Every writer has favourite words, and most of them are invisible to the writer. A character who always smiles, a narrator who keeps noticing the light, a chapter in which everything is suddenly something else. These habits pass unnoticed while you draft, and a reader meets them on every page. Counting words is the quickest way to see them, and it turns a vague feeling that the prose is repetitive into a list of the words responsible.
Free tool · Word Frequency Analyzer
Word Frequency Analyzer that shows the words that your book leans on most
The word frequency analyzer counts every word in the text that you paste and shows the words you use most, with counts, percentages and bars, with options to hide common words such as the and and, to ignore short words and to choose how many results to show, and a button to download the list as a CSV file. It runs in your browser, keeps your text on your device and is free for authors, editors and students.
Use the free tool
The word frequency analyzer is free to use, with no account and nothing uploaded.
- Ranked word list
- Hide common words
- CSV download
Key facts
- FreeNo cost, no account and no usage limit on the word frequency analyzer
- In your browserNothing that you type or paste into the word frequency analyzer is uploaded
- SecondsTypical time from opening the word frequency analyzer to a result
Free tool
Word frequency analyzer
Paste a chapter or a whole manuscript to see which words you use most, and which ones you may be leaning on too heavily.
The word frequency analyzer needs JavaScript, and it works in your browser without sending anything that you enter to a server.
Overview
What the word frequency analyzer does and why it helps
The analyzer ignores the grammar words that dominate any text, such as the, and, of and to, if you choose, and shows the content words that you use most, with how many times and what percentage of the total each appears. You can set the number of words to display and the minimum word length, so that short words drop out. A bar next to each word makes outliers obvious, and the CSV download lets you keep the list or sort it in a spreadsheet.
The list is a prompt and not a verdict. Some repetition is natural, since a story about a lighthouse will say lighthouse many times, and some belongs to the voice. What deserves a second look are the generic words that carry little meaning, such as looked, felt, just, thing, turned and seemed, and any word that appears far more often than a synonym would justify. Use the tool to find them, then use search and replace, judgement and a thesaurus with care.
The word frequency analyzer lists the words you use most, so you can spot overused words and repeated phrases. Authors can use this free word frequency analyzer as often as they like, and it never asks for payment. Open the word frequency analyzer online and it is ready at once, with no download. People often want a word frequency analyzer free online, and this page is exactly that. The wording and defaults suit a word frequency analyzer for authors, not general business users. Indie writers can rely on it as a word frequency analyzer for self-published books. If you publish on Amazon, use it as a word frequency analyzer for KDP too, since it follows that platform's rules. As a word frequency analyzer no sign up page, it asks for no email and sets no account. As a word frequency analyzer tool for writers it keeps the language plain and the steps short. If you are hunting for the best word frequency analyzer, judge it by whether it explains its numbers, as this one does.
How to use it
How to use the word frequency analyzer, step by step
Paste your text
Copy a chapter or a whole manuscript into the box. A longer text gives a more reliable picture of your habits, but even a single chapter shows the words you lean on most.
Choose your options
Hide common words such as the and and, ignore short words and choose how many results to show. Hiding common words makes the list far more useful.
Press analyse
The tool counts every word and ranks them from most to least frequent, with a count, a percentage and a bar for each.
Read the list
Look at the words near the top that are not names or common words. A word such as suddenly or looked that appears often may be a habit worth examining.
Look for overused words
Compare the counts with your intentions. A word that dominates a chapter without a reason may need a synonym or a rewrite of the sentence.
Download the CSV
Save the list as a spreadsheet file, so that you can compare it with later drafts and see whether your revisions reduced the repetition.
How the word frequency analyzer works
A ranked list of what you actually write
Paste a chapter or a whole manuscript, and the tool counts every word, ignoring case and treating apostrophes and hyphens as part of a word. You choose how many results to show, the minimum word length and whether to hide common words such as the, and and of.
The results appear as a ranked list with a bar, the count and the percentage of all words. The tool also shows the total words, the number of different words and your most used word, and lets you download the list as a CSV file for a spreadsheet or for comparison between drafts.
Common words dominate any count, which is why the filter helps. With common words hidden, the top of the list shows the words that are particular to your story and your habits, and a name, a verb or an adjective that appears far more than you expected is a prompt to vary it.
- Counts, percentages and bars
- A filter that hides common words
- A CSV file for comparing drafts
Method
How the word frequency analyzer works out its answer
Splitting into words
The text is split into runs of letters and digits, with apostrophes kept inside words. Everything is converted to lowercase and curly apostrophes are treated like straight ones, so Don't and don't count as the same word.
Hiding common words
If you tick the option, a list of about a hundred and thirty very common English words, such as a, the, and, of, to, in, he, she and it, is skipped, so the list shows the content words.
