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How to Paraphrase in 5 Simple Steps (Without Plagiarizing)

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By Krystal N. Craiker

How to paraphrase title

Paraphrasing is a tricky balance between using your own words and still getting the original message across.

Understanding what paraphrasing is, and how to do it well, takes the challenge out of paraphrasing and makes it a more user-friendly skill.

What Is Paraphrasing?

How to paraphrase in 5 easy steps, paraphrasing different types of content, paraphrasing examples, want to improve your essay writing skills.

The word paraphrase can be used as a noun or a verb .

A paraphrase (noun) is a restatement of someone else’s words into other words . If you’re reading a paraphrase, you’re reading someone else’s rephrasing of the original.

To paraphrase (verb) is the act of rephrasing a statement into your own words . When you paraphrase, you are essentially borrowing someone else’s ideas and putting them into your own words. Since you’re borrowing and not creating those ideas, be certain to give credit to the original source.

Definitions of paraphrase

Paraphrasing vs. Plagiarism

Plagiarism is when you steal someone’s words or ideas. Some people think that it’s only plagiarizing when you use the exact words.

Paraphrasing isn’t a way to steal someone’s ideas by putting it in your own words. If you’re paraphrasing someone else’s ideas, you must give them credit.

If you don’t acknowledge that source, you’ve plagiarized, which has serious ethical, and even legal, implications.

ProWritingAid can help you keep your work plagiarism-free with its plagiarism checker , and will never store or resell your work as some other plagiarism checking services sometimes do.

ProWritingAid's Plagiarism Report

How to Paraphrase Properly

Why paraphrase when you could just use direct quotations? Direct quotes in academic writing and research papers do not demonstrate that you understand the original material.

Proper paraphrasing doesn’t mean rewriting the original passage word for word. It’s more than just pulling out a thesaurus. You are rewriting the ideas in your own words.

Just as you would provide the source of a direct quote, provide the source of paraphrased information according to whatever style guide you’re following (e.g. APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) or by including the source within the paraphrase itself.

Typically, you’ll use an in-text citation alongside your paraphrased text, but sometimes you may use footnotes or endnotes.

When you use a direct quotation, it’s important to put the original passage or statement in quotation marks. But paraphrased text does not require quotation marks.

Paraphrasing is translating someone else’s words into your words. If you were to translate a sentence from one language into another going word-by-word, you’d end up with nonsense.

The same thing happens when you paraphrase. You’re performing a translation of sorts.

If you try to translate each word, you’ll end up with a paraphrase that reads more like a “word salad” than an intelligent rephrasing.

Why? When you isolate words, you take them out of their context.

The meaning of a word can change based on its context, so respect that context. Keep ideas whole to keep the original meanings intact.

Here’s what it looks like when you translate word for word.

Original Text: “Life expectancy isn’t set in stone: Both public policy and personal responsibility can tip the scales, experts said.” (Craig Schneider, Newsday)

If I paraphrase that text word-by-word, I could end up with something like this:

Word-by-Word Paraphrase: Human existences are not put in rocks. The pair of non-private systems and individual duty can point the measures, professionals uttered.

That makes no sense. Here’s a more effective paraphrase:

Proper Paraphrase: According to experts, public policy and individual choices can affect life expectancy.

This makes much more sense. Keep the entire context in mind when you paraphrase.

How to paraphrase in 5 steps

There are some practical steps you can follow to ensure skillful paraphrasing. It might take some practice at first.

As you become more experienced with paraphrasing, you’ll notice that you follow these steps naturally.

Step 1: Read, Reread, Then Read It Again

You can’t properly paraphrase if you don’t fully understand the original passage. For effective paraphrasing, reread the original text multiple times.

Pay attention to word choice and tone, as those contribute to the overarching message. Be sure that you know exactly what the original author was trying to get across before you move on.

Step 2: Determine the Big Idea

There’s a difference between paraphrasing and summarizing, but a quick summary is a great starting point for a paraphrase.

A summary is the main idea. What is the big idea of the original passage?

Try to sum up the big idea in one sentence using your own words.

If you’re only paraphrasing a short chunk of text, this might be the extent of your work and you can skip to step five. For longer quotes, start with the gist.

Step 3: Break It Down

Once you have the big idea, you can start looking at the individual ideas. A good paraphrase includes all the essential information. This is the step where you determine which pieces are essential.

You can start breaking it down sentence by sentence, but keep in mind that you’re really trying to understand it idea by idea.

There might be one idea in two or three sentences or two ideas in one long sentence!

Step 4: Rewrite, Idea by Idea

Once you know all the essential information, it’s time to rewrite. Use your own words and phrasing as much as possible.

Of course, sometimes you will have to use some of the same words. For example, if you’re paraphrasing a quote about the economy, you don’t need to find a new word for “economy.”

Plagiarism isn’t just the words you use, but also the order those words are in.

If you do use more than two of the same words as the original in a row, place them in quotation marks . Avoid this as much as possible for a good paraphrase.

Once you’ve rewritten each idea with the important information, it’s time to make sure your paraphrased version accurately expresses the intent of the original passage.

That leads us to the final step.

Step 5: Check and Cite

Have you ever heard the phrase “lost in translation?” It’s true for paraphrasing, too. Sometimes, when we rewrite something in our own words, we lose the intent and meaning of the original.

Reread what you’ve written and ask yourself the following questions:

  • Does this portray the same big idea?
  • Have I included all relevant information and ideas?
  • Does my paraphrase maintain the integrity of the original’s intent?
  • Are all sentences written in my own voice and my own words?

If you can answer yes to all four questions, you’ve successfully paraphrased! If not, return to the quoted material and go through each step again.

Finally, add your citation. Always credit the original source so you don’t plagiarize.

Why we use citations

While the same basic steps apply no matter what you’re paraphrasing, it will look a little different depending on the type of text and why you’re paraphrasing.

Let’s take a look at three common situations that require paraphrasing.

How to Paraphrase in an Essay

Essays require paraphrases of many different quotes and sources.

While the occasional quote is fine, frequent direct quotes suggest that you don’t fully understand the material.

Your professor wants to know that you comprehend the subject and have thoughts of your own about it.

