18 Powerful Websites to

Improve Your English

Writing Skills
 09.21.2012
 Anastasia Koltai
 English Writing Skills, Useful English learning websites

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I have already written about different ways to practise writing in English, so this time I would
like to share online resources that can help you to improve your writing skills even further.

Some of the following provide you with error correction services, others offer advice on how
to compose well-structured essays. The more you practise, the better you will get!

1. Grammarly
This is a great site if you want to double-check what you have written, it
also efficiently summarises your most common mistakes. Other than being an effective
grammar and spell-checking tool, it also examines written work for plagiarism.

On top of that, it helps to broaden your vocabulary range – there are different suggestions for
different types of scripts. You can check almost any type of writing: academic, job
applications, resumes, medical or technical reports and emails. Grammarly isn’t free, but from
time to time they offer special discounts for users.

2. Readability-Score.com

Whether you are writing about a complicated topic or something really simple, it is vital to
pay attention to the factor of readability. Try searching the Internet for an article that interests
you, when you eventually find a good quality one, it will be evident, to someone with
reasonably good reading skills, that it is easy to follow and makes you want to continue
reading. If it is of poor quality, it may come across as an uninteresting read which fails to
grasp the reader’s attention.

Using bulky phrases and run-on sentences can make your writing look unprofessional and
may prevent readers from wanting to read it all! Readability Score is a great tool that will help
to make your writing style clearer.

3. NoRedInk.com
This tool has been designed specifically for students who need to improve their writing skills
and English grammar.

If you think that practising grammar isn’t fun, NoRedInk will prove you wrong! Also, the
tutorials are easy to follow, and they will show you how to correct any mistakes in the content
you produce.
4. Formal and Informal Email
Phrases

Would you like to know more about the difference between formal and informal emails? Do
you think your emails are too ‘wordy’ or not effective enough? Do you need help to improve
your writing standard? If so, then this is the site for you. Apart from the etiquettes of email
writing, you will find a practical guide about maintaining, handling and managing emails.

5. HowJSay.com
This tool is virtually a talking dictionary that pronounces all the words for you. You can
search for a word and click on it to hear how it is pronounced correctly.

How will that help you become a more proficient writer? Well, it is important to remember
that all the key skills (reading, writing, speaking and listening) are interlinked. If you can read
the word, you know how to spell it, which means you’ll be able to use it in writing or
conversation, and you’ll recognise it when you hear someone else say it!

6. Dragon Dictation
This is a useful tool for taking notes on the go. If you are listening to a speech and cannot
write fast enough to record everything that is being said, then just press record on the Dragon
Dictation app; you could also use this to record your own thoughts or ideas. Maybe you want
to write something, but don’t have any paper or a pen to hand? Don’t risk forgetting it later:
speak, record, use when needed.

The could be useful in many ways. For example, you’ll be able to recap on previous
conversations for note-taking purposes or if you record a conversation with a native speaker,
you can play it back to imitate the pronunciation!

7. The Online Slang Dictionary

If you are in an English speaking country and hear natives use slang words that you don’t
understand, type them into the Online Slang Dictionary and you’ll know exactly what they’re
trying to say. Colloquial language and slang are common in everyday speech between most
native speakers, so it may be beneficial to learn what they mean and how to use them, so you
can utilise them in conversation yourself!

Caution: be careful how you use slang words, as they may not always be appropriate. Ensure
that you understand their meaning and usage, also whether they are suitable in formal
situations or not. Of course, when working on an academic paper, it is best to avoid such
language; this should be used for informal conversations only.

The Online Slang Dictionary is a great repository of slang definitions that was founded in
1996. You probably won’t need more than few short visits to the website to familiarise
yourself with some of the most popular uses of informal speech, jargon, neologisms,idioms,
slang words and figurative speech.

8. Grammar Girl
When you start exploring this website, you will realise that ‘grammarians’ (otherwise known
as ‘the grammar police’ – referring to people who annoyingly correct other’s grammar
mistakes all the time) are not that bad after all. Even those who are fluent in English can find
Grammar Girl helpful, as this language has many tricky rules, even for native speakers of
English.

