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We’ve discovered a few sites and apps for writers that we think you’ll love too! These helpful tools for writers can make writing easier and can help organize your writing life.
Dictionaries
Reverse Dictionaries
Sometimes, when you can’t quite think of that perfect word, a reverse dictionary can help you out. Wordsmyth allows you to look up words and phrases to find the word you’re looking for. Filters include matching any of the words you search for, any form of any of the words you search for, all the words you search for, or a phrase you search for, and you can search definitions, synonyms, antonyms, and more.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary
Beyond checking word definitions, we also use Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary to discover whether a word or phrase should be capitalized or hyphenated.
Thesaurus
A Thesaurus is another helpful tool for writers. Merriam-Webster has a thesaurus you can check out. Another popular thesaurus is thesaurus.com.
WordCounter
WordCounter allows you to check word choice and writing style to help improve your writing. For free, it’ll show you statistics such as word count, reading level, and keyword density. It’ll tip you off on other issues it finds in grammar, punctuation, spelling, style, and sentence structure, but to actually get tips for fixing those issues, you’ll also need to sign up for Grammarly.
Microsoft To Do
Microsoft To Do (previously Wunderslist) is a to-do list app that can help you organize your life. You’ll need a Microsoft account and Microsoft 365.
Instapaper
Instapaper is an app that allows you to save, manage, and highlight articles, recipes, lyrics, and more. It’s a great way to organize your research into one spot, so you can read it on the go, make notes, and sync it to multiple devices. The free version may be enough for you, especially if you just want to try it out. There is also a premium version that includes features like unlimited notes, speed reading, full-text search for all articles in your account, and more for $29.99 a year.
What sites and apps for authors do you use? We’d love to hear about more helpful tools for writers. Let us know in the comments below!
One of my favorite writing tools is Habitica (habitica.com). It’s a to-do list manager that uses gamification to inspire users to get things done. It’s helpful for setting up writing as a habit, and for managing tasks. There are also chat rooms for a variety of interest and hobbies (and several for writers) where users share information and productivity tips. The basic version is free, and the premium versions just add extra features.