To paraphrase in an essay, start with a reasonable sized quote.

If the entire quotation is too long, your essay will become one giant paraphrase. You can always paraphrase another piece of the original text later in your paper.

Make sure the quote you are paraphrasing fits your thesis statement and is in the correct section of your essay.

Then, follow the five steps above to write a paraphrase. Don’t forget to cite your source material!

After you’ve paraphrased and cited the original text, offer your own commentary or thoughts.

How does that paraphrase answer the prompt of your research paper or support your argument? Original thoughts are crucial so your whole essay isn’t a paraphrase. That would be a form of plagiarism!

How to Paraphrase a Quote

Paraphrasing a quote requires you to pay special attention to the tone. Quoted material for academic writing often has a dry, informative tone. Spoken quotes usually don’t.

When you’re determining the big idea (step two), also determine the tone. You can note the tone in your paraphrase by saying the speaker was impassioned, angry, nostalgic, optimistic, etc.

When you move to step three and break down the ideas, pay attention to where the speaker placed emphasis. That’s a clue that you’ve found essential information to include in your paraphrase.

How to Paraphrase Complex Text

Complex and highly technical text can be difficult to paraphrase. All the same steps apply, but pay special attention to your words and sentence structure when you rewrite.

Paraphrasing tip

Whenever possible, simplify the complex text in your paraphrase.

Paraphrases are useful because they can make something easier to understand. Imagine that you are explaining the complex text to a middle school student.

Use simplified terms and explain any jargon in layman’s terms. Avoid clichés or idioms and focus only on the most essential pieces of information.

You can also use ProWritingAid’s editing tool to run a Jargon Report and a Cliché Report, as well as readability.

We use the Flesch-Kincaid Scale for readability , which is based on U.S. grade levels. You can see how old someone needs to be to understand your paraphrasing.

Your level of readability might change depending on the purpose of the paraphrase.

If you are paraphrasing complex text for a college-level essay, your readability score can be higher. If you are paraphrasing for a technical audience, some jargon is appropriate.

Let’s take a look at a couple of examples of properly paraphrased material.

Original Text : “Life expectancy isn’t set in stone: Both public policy and personal responsibility can tip the scales, experts said. Everyone can make choices that increase the odds of a longer life, said Cantor, of the Center for Socio-Economic Policy. Eating well, exercising, not smoking, getting enough sleep and staying in school are decisions made by each and every one of us, he said.” (Craig Schneider, Newsday )

Paraphrase: People do have some control over their life expectancy. While public policies matter, experts say personal choices can also affect how long you live and that making healthy lifestyle choices about food, sleep, education, and smoking is up to each individual.

Here’s another example from a speech.

Original Text: “We’ve got to accelerate the transition away from dirty energy. Rather than subsidize the past, we should invest in the future—especially in communities that rely on fossil fuels. That’s why I’m going to push to change the way we manage our oil and coal resources, so that they better reflect the costs they impose on taxpayers and our planet.” (President Barack Obama, State of the Union Address, January 12, 2016)

Paraphrase: President Obama emphasized the importance of investing in clean energy. He supports a shift in the way the country manages non-renewable resources to match the impact they have on both American citizens and the planet.

Remember, when you paraphrase, focus on the ideas, not rewriting word for word. Always cite your original source material even though you are using your own words.

(This article is an update to a previous version by Allison Bressmer.)

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Krystal N. Craiker

Krystal N. Craiker is the Writing Pirate, an indie romance author and blog manager at ProWritingAid. She sails the seven internet seas, breaking tropes and bending genres. She has a background in anthropology and education, which brings fresh perspectives to her romance novels. When she’s not daydreaming about her next book or article, you can find her cooking gourmet gluten-free cuisine, laughing at memes, and playing board games. Krystal lives in Dallas, Texas with her husband, child, and basset hound.

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How to Paraphrase: Dos, Don'ts, and Strategies for Success

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Written by  Scribendi

Is It Considered Plagiarism If You Paraphrase?

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How to Paraphrase and Tips for Paraphrasing Correctly

Write Down Paraphrases of a Source on Notecards

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As if the research process isn't hard enough already—finding relevant and reliable sources, reading and interpreting material, and selecting key quotations/information to support your findings/arguments are all essential when writing a research essay.

Academic writers and students face the additional stress of ensuring that they have properly documented their sources. Failure to do so, whether intentionally or unintentionally, could result in plagiarism, which is a serious academic offense.

That's why we've written this article: to provide tips for proper paraphrasing. We'll start with an overview of the difference between paraphrasing and quoting, and then we'll provide a list of paraphrasing dos and don'ts, followed by strategies for proper paraphrasing. 

We will include paraphrasing examples throughout to illustrate best practices for paraphrasing and citing paraphrased material .

As mentioned in our previous article on plagiarism , "simply taking another writer's ideas and rephrasing them as one's own can be considered plagiarism as well." 

Paraphrasing words is acceptable if you interpret and synthesize the information from your sources, rephrase the ideas in your own words, and add citations at the sentence level. It is NOT acceptable if you simply copy and paste large chunks of an original source and modify them slightly, hoping that your teacher, editor, or reviewer won't notice. 

Passing off another's work as one's own is a form of intellectual theft, so researchers and students must learn how to paraphrase quotes and be scrupulous when reporting others' work.

You might be familiar with all this. Still, you might be concerned and find yourself asking, "How do I paraphrase a source correctly without running the risk of unintentional plagiarism?" 

For many writers, especially those who are unfamiliar with the concepts of a particular field, learning how to paraphrase a source or sentence is daunting.

To avoid charges of plagiarism, you must not only document your sources correctly using an appropriate style guide (e.g., APA, Harvard, or Vancouver) for your reference list or bibliography but also handle direct quotations and paraphrasing correctly.

How Do I Paraphrase

Quoting uses the exact words and punctuation from your source, whereas paraphrasing involves synthesizing material from the source and putting things in your own words. Citing paraphrases is just as necessary as citing quotations.

Even if you understand quoting versus paraphrasing, you might still need some additional paraphrasing help or guidance on how to paraphrase a quote. 