If you have any doubts about a phrase, tense or anything else associated with grammar, you
will most likely find your answers on this website.

9. ESOL Courses

This website provides a great variety of exercises, such as spelling, gap filling and listening.
After a short explanation with photos and videos, you can start your writing practice
promptly, and as the page is interactive, it will check your answers as soon as you finish the
exercise.

10. WriteRoom
If you have something important to write and want to write it well, WhiteRoom’s full screen
will help to keep you focused and inspire you to type away with a free mind on a blank
canvas.

Please keep in mind that this is specifically a writing tool; it is not designed for pieces that
require graphs and charts but could be considered perfect for producing clean texts.
WriteRoom helps writers to write quality texts in short spaces of time.

11. Newsela.com
The first step towards improved writing, is reading pieces of content and recognising the
difference between quality content and poorly written work. At Newsela.com, you will find
great daily news stories that are up-to-date, well-written and easy to understand. Reading
these articles will only take up a small amount of your time but will have a huge impact on
your style of expression.

12. The Purdue Writing Lab

This website focuses on collecting and sharing tasks and providing explanations for queries, it
is aimed at anyone who is struggling with writing. For those who are learning English as a
second language, there is a section that targets the common grammatical problems that
learners have. Alternatively, if you are at a higher level and would like to focus on essay-
writing, you can seek guidance and advice here.

13. Day! – The Best Story of Mine

The key to improving your English writing skills is practice. It doesn’t matter how
many grammar rules you memorise; you won’t get anywhere if you don’t practice what you
learn every single day. And this is the app that will help you do that!

Day! – The Best Story of Mine inspires you to practise your writing skills every day, it also
saves important notes or special memories, so that you can revisit them later. The ability to
personalise the titles and background adds an element of fun to your writing practice and
should inspire you to write an entry on a regular basis.

14. Learning Oasis

On this website, you can practice the use of English through writing, reading and vocabulary-
related activities. This is a personalised learning platform that helps to improve one’s writing
skills through practical exercises.

Some activities may be quite challenging for beginners, but if you persist, over time you will
most certainly notice improvements in your English!

15. Thesaurus.com
A thesaurus is a vital entry to any list of tools for effective writing. This website would
probably be the best place to start improving your grasp of English language and expanding
your vocabulary base.

Remember: simplicity always comes first if you want to attract a reader.

Using Thesaurus.com is highly recommended if you want to find better or more varied ways
of expressing yourself. Although, you should be cautious – synonyms may have similar
meanings but they cannot always be used in every situation. Check the meaning of the word
to ensure that it means exactly what you want to say, otherwise it may affect your reader’s
understanding of the text, as well as the quality of your work.

16. Wordcounter
This site has the unique function of checking for word repetitions in your written assignment.
Copy the work that you have already written onto this webpage and it will check the
document for overused words, so you can improve the quality of your work by using
synonyms.

17. iA Writer
If you keep getting distracted by new emails popping up while writing, you might find that
you start making mistakes or lose your train of thought. To stop that from happening, it may
help if you have the right tool to keep your mind focused on what you are writing.

iA Writer is a favourite of many contemporary writers. The Focus Mode is the ultimate tool
for effective writing – it enables you to work on one sentence at a time, giving every word in
the text your undivided attention. This software can also synchronise the documents on your
devices via Dropbox and iCloud, so you will have your work with you at all times.

18. Engvid-Free Online Video Lessons

I would recommend this site for anyone who is studying alone, as well as for those who wish
to broaden their knowledge through online video classes. The teachers cover
numerous topics related to language learning, including writing skills. Sub-topics
include: letter writing, grammar, punctuation, sequencing and essay patterns. With so much to
choose from, anyone should be able to find something that will help them. The classes are
interesting, entertaining and insightful. Remember to take notes of the useful tips and practice
them as much as you can!