are not reporting a statistical test.
Which Tool Do You Need?
| The problem is… | Use |
|---|---|
| Words ending in -ly, any of them | This Adverb Finder |
| A fixed list of intensifiers and hedges — very, really, just, kind of — with or without -ly | Filler Word Finder |
| Whole phrases that have a shorter equivalent, such as due to the fact that | Wordiness Checker |
| Sentences made mostly of function words (the, of, is, that) | Sticky Sentence Checker |
| Overused expressions such as at the end of the day | Cliché Finder |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How does the adverb finder work?
- It scans for whole words ending in -ly, skips a built-in list of about 40 words that are not adverbs or are rarely worth flagging, highlights the rest, and counts them. Density is adverbs divided by total words, times 100. It does not tag parts of speech.
- Why are adverbs considered weak writing?
- Because a verb plus an adverb often stands in for one precise verb: said angrily for snapped, walked slowly for trudged. Cutting the pair shortens the sentence and sharpens the picture. That advice comes from style guides for fiction and general prose; in academic writing the aim is precision, not zero adverbs.
- What is a good number of adverbs per 100 words?
- There is no official figure, and this tool does not rate you. Treat the density as a comparison between your own drafts, and look at which words repeat. A methods section may contain approximately or respectively several times for good reason.
- Are all -ly words adverbs?
- No. Friendly, lovely, ugly, elderly and family are not adverbs, and daily, weekly, early and likely can be adjectives or adverbs. The finder excludes a list of common cases, but unlisted -ly adjectives and names such as Emily are still highlighted, so check each one.
- Does it find adverbs that do not end in -ly?
- No. Often, soon, always, never, very and quite are adverbs the tool cannot see. For intensifiers like very and quite, use the Filler Word Finder.
- Does the finder suggest replacements?
- No. It shows the adverbs, their counts and your density. Choosing the stronger verb is your job, because the right one depends on what you mean.
- Should I remove every adverb a tool flags?
- No. Remove the ones that repeat the verb or prop up a weak one. Keep adverbs that carry information the verb cannot, such as respectively or approximately.