Summarizing is when you're discussing the main point or overview of a piece, while paraphrasing is when you're translating a direct quote into language that will be easy for your readers to understand .

It's easy to see how the two are similar, given that the steps to paraphrasing and summarizing both include putting ideas into your own words. 

But summarizing and paraphrasing are distinctly different. Paraphrasing highlights a certain perspective from a source, and summarizing offers more of an overview of an entire subject, theme, or book.

You can usually tell the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing by the length of what you're writing abore writing about. If you’re writing about a quote, that would be a smaller theme inside a larger work, so you'd paraphrase. 

If you're writing about the themes or plot of an entire book, you'd summarize. Summaries are usually shorter than the original work.

Learn How to Format Quotation Marks here.

When learning how to paraphrase a quote, you first need to consider whether you should be paraphrasing a text or quoting it directly.

If you find the perfect quote from a reliable source that fits your main topic, supports your argument, and lends authority to your paper but is too long (40+ words) or complex, it should be paraphrased. Long/complex quotes can also be shortened with omissions and editorial changes (as discussed below).

Introduce the quote with a signal phrase (e.g., "According to Ahmad [2017] . . .") and insert the entire quotation, indicating the text with quotation marks or indentation (i.e., a block quote).

If you only need to use parts of a long quotation, you can insert an ellipsis (. . .) to indicate omissions. You can also make editorial changes in square brackets [like this]. 

Keep in mind that you need to reflect the author's intent accurately when using this strategy. Don't change important words in a quotation so that it better fits your argument, as this is a form of intellectual fraud.

Changes in square brackets should only be used to clarify the text without altering meaning in the context of the paper (e.g., clarifying antecedents and matching verb tense). They signal to the reader that these changes were made by the author of the essay and not by the author of the original text.

Paraphrasing

Demonstrate that you clearly understand the text by expressing the main ideas in your own unique style and language. Now, you might be asking yourself, "Do paraphrases need to be cited like quotes?" The answer is a resounding "yes."

Paraphrasing Examples

When deciding whether to paraphrase or use a direct quote, it is essential to ask what is more important: the exact words of the source or the ideas.

If the former is important, consider quoting directly. If the latter is important, consider paraphrasing or summarizing.

Direct quotation is best for well-worded material that you cannot express any more clearly or succinctly in your own style. It's actually the preferred way of reporting sources in the arts, particularly in literary studies.

Shortening a long quote is a great way to retain the original phrasing while ensuring that the quote reads well in your paper. However, direct quotations are often discouraged in the sciences and social sciences, so keep that in mind when deciding whether to paraphrase or quote.

Paraphrasing is best used for long portions of text that you can synthesize into your own words. Think of paraphrasing as a form of translation; you are translating an idea in another "language" into your own language. The idea should be the same, but the words and sentence structure should be totally different.

The purpose of paraphrasing is to draw together ideas from multiple sources to convey information to your reader clearly and succinctly. 

As a student or researcher, your job is to demonstrate that you understand the material you've read by expressing ideas from other sources in your own style, adding citations to the paraphrased material as appropriate. 

If you think the purpose of paraphrasing is to help you avoid thinking for yourself, you are mistaken.

When you paraphrase, be sure that you understand the text clearly . The purpose of paraphrasing is to interpret the information you researched for your reader, explaining it as though you were speaking to a colleague or teacher. In short, paraphrasing is a skill that demonstrates one's comprehension of a text.

Yes, paraphrases always need to be cited. Citing paraphrased material helps you avoid plagiarism by giving explicit credit to the authors of the material you are discussing. 

Citing your paraphrases ensures academic integrity. When you sit down to write your paper, however, you might find yourself asking these questions: "Do paraphrases need to be cited? How do I paraphrase?"

Here is a quick paraphrase example that demonstrates how to cite paraphrased ideas. The opening lines to one of Juliet's most famous speeches are "O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? / Deny thy father and refuse thy name; / Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, / And I'll no longer be a Capulet" (Romeo and Juliet, 2.2.880–884). 

If you needed to paraphrase these lines in an essay, you could do so as follows:

Juliet muses about why Romeo's family name is Montague and concludes that if either gave up their name (and thereby their family affiliations) for the other, they could be together (Romeo and Juliet, 2.2.880–884).

Generally speaking, you must include an in-text citation at the end of a paraphrased sentence. 

However, if your paraphrased material is several sentences long, then you should check with your preferred style guide. Some style guides (such as APA) call for a paraphrase citation after the first paraphrased sentence. Other style guides (such as MLA) call for a paraphrase citation after the last paraphrased sentence. 

Remember, no matter what style guide you use, it is not necessary to cite every single sentence of paraphrased material in a multi-sentence paraphrase.

Don't Start Paraphrasing by Picking Up a Thesaurus

This might shock you, but a thesaurus is NOT the answer to the problem of paraphrasing. Why? Using a thesaurus to swap out a few words here and there from an original source is a form of patchwriting, which is a type of plagiarism.

You shouldn't have to resort to a thesaurus unless you are completely unsure about what a word means—although, in that case, a dictionary might be a better tool. Ideally, you should be able to use clear, simple language that is familiar to you when reporting findings (or other information) from a study.

The problem with using a thesaurus is that you aren't really using your own words to paraphrase a text; you're using words from a book. Plus, if you're unfamiliar with a concept or if you have difficulty with English, you might choose the wrong synonym and end up with a paraphrase like this: "You may perhaps usage an erroneous word."

This is a common mistake among writers who are writing about a field with which they are unfamiliar or who do not have a thorough grasp of the English language or the purpose of paraphrasing.

If you choose to keep a few phrases from the original source but paraphrase the rest (i.e., combining quoting and paraphrasing), that's okay, but keep in mind that phrasing from the source text must be reproduced in an exact manner within quotation marks.

Direct quotations are more than three consecutive words copied from another source, and they should always be enclosed in quotation marks or offset as a block quotation.

A sentence that combines a direct quote with paraphrased material would look like this: 

In "The Laugh of the Medusa," Cixous highlights women's writing as a specific feat and speaks "about what it will do" when it has the same formal recognition as men's writing (Cixous 875).