Minimum word length
Words shorter than your chosen length are ignored, which removes tiny words that survive the stop list.
Ranking and percentages
The remaining words are counted and sorted from most to least used, with ties sorted alphabetically. Each percentage is the count divided by the total words in the text.
Tips
Getting the most from the word frequency analyzer
Hide common words
It shows the meaningful ones and makes the list useful straight away. The word frequency analyzer is free and instant, so it is worth running again whenever your book changes.
Set a minimum length
Ignoring tiny words removes noise and leaves content words. Make the word frequency analyzer a routine step on every project, so that results stay consistent from book to book.
Compare chapters
Habits vary by scene, so run the tool on chapters separately as well as on the whole book. A few minutes with the word frequency analyzer now saves time across the whole manuscript.
Need it done for you?
When the word frequency analyzer is not enough
The analyzer shows which words you lean on. These services format the book around them, from the index and glossary to the structure of every chapter.
Book Index Formatting
Index formatting turns a list of terms and page numbers into a clean, correctly sorted index that readers can use.
See the service →Nonfiction Book Formatting
Nonfiction formatting builds the headings, callouts and notes around your key terms so that the structure of the book is clear.
See the service →Book Back Matter Formatting
Back matter formatting sets glossaries, indexes and resource lists with the right hierarchy and page references.
See the service →Before and after
Before and after using the word frequency analyzer
The same chapter, first revised by feel and then revised with a list of its most-used words in hand.
123Before
- 1The same verbs on every page
- 2Repeated description that readers notice
- 3No list of your own habits
123After
- 1Varied, precise verbs
- 2Fresh description in each scene
- 3A clear list of the words to watch
- 3problems found in the first review
- 3fixes checked in the final review
- 1named specialist owning every fix
- Fixedprice confirmed in the calculator before you order
Varied prose
Repeated words are found and replaced with more precise ones, so the writing feels fresh from scene to scene.
A clearer voice
You see which words belong to your voice and which are only habit, and you keep the first and drop the second.
A habit record
The downloaded list lets you track your tendencies across books and watch them improve.
Client reviews
What authors say about our repetition edit service
Verified reviews from authors who asked a specialist to handle the repetition edit after using the word frequency analyzer.
My cookbook needed to be set up across multiple platforms simultaneously. The publishing support team handled every submission — KDP, IngramSpark, and Apple Books — with different requirements for each. Flawlessly executed.
The publishing readiness review identified four issues in my manuscript that would have caused rejection. Each was clearly explained and quickly resolved. My book launched without any technical complications.
Getting historical fiction placed in the right categories on Amazon and IngramSpark required strategic metadata. The team understood the genre classification and the book reached the right readers from the first week.
My KDP file was rejected with a technical error message I could not understand. Book Formatting Experts diagnosed the problem immediately — a bleed issue on three pages — and corrected it the same day. Approved first time.
Good publishing support overall. The KDP metadata setup was thorough. One category selection needed updating after initial launch but it was corrected promptly. The book is performing well in its target categories.
Good support throughout the KDP upload process. The metadata setup and category selection were explained clearly. One pricing setting needed adjustment after initial setup but it was corrected quickly.
My YA novel needed to reach both English-language and Japanese readers. The multi-region distribution setup was handled correctly across all required platforms. International sales have exceeded my expectations.
The formatting error fix service saved my launch. My original formatter had made margin errors causing repeated rejection. Book Formatting Experts identified and fixed every issue within 48 hours. My launch was back on schedule.
Navigating IngramSpark's requirements for the first time felt overwhelming. The upload assistance handled everything — metadata, pricing setup, distribution channels. My children's book reached bookstores within two weeks.
As a first-time author, the technical side of self-publishing was genuinely daunting. The consultation covered every decision — platform choice, pricing strategy, metadata, and distribution. I launched with genuine confidence.
My cookbook had complex multi-column layouts and metric conversions. The formatting handled every element cleanly. One revision to tighten the index and it was exactly right. A professional result.
My speaking and consulting enquiries increased noticeably after the website launched. The professional design and clear service pages communicate exactly what I offer. A worthwhile investment in my author business.
Picture book layout is genuinely a specialist skill. The text placement, illustration bleed areas, and page proportions were all handled perfectly. My printer accepted the files on the first submission.
My website needed to reflect both the literary and the speculative elements of my work. The design found exactly the right tone. My publisher commented that it looked more professional than most traditionally published author sites.
My academic text had footnotes, citations, tables, and complex multi-level headings. Every single element was formatted precisely to scholarly publishing standards. Genuinely impressive work.
The cover honours the cultural themes of my book while appealing to an international readership. The imagery, colour palette, and typography choices were all discussed through a genuinely collaborative process.
