Adverb Finder
Paste your text below to find -ly adverbs. See every adverb highlighted, check your adverb density per 100 words, and spot places where a stronger verb could do the work instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How does the adverb finder work?
- The tool finds words ending in -ly and filters out common non-adverbs like family, only, early, supply, apply, and reply. Every remaining -ly word is highlighted, counted, and shown in a frequency list along with your adverb density per 100 words.
- Why are adverbs considered weak writing?
- An -ly adverb often props up a weak verb: 'ran quickly' is weaker than 'sprinted', and 'said angrily' is weaker than 'snapped'. Replacing a verb-plus-adverb pair with one precise verb makes prose more vivid and concise.
- What is a reasonable adverb density?
- Many editors suggest staying under 4 adverbs per 100 words. Fiction writers often aim even lower. Use the density figure as a signal, not a rule — the goal is deliberate word choice, not zero adverbs.
- Are all -ly words adverbs?
- No. Many -ly words are nouns or adjectives — family, supply, ally, jelly, holy, ugly, silly. The tool excludes a list of common non-adverbs, but a few unusual ones may still be flagged, so review each highlight.
- Does the tool catch adverbs that do not end in -ly?
- No. Adverbs like 'often', 'soon', 'always', and 'never' do not end in -ly and are not detected. The tool focuses on -ly adverbs because they are the ones most often worth replacing with a stronger verb.