The paraphrased paragraph of Cixous' essay includes a direct quote and a paraphrase citation.

Did you know that copying portions of a quote without quotation marks (i.e., patchwriting) is a form of plagiarism—even if you provide an in-text citation? If you've reworded sections of a quote in your own style, simply enclose any direct quotations (three or more words) in quotation marks to indicate that the writing is not your own.

When learning how to paraphrase, you need to distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate forms of paraphrasing. The Office of Research and Integrity , a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, puts it this way:

Taking portions of text from one or more sources, crediting the author/s, but only making 'cosmetic' changes to the borrowed material, such as changing one or two words, simply rearranging the order, voice (i.e., active vs. passive) and/or tense of the sentences is NOT paraphrasing.

What does paraphrasing too closely look like? Here is an overly close paraphrase example of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' description of plagiarizing:

Using sections of a source, citing it, but only making surface-level changes to the language (such as changing a few words, the verb tense, the voice, or word order) fails as a paraphrase. True paraphrasing involves changing the words and syntactical structure of the original source. Keep reading for strategies for paraphrasing properly.

Get Help with Proper Paraphrasing

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In an article on how to paraphrase , the Purdue University Online Writing Lab suggests that you read the source text carefully and write paraphrases on notecards. You can then compare your version with the original, ensuring that you've covered all the key information and noting any words or phrases that are too closely paraphrased.

Your notecards should be labeled with the author(s) and citation information of the source text so that you don't lose track of which source you used. You should also note how you plan to use the paraphrase in your essay.

If you are a visual learner, the benefit of this strategy is that you can visualize the content you intend to paraphrase. 

Because a notecard is a tangible object, you can physically arrange it in an essay outline, moving the right information to the appropriate paragraph so that your essay flows well. (If you're not sure how to write an outline , check out our article.)

Plus, having a physical copy of paraphrased information makes it harder for you to accidentally plagiarize by copying and pasting text from an original source and forgetting to paraphrase or quote it properly. Writing out your paraphrase allows you to distance yourself from the source text and express the idea in your own unique style.

For more paraphrasing help, Jerry Plotnick from the University College Writing Centre at the University of Toronto provides a similar strategy for paraphrasing.

Plotnick advises that you take point-form notes of text that you want to use in your paper. Don't use full sentences, but instead "capture the original idea" in a few words and record the name of the source.

This strategy is similar to the notecard idea, but it adds another step. Instead of just reading the source carefully and writing your complete paraphrase on a notecard, Plotnick recommends using point-form notes while researching your sources. These notes can then be used to paraphrase the source text when you are writing your paper.

Like handwriting your paraphrases on notecards, taking notes and coming back to them later will help you distance yourself from the source, allowing you to forget the original wording and use your own style.

The Plotnick method above describes how to use point-form notes while researching a paper to keep your paraphrasing original. To paraphrase in your paper using Plotnick's method above, look at your sources and try the following:

Write down the basic point(s) you want to discuss on a notecard (in your own words).

Take your notecard points and turn them into sentences when you write your essay.

Add the reference for the source.

Compare your paraphrase to the original source to make sure your words are your own.

Practice Two-Step Paraphrasing: Sentence Structure and Word Choice

In an article on how to paraphrase by the Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the first two strategies are acknowledged—taking notes and looking away from the source before you write your paraphrase. 

The authors then suggest another two-step strategy for paraphrasing: change the structure first and then change the words. Let's break down this process a bit further.

Sentences in English have two main components: a subject and a predicate . The subject is who or what is performing an action (i.e., a noun or pronoun), and the predicate is what the subject is doing (i.e., a verb). Sentences can be simple, compound, complex, or compound-complex. 

Here are some paraphrase examples using different sentence structures:

Simple: It was difficult.

Compound: It was difficult, but she knew there was no going back.

Complex: Although it was difficult, she knew there was no going back.

Compound-complex: Although it was difficult, she knew there was no going back, so she kept calm and carried on.

Once you have identified the structure of the original sentence, you can reconstruct it using one of the different types of sentences illustrated above.

You can also change passive voice to active voice, or vice versa.

The active voice is structured like this: Subject + Verb + Object (e.g., She learned how to paraphrase.)

The passive voice is structured like this: Object + "To Be" Verb + Past Participle (e.g., How to paraphrase was learned by the girl.)

See how awkward the passive sentence example is? It's best not to force a sentence into an unnatural sentence structure. 

Otherwise, you'll end up with Yoda-speak: "Forced to learn how to paraphrase a sentence, the girl was." (Did you like the unintentional "force" pun?)

Another way to distinguish your paraphrase from the original source is to use different sentence lengths. Often, scholarly articles are written using long, compound, complex, or compound-complex sentences. Use short sentences instead. 

Break down complex ideas into easy-to-understand material. Alternatively, you can combine several ideas from the source text into one long sentence, synthesizing the material. Try to stick with your own style of writing so that the paraphrased text matches that of the rest of your document.

Once the paraphrased sentence structure is sufficiently different from the original sentence structure, you can replace the wording of the original text with words you understand and are comfortable with.

Paraphrasing isn't meant to hide the fact that you are copying someone else's idea using clever word-swapping techniques. Rather, it is meant to demonstrate that you are capable of explaining the text in your own language.

One handy article on word choice by the Writing Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill lists some strategies for successful word choice, such as eliminating jargon and simplifying unnecessary wordiness. While this applies to academic writing in general, the "questions to ask yourself" are also useful as great paraphrasing help.

Once you have completed a sentence-long paraphrase, you include an in-text citation at the end of that sentence. However, if your paraphrased material is several sentences long, then you should check with your preferred style guide. 

Some style guides (such as APA) call for a paraphrase citation after the first paraphrased sentence. Other style guides (such as MLA) call for a paraphrase citation after the last paraphrased sentence. 

How to Paraphrase

To paraphrase properly, you need to explain a text in your own words without using a direct quote . Keep in mind, however, that different styles require different formats when it comes to documenting paraphrased sources. Some styles require a citation after the first paraphrased sentence, while others require a citation after the last.