The interior was formatted cleanly and the file passed KDP without corrections. I had one request during revisions about the callout box styling and it was updated promptly. Overall a good experience.
My nonfiction cover needed to convey authority and accessibility at the same time. The design achieves both. The colour palette and typography feel credible and professional without being intimidating.
More free tools
More free tools to use with the word frequency analyzer
Each of these tools is free, runs in your browser and works well alongside the word frequency analyzer.
Filler Word Finder
On this repetition edit job, free filler word finder that works in your browser, plus a done-for-you filler word edit service.
Open the tool →Adverb Passive Voice Checker
With your repetition edit, free adverb passive voice checker that works in your browser, plus a done-for-you adverb and passive edit service.
Open the tool →Word Count Tool
For your repetition edit, free word count tool that works in your browser, plus a done-for-you manuscript length check service.
Open the tool →Readability Score Checker
Free readability score checker that works in your browser, plus a done-for-you readability edit service on this repetition edit project.
Open the tool →Dialogue Ratio Calculator
Free dialogue ratio calculator that works in your browser, plus a done-for-you dialogue balance review service in this repetition edit order.
Open the tool →Chapter Length Analyzer
For your repetition edit, free chapter length analyzer that works in your browser, plus a done-for-you chapter structure review service.
Open the tool →FAQ
Word Frequency Analyzer: questions answered
These are the questions authors ask most about the word frequency analyzer, including accuracy, privacy and what to do next. If your question about the repetition edit is missing, request a quote and a specialist will reply.
What is a word frequency analyzer?
It is a tool that counts how often each word appears in a text and shows the most-used words, so that you can spot repeated words and habits.
How do I find overused words in my writing?
Paste a chapter into the analyzer, hide common words and look at the top of the list for generic words such as looked, turned and just.
What are stop words?
They are very common words such as the, and, of and to. The analyzer can hide them so that the list shows the content words.
Is repetition always bad?
No. Names, places and core topic words should repeat. The problem is generic words repeated out of habit.
Can I download the results?
Yes, there is a button to download the list as a CSV file that opens in a spreadsheet.
How many words should I show?
Twenty-five or fifty is usually enough to see the habits at the top of the list.
Does it count different forms of a word together?
No. Walk, walks and walked are counted separately, so look at related forms together.
Does capitalisation matter?
No. Everything is converted to lowercase, so Light and light are the same word.
Can I analyse a whole book?
Yes, if your browser can handle the text, though chapter-level results are easier to act on.
Is the stop word list in English only?
Yes. It is built for English text and will not suit other languages.
Does the word frequency analyzer keep anything that I enter?
No. The word frequency analyzer works in your browser, so what you enter stays on your device and is never saved.
Is the word frequency analyzer free?
Yes, the word frequency analyzer costs nothing, needs no account and puts no limit on the text you analyse.
What counts as a crutch word?
Any word appearing far more often than its meaning justifies. Common culprits include just, really, actually, somehow, suddenly and back, along with a favourite verb quietly doing the job of six different verbs. If a word is in your top twenty after stop words are removed and it is not central to the subject, it deserves a second look.
Why are the results dominated by tiny words?
Because English is dominated by tiny words. Roughly a quarter of everything anybody writes is made up of a few dozen function words. Switch the stop-word filter on, or raise the minimum length, and the list will immediately start reflecting your real vocabulary choices.
What is lexical diversity and should I care?
It is unique words divided by total words, expressed as a percentage. On its own it is a weak signal, because it drops automatically as texts get longer. It becomes useful when you compare chapters of similar length and one comes back noticeably flatter than the rest.
Does it treat plurals and tenses as the same word?
No. Run, runs and running are counted separately because no stemming is applied. That is deliberate: seeing the exact forms you favour helps revision more than a merged root would, and stemming introduces errors of its own.
Why do only repeated phrases appear?
A phrase occurring once is just a sentence. The lists are filtered to sequences appearing two or more times, which is what turns a pile of word pairs into a set of habits you can act on.
Can I use this for keyword research on nonfiction?
Yes, and it is genuinely useful for that. Running your finished chapters through the analyser shows which terms your book actually emphasises, which you can then compare against the phrases readers type when they look for a book like yours.
How does a word frequency analyzer work?
It splits your text into words, ignores common stop words if you choose, and ranks the rest by frequency.
How to use a word frequency analyzer?
Paste a chapter, press analyse and scan the list for words you rely on too often.
Is there a word frequency analyzer with examples?
Yes. The page includes a worked example so you can compare it with your own numbers or text. A sample shows the top ten words.
Work with a specialist
Turn what you learn from the word frequency analyzer into a finished book
The word frequency analyzer costs nothing, and so does asking what a specialist would do with your book. When the word frequency analyzer has done its part and you want finished files, a fixed price and one named person who owns the job, we are ready to start.