Sticky Sentence Checker
Paste your writing to see the percentage of glue words — the, of, is, that, it — in every sentence. Sticky sentences are highlighted, the longest run of glue in each one is underlined, and you set how strict the check is. It points; you decide. Free, no sign-up.
Runs entirely in your browser — your text is never uploaded.
Paste or type some text to see how much of each sentence is glue — the, of, is, that, it and their kin.
How to Use the Sticky Sentence Checker
- Paste your text. A paragraph is enough, but a whole section gives a more useful glue index. Results update as you type and nothing leaves your browser.
- Choose how strict to be. Standard flags sentences that are half glue (semi-sticky) or 60% glue (sticky). Strict lowers both lines by five points; Relaxed raises them by five.
- Read the highlights. Rose marks sticky sentences and amber marks semi-sticky ones. Switch to Glue words inside flagged sentences to see exactly which words are doing the sticking.
- Start with the list. The stickiest sentences come first, with the longest unbroken run of glue underlined. That run is usually where the sentence is carrying the least meaning.
What Is a Sticky Sentence?
Every sentence is built from two kinds of words. Content words — nouns, main verbs, adjectives, most adverbs — carry the meaning. Glue words hold the content together: articles (the, a), prepositions (of, in, to), auxiliary and linking verbs (is, was, have), pronouns (it, they), and conjunctions and relatives (and, that, which). You cannot write without glue. A sentence becomes sticky when glue outnumbers content so heavily that the reader has to wade through grammar to reach the point.
| Sentence | Glue words | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| It is the case that there are a number of things that are of importance to the people of the town. | 15 of 21 (71%) | Sticky |
| The town's residents raised three concerns about the new bridge. | 3 of 10 (30%) | Fine |
| The results surprised us, so we reconsidered how the hypothesis fit the design. | 7 of 13 (54%) | Semi-sticky, and fine |
The third row matters. A sentence about relationships between ideas — so, how, fit — will always lean on glue, and the checker still marks it. Semi-sticky is a prompt to reread, not a verdict. The first sentence is different: the longest run, that there are a, is four glue words in a row with no meaning in any of them, and the real subject (the people of the town raised concerns) has to be dug out. Cutting the run and turning the abstract noun importance into what people actually did is how sticky sentences usually get fixed.
How the Percentages Are Worked Out
- Words are counted the way a word counter counts them: a hyphenated compound such as decision-making is one content word, a number is a content word, and a contraction such as don't is one glue word.
- Glue words come from a fixed list of about 200 English function words and contractions. It is this site's own list, not another tool's, so a percentage here is comparable in kind to other checkers' but not identical.
- Sentences are split with rules that know et al., e.g., p., initials and decimal numbers, so a citation does not cut a sentence in half. Headings on their own line are skipped.
- The glue index is glue words divided by all words in the text. Editing software commonly gives 40% as the target for published writing; on this checker's list, four of this site's own edited guides (about 6,700 words) came out between 36% and 40%.
- Short sentences under six words are counted in the index but never rated: three glue words in a five-word sentence is a style, not a flaw.
The thresholds are calibrated on that same prose: sentences at 50% glue or more are roughly the stickiest quarter of ordinary edited writing, and 60% or more roughly the stickiest twentieth. You can move the lines with the strictness setting.
How to Fix a Sticky Sentence
- Find the real subject and verb. There is a need for further research becomes We need further research. Expletive openings (it is…that, there are…who) are the commonest source of glue runs.
- Turn nouns back into verbs. Give consideration to the importance of becomes consider. The Nominalization Finder lists these.
- Trim stacked prepositions. The role of the structure of the argument is three of-style hops; the argument's structure is one.
- Cut empty phrases. Due to the fact that is because; the Wordiness Checker has a list.
- Leave it alone when it earns its length. Definitions, legal clauses and sentences that balance two ideas are often glue-heavy on purpose.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a sticky sentence?
- A sticky sentence is one in which most of the words are glue words — articles, prepositions, auxiliary verbs, pronouns and conjunctions — rather than content words. The term comes from editing software. Such sentences are slow to read because the reader has to push through connecting words to find the point.
- What are glue words?
- Glue words are the function words that hold a sentence together without carrying much meaning of their own: the, of, and, is, that, it, to, in, with. This checker uses a fixed list of about 200 of them, including common contractions such as it's and don't.
- What percentage of glue words is too many?
- There is no official cutoff. ProWritingAid's help page gives 40% as the glue-index target for published writing and treats sentences above 60% as sticky and 40–60% as semi-sticky; some editing guides use 45%. Because every tool uses its own word list, this checker lets you pick Strict, Standard or Relaxed lines instead of pretending one number is correct.
- Is a sticky sentence always bad?
- No. A definition, a legal clause or a sentence that sets two ideas against each other often needs its connecting words. Treat a flagged sentence as a prompt to reread it and ask whether each glue word is doing a job.
- Why does my short sentence have no rating?
- Sentences under six words are counted toward the glue index but not rated. With so few words a single the or is swings the percentage by twenty points, so the number would say more about sentence length than about style.
- How do I reduce sticky sentences?
- Find the actor and the action, and put them near the front. Replace it is and there are openings, change abstract nouns back into verbs, and cut stacked prepositions. Reread the result aloud: if you can say it in one breath without tripping, it is probably better.
- Is my writing sent anywhere?
- No. The checker runs in your browser with a fixed word list, so the same text always gets the same result and nothing is uploaded.