For this reason, we've outlined examples of how to paraphrase in the APA, MLA, and Chicago styles below. Be sure to check with your professor to see which style your essay requires.

APA guidelines for paraphrasing include citing your source on the first mention in either the narrative or parenthetical format. Here's a refresher of both formats:

Narrative format: Koehler (2016) noted the dangers of false news.

Parenthetical format: The news can distort our perception of an issue (Koehler, 2016).

Here's an example of how to paraphrase from a primary source in APA:

Dudley (1999) states that "direct quote" or paraphrase (Page #).

Note: It's not always necessary to include the page number, but it's recommended if it'll help readers quickly find a passage in a book.

Below are a couple of examples of how to paraphrase in APA. Keep in mind that for longer paraphrases, you don't have to add the citation again if it's clear that the same work is being paraphrased.

Short paraphrase:

Stephenson (1992) outlined a case study of a young man who showed increasing signs of insecurity without his father (pp. 23–27).

Long paraphrase:

Johnson et al. (2013) discovered that for small-breed dogs of a certain age, possession aggression was associated with unstable living environments in earlier years, including fenced-in yards with multiple dogs all together for long periods of time. However, these effects were mediated over time. Additionally, with careful training, the dogs showed less possession aggression over time. These findings illustrate the importance of positive reinforcement over the length of a dog's life.

When paraphrasing in MLA, include an in-text citation at the end of the last paraphrased sentence. 

Your in-text citation can be done either parenthetically or in prose, and it requires the last name of the cited author and the page number of the source you're paraphrasing from. Here are MLA citation examples :

Parenthetical:

Paraphrase (Author's Last Name Page #)

Author's Last Name states that paraphrase (Page #)

In addition to adding a short in-text citation to the end of your last paraphrased sentence, MLA requires that this source be included in your Works Cited page, so don't forget to add it there as well.

Here are two examples of how to paraphrase in MLA:

In an attempt to communicate his love for Elizabeth, all Mr. Darcy did was communicate the ways in which he fought to hide his true feelings (Austen 390).

Rowling explains how happy Harry was after being reunited with his friends when he thought all was lost (17).

Paraphrasing correctly in Chicago style depends on whether you're using the notes and bibliography system or the author-date system.

The notes and bibliography system includes footnotes or endnotes, whereas the author-date system includes in-text citations.

Below, you'll find the correct way to format citations when paraphrasing in both the notes and bibliography and author-date systems.

Notes and Bibliography

For the notes and bibliography system, add a superscript at the end of your paraphrase that corresponds to your footnote or endnote.

Johnson explains that there was no proof in the pudding. 1

Author-Date

For the author-date style, include the page number of the text you're referencing at the end of your paraphrase. If you mention the author, include the year the source was published.

Johnson (1995) explains that there was no proof in the pudding (21).

In summary, the purpose of paraphrasing is not to simply swap a few words; rather, it is to take ideas and explain them using an entirely different sentence structure and choice of words. It has a greater objective; it shows that you've understood the literature on your subject and are able to express it clearly to your reader.

In other words, proper paraphrasing shows that you are familiar with the ideas in your field, and it enables you to support your own research with in-text citations. 

Knowing when to paraphrase or quote strengthens your research presentation and arguments. Asking for paraphrasing help before you accidentally plagiarize shows that you understand the value of academic integrity.

If you need help, you might consider an editing and proofreading service, such as Scribendi. While our editors cannot paraphrase your sources for you, they can check whether you've cited your sources correctly according to your target style guide via our Academic Editing service.

Even if you need more than just paraphrase citation checks, our editors can help you decide whether a direct quote is stronger as a paraphrase, and vice versa. Editors cannot paraphrase quotes for you, but they can help you learn how to paraphrase a quote correctly.

What Is the Meaning of "Paraphrase"?

Paraphrasing is when you write text from another source in your own words. It's a way of conveying to your reader or professor that you understand a specific source material well enough to describe it in your own style or language without quoting it directly. 

Paraphrasing (and citing your paraphrases) allows you to explain and share ideas you've learned from other sources without plagiarizing them.

You can write things in your own words by taking original notes on the sources you're reading and using those notes to write your paraphrase while keeping the source material out of sight. 

You can also practice putting things in your own words by changing sentences from passive to active, or vice versa, or by varying word choice and sentence length. You can also try Jeremy Plotnick's idea of paraphrasing from your own point-form notes.

When you're paraphrasing something, it means you are putting someone else's writing in your own words. You're not copying or quoting content directly. Instead, you are reading someone else's work and explaining their ideas in your own way. 

Paraphrasing demonstrates that you understand the material you're writing about and gives your reader the opportunity to understand the material in a simplified way that is different from how the original author explained it.

About the Author

Scribendi Editing and Proofreading

Scribendi's in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing turn into a great one after the editing process. Scribendi's in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained nearly 20 degrees collectively. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.

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How to paraphrase (including examples)

Jessica Malnik

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is paraphrasing easy to do well

Paraphrasing has gotten a bad reputation due to its association with plagiarism . However, when used correctly, paraphrasing has the potential to elevate your writing and give you a better understanding of the research.

In this post, we’ll discuss what paraphrasing is, why we do it, and 6 steps to walk you through the process. We’ll also share what not to do with paraphrasing, along with some examples.

Paraphrasing definition and rules

Paraphrasing is simply a way of summarizing someone else’s content in your own words. When you paraphrase, you keep the meaning or intent of the original work without copying it word for word. However, paraphrasing can quickly become a form of plagiarism if done incorrectly. This is why it’s crucial to follow the rules of paraphrasing.

When borrowing the ideas from someone else’s content, there’s one important rule to follow: you must correctly cite your source. This can be done in a number of ways depending on the style guide you use. 

Source citing is different for MLA and APA formatting and style guides. You’ll need to familiarize yourself with the citation formats for whichever one you follow. However, in some cases, simply hyperlinking the source will be sufficient.

Why do we paraphrase?

There are a number of reasons that professional writers and students alike choose to paraphrase content. Here are just a few of the common reasons that a writer would choose to paraphrase instead of including a quote or summarization.

Process information better 

One benefit of paraphrasing is that it helps you process the author’s ideas. When you have to rewrite the material in your own words, it makes you really think about the context and how it fits into your piece. If you want to really understand the material you’re citing, try rewriting it. If you were to quote the same information, you would miss out on the benefit of analyzing the source material.

For example, if you are writing a research paper all about Shakespeare’s influence on modern-day literature, you don’t want to just use a ton of direct quotes, instead by paraphrasing original passages, it can help you comprehend and analyze the material better.  

Improve your credibility with readers

You can also improve your credibility by association with the sources you decide to paraphrase. 

When you rewrite the material, you create a connection between your content and the knowledge from the source. 

Your audience will have a better understanding of the direction of your piece if you’re paraphrasing a reputable source with established authority on the subject.

Present data in an interesting way

If you’re referencing a data-heavy webpage or study, then paraphrasing is an engaging way to present the information in your own writing style. 

This allows you to tell a story with the source material instead of simply citing numbers or graphs.

Show that you understand the source

Another reason for paraphrasing that’s particularly important in academic writing is to demonstrate that you’ve read and comprehended the source material. 

For example, if all of you are doing is copying and pasting the original words of a textbook, you aren’t really learning anything new. When you summarize the material in your own words, it helps you to understand the material faster.  

How to paraphrase in 6 steps

Paraphrasing is simple when you break it down into a series of steps. 

Here are the 6 steps you can use to paraphrase your sources:

1. Choose a reputable source

First, you need to pick a credible source to paraphrase. A credible source will likely have ideas and concepts that are worth repeating. Be sure to research the author’s name and publisher’s credentials and endorsements (if applicable).

You’ll also want to check the date of the publication as well to make sure it’s current enough to include in your writing.

paraphrasing tip

2. Read and re-read the source material

You want to be sure that you understand the context and information in the original source before you can begin to rework it into your own words. Read through it as many times as you need so you’re sure that you grasp the meaning.

3. Take some notes 

Once you have an understanding of the passage, you’ll want to jot down your initial thoughts. 

What are the key concepts in the source material? 

What are the most interesting parts? 

For this part, it helps to break up the content into different sections. This step will give you a sort of mini-outline before you proceed with rephrasing the material.

4. Write a rough draft

Write your version of the content without looking at the original source material. This part is important. 

With the source hidden, you’ll be less likely to pull phrasing and structure from the original. You are welcome to reference your notes, though. This will help you write the content in your own words without leaning on the source but still hit the key points you want to cover.

5. Compare and revise

Once you have your initial draft written, you should look at it side by side with the original source. Adjust as needed to ensure your version is written in a way that’s unique to your voice. 

This is a good time to break out a thesaurus if you notice you have used too many of the same words as the original source.

6. Cite your source

Whether you use MLA, APA, Chicago, or another style guide, now is the time to give proper credit to the original author or source. When posting content online, you may only need to hyperlink to the original source.

Keep in mind that the paraphrased text will not change depending on the citation style that you follow. It will just change how it’s cited.

What you shouldn’t do when paraphrasing

Now that you understand the process of paraphrasing and can follow the steps, it’s important that you know what to avoid. When paraphrasing, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Do NOT write while you’re still researching

You might be tempted to start writing during the research phase. However, this sets you up to miss information or restate the copy too closely to the source material. Be sure to do your research first, take notes, and then start writing the piece.

2. Do NOT skip the citations

When you pull a small amount of information from a paraphrased source, you may think you don’t need to cite it. However, any idea or copy that’s taken from another source is considered plagiarism if you don’t give it credit, even if it is only a little bit of information.

Paraphrasing examples

Here are some examples to help you understand what paraphrasing looks like when done correctly and incorrectly

Excerpt from LinkedIn’s Official Blog:

“When reaching out to connect with someone, share a personalized message telling the person why you would like to connect. If it’s someone you haven’t been in touch with in a while, mention a detail to jog that person’s memory for how you met, reinforce a mutual interest and kickstart a conversation.”

Here’s another example. This one is from the U.S. Department of Education:

“ The U.S. Department of Education does not accredit educational institutions and/or programs. However, the Department provides oversight over the postsecondary accreditation system through its review of all federally-recognized accrediting agencies. The Department holds accrediting agencies accountable by ensuring that they enforce their accreditation standards effectively. ”

Here’s one more example to show you how to paraphrase using a quote from Mark Twain as the source material:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So, throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream, Discover.”

Paraphrasing can be a beneficial tool for any writer. It can give you credibility and a deeper understanding of the topic. However, to successfully use paraphrasing, you must be careful to properly cite your sources and effectively put the material into your own words each time.

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  • What is Paraphrasing? An Overview With Examples
  • Learn English
  • James Prior
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  • Updated February 23, 2024

What is paraphrasing? Or should I say what is the definition of paraphrasing? If you want to restate something using different words whilst retaining the same meaning, this is paraphrasing.

In this article, we cover what paraphrasing is, why it’s important, and when you should do it. Plus, some benefits and examples.

Paraphrasing

Table of Contents

Paraphrase Definition: What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is when you restate the information from a source using your own words while maintaining the original meaning. It involves expressing the ideas in a different way, often to clarify or simplify the content, without directly quoting the source.

When you paraphrase, you are not only borrowing, clarifying, or expanding on the information but also ensuring that you do all of these actions without plagiarizing the original content. It’s therefore definitely worth learning how to paraphrase if you want to improve your writing skills.

Why is Paraphrasing Important?

Paraphrasing is a valuable skill that allows you to convey information in your unique writing style while still giving credit to someone else’s ideas. It’s important for several reasons, and it serves various functions in both academic and professional writing.

Here are some key reasons why you should paraphrase:

  • Paraphrasing allows you to present information from sources in your own words, reducing the risk of plagiarism. Proper in-text citation is still necessary, but paraphrasing demonstrates your understanding and interpretation of the material.
  • When you paraphrase, you are required to comprehend the original content fully. You actively engage with the information, helping you better understand complex concepts and ideas. This process of restating the information in your own words showcases your understanding of the subject matter.
  • By paraphrasing, you can clarify complex ideas or technical language and convey information in a clearer, shorter, and simpler form. This makes it more accessible to your audience and ensures they grasp the key points. This is particularly important when communicating with readers who may not be familiar with specialized terminology.
  • Paraphrasing is valuable when synthesizing information from various sources. It enables you to blend ideas cohesively while maintaining a consistent writing style throughout your work.
  • Paraphrasing allows you to inject your unique writing style and voice into the content. It helps you present information in a way that is more aligned with your personal expression and perspective.
  • In certain situations where you need to meet specific length requirements for assignments or publications, paraphrasing allows you to convey information more concisely while still preserving the essential meaning.
  • Paraphrasing helps maintain a smooth flow and cohesiveness in your writing. It allows you to integrate information seamlessly, avoiding abrupt shifts between your own ideas and those from external sources.
  • Depending on your audience, you may need to adapt the language and level of technicality of the information you present. Paraphrasing allows you to tailor the content to suit the needs of your specific readership.

Incorporating paraphrasing into your writing not only showcases your understanding of the material but also enhances the overall quality and originality of your work.

When Should You Paraphrase?

Knowing when to paraphrase is an important skill, especially in academic writing and professional communication. Here are some situations in which you should consider paraphrasing:

  • To Avoid Plagiarism:  Whenever you want to incorporate information from source material into your own work, but don’t want to use a direct quotation, paraphrasing is necessary to present the ideas in your own words while still acknowledging the original source.
  • To Express Understanding:  Paraphrasing demonstrates your understanding of a topic by rephrasing the information in a way that shows you have processed and comprehended the material.
  • To Simplify Complex Information:  If you encounter complex or technical language that may be difficult for your audience to understand, paraphrasing can help you clarify and simplify the information to make it more accessible and digestible.
  • To Integrate Multiple Sources:  When synthesizing information from multiple sources, paraphrasing allows you to blend the ideas cohesively while maintaining your own voice and perspective.
  • To Maintain Consistency in Writing Style:  In academic writing or professional writing, paraphrasing can help you maintain a consistent writing style throughout your work. This helps to ensure that all sections flow smoothly and are coherent.
  • To Meet Specific Requirements:  Some assignments or publications may have specific requirements. This could relate to the number of words or concern the use of direct quotations. In such cases, paraphrasing allows you to meet these requirements while still incorporating relevant information from your sources.

What Are the Benefits of Paraphrasing?

Rewriting information in a clearer, shorter, and simpler form is called paraphrasing, so one of the benefits of paraphrasing is already clear! However, it can also be a useful exercise for other reasons, which are outlined below:

Avoiding Plagiarism

One of the main benefits of paraphrasing is mastering the ability to present information from external sources in a way that is entirely your own. By restructuring the content and expressing it using your words, you create a distinct piece of writing that reflects your comprehension and interpretation of the original material. This not only showcases your academic or professional integrity but also safeguards against unintentional plagiarism.

Paraphrasing is a fundamental skill in academic and professional settings, where originality and proper attribution are highly valued. This is especially true when it comes to writing research papers, where you’ll often need to reference someone else’s ideas with appropriate citations.

When you paraphrase effectively, you communicate to your audience that you respect the intellectual property of others while contributing your unique insights. This ethical approach to information usage enhances your credibility as a writer or researcher and reinforces the integrity of your work.

Enhancing Understanding

When you engage in paraphrasing, you actively participate in the material you are working with. You are forced to consider the ideas presented in the source material. You need to discern the essential concepts, identify key phrases, and decide how best to convey the message in a way that resonates with you.

This active engagement not only aids in understanding the content but also encourages critical thinking as you evaluate and interpret the information from your own standpoint.

By expressing someone else’s ideas in your own words, you deepen your understanding of the content. This process requires you to dissect the original text, grasp its nuances, and then reconstruct it using your language and perspective. In this way, you go beyond mere memorization and truly internalize the information, fostering a more profound comprehension of the subject matter.

Tailoring Information for Your Audience

Paraphrasing empowers you to adapt the language and complexity of the information to suit the needs and understanding of your audience. As you rephrase the content, you have the flexibility to adjust the level of technicality, simplify complex terminology, or tailor the tone to make the information more accessible to your specific readership.

Consider your audience’s background, knowledge level, and interests. Paraphrasing allows you to bridge the gap between the original content and the understanding of your intended audience.

Whether you are communicating with experts in a particular field or a general audience, the ability to paraphrase ensures that the information is conveyed in a way that resonates with and is comprehensible to your readers. This skill not only facilitates effective communication but also demonstrates your awareness of the diverse needs of your audience.

Improves Writing Skills

Paraphrasing helps in the development and refinement of your writing skills. When you actively engage in the process of rephrasing someone else’s ideas, you hone your ability to express concepts in a clear, concise, and coherent manner.

This practice refines your language proficiency, encouraging you to explore different types of sentence structure, experiment with vocabulary, and ultimately develop a more sophisticated and nuanced writing style.

As you paraphrase, you gain a heightened awareness of grammar, syntax, and word choice. This translates into improved writing, helping you construct well-articulated sentences and paragraphs. Moreover, paraphrasing allows you to experiment with different writing tones and adapt your style to suit the context or purpose of your writing, fostering versatility and adaptability in your expression.

Saves Time and Energy

Paraphrasing can significantly reduce the time and energy spent on the writing process. Rather than grappling with the challenge of integrating lengthy direct quotations or struggling to find the perfect synonym, paraphrasing allows you to distill and convey information in a more streamlined way.

This becomes particularly advantageous when faced with strict deadlines. By mastering paraphrasing, you empower yourself to produce well-crafted, original content in a shorter timeframe, allowing you to meet deadlines without compromising the quality of your work.

Examples of Paraphrasing

Here are some examples of paraphrasing:

  • Original:  “The advancements in technology have revolutionized the way we communicate with each other.”
  • Paraphrased:  “Technological progress has transformed how we interact and communicate with one another.”
  • Original:  “Deforestation poses a significant threat to global ecosystems and biodiversity.”
  • Paraphrased:  “The impact of deforestation represents a substantial danger to ecosystems and the diversity of life on a global scale.”
  • Original:  “Effective time management is essential for achieving productivity in both professional and personal spheres.”
  • Paraphrased:  “Efficient management of time is crucial for attaining productivity in both professional and personal aspects of life.”
  • Original:  “The restaurant offers a diverse selection of culinary choices, ranging from traditional dishes to modern fusion cuisine.”
  • Paraphrased:  “The restaurant provides a variety of food options, including both traditional and modern fusion dishes.”
  • Original:  “The novel explores the complexities of human relationships in a rapidly changing society.”
  • Paraphrased:  “The book delves into the challenges of human connections in a fast-changing world.”
  • Original:  “Regular exercise is crucial for maintaining optimal physical health and preventing various health issues.”
  • Paraphrased:  “Exercising regularly is important for keeping your body healthy and avoiding health problems.”

In these examples, you can observe the use of different wording, sentence structure, and synonyms while preserving the core meaning of the original sentences. This is the essence of paraphrasing.

What Are the Differences Between Paraphrasing, Quoting, and Summarizing?

So, we’ve established that successful paraphrasing is a way of rewriting someone else’s words whilst retaining their meaning and still giving credit to the original author’s ideas. But how is this different from quoting and summarizing?

While paraphrasing, quoting, and summarizing are all ways of incorporating information from source material into your own writing, there are key differences between them:

Paraphrasing

  • Definition:  Paraphrasing involves rephrasing someone else’s ideas or information in your own words while retaining the original meaning.
  • Usage:  You use paraphrasing when you want to present the information in a way that suits your writing style or when you need to clarify complex ideas.
  • Example:  Original: “The study found a significant correlation between sleep deprivation and decreased cognitive performance.” Paraphrased: “The research indicated a notable link between lack of sleep and a decline in cognitive function.”
  • Definition:  Quoting involves directly using the exact words from a source and enclosing them in quotation marks.
  • Usage:  You use quoting when the original wording is essential, either because of its precision or uniqueness, or when you want to highlight a specific phrase or concept.
  • Example:  Original: “The author argues, ‘In the absence of clear guidelines, individual judgment becomes paramount in decision-making.'”

The use of quotation marks is vital when quoting.

Summarizing

  • Definition:  Summarizing involves condensing the main ideas of a source or original passage in your own words, focusing on the most crucial points.
  • Usage:  You use summarizing when you need to provide a concise overview of a longer piece of text or when you want to capture the key points without including all the details.
  • Example:  Original: A lengthy article discussing various factors influencing climate change. Summary: “The article outlines key factors contributing to climate change, including human activities and natural processes.”

In summary, paraphrasing is about expressing someone else’s ideas in your own words, quoting involves directly using the original words, and summarizing is about condensing the main points of a source.

Each technique serves different purposes in writing and should be used based on your specific goals and the nature of the information you are incorporating. If you want to level up your writing skills you need to be able to do all three of these.

Conclusion (In Our Own Words)

Paraphrasing is a valuable skill with numerous benefits. It helps you understand complex ideas, refine your writing style, and demonstrate ethical information use. It also allows you to tailor information for different audiences and can save time in academic and professional writing.

So, if you want to incorporate information from external sources into your writing in a way that is clear, concise, and respectful of the original author’s work, it’s worth mastering the art of paraphrasing.

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How to Paraphrase - A Detailed, Step by Step Guide

How to paraphrase.

In this post we’re going to cover all things paraphrasing, with many examples of paraphrases, so that when you’re done, you won’t even need our fancy paraphrasing tool ;)

First, to define paraphrase : A paraphrase is a rewriting, rewording, or otherwise rephrasing of a piece of text. When we paraphrase, we change the structure while retaining the original meaning of the words. Typically the unit of a paraphrase is the sentence, but it can also be at the phrase level or even at the paragraph or document level. If we paraphrase at the word level, we just call that using a synonym.

But before we dig in, why paraphrase to begin with? There are a few good reasons:

Find the right words to express your thoughts - Paraphrasing enables you to iterate on your initial expressions, so that you see if what you are saying is what you really mean to say. Even though most people say the first thing that enters their mind, most thoughts can benefit from iteration and revision.

Ensure that you understand what others are saying - Whether you are quoting the work of others or repeating the words of others as you understand them, paraphrasing to your own words enables you to make sure you are understanding correctly.

Simplify ideas - Einstein said that, “if you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Rewriting ideas in many different forms enables you to remove the rubbish, keeping only the most essential elements, if that’s what you want.

There are many ways to paraphrase, but here are some of those that easiest to describe and demonstrate a clear method for:

A. Paraphrasing for Clarity

B. Paraphrasing for Fluency

C. Paraphrasing for Formality

D. Paraphrasing for Cohesion

E. Paraphrasing for Parallelism

F. Paraphrasing for Conciseness

G. Paraphrasing for Originality

H. Paraphrasing for Quotability

I. Paraphrasing for Empathy

Paraphrasing for Clarity

Many ideas in this post come from the great Joseph Williams, whose book Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace is a great primer for anyone interested in refining their writing.[^1]

Clarity, for Williams, requires that subjects be aligned with characters and verbs aligned with actions.

Paraphrase Example #1

Original: There were thoughts on the part of the doctors concerning the administration of morphine to the patient in question.

Paraphrased: The doctors thought about whether to administer morphine to the patient.

Most people would say the second sentence is clearer than the first, but there’s a lot to unpack here. But we can break it down by bolding the subjects and italicizing the verbs.

Notice that in the first sentence the verb is a form of ‘to be,’ which is one of the weaker verbs you can use, since it tends to imply a state rather than an action. Also in the first sentence, ‘thoughts’ is a nominalized verb, forming an abstraction that conceals who did the ‘thinking.’ The theory goes that people process information better if it forms a narrative, and aligning subjects with characters and verbs with actions will get you there.

Try the following examples on your own before looking at the answer key at the end of the article.

Clarity Exercise:

It was the belief of the firefighters that there would be more water coming.

The writing of dictionaries is something done by lexicographers.

Considerations must be given to context when using synonyms.

Paraphrasing for Fluency

Paraphrasing for fluency is about rewriting your sentences so that they sound more native, that is, so that they sound more likely to have been spoken by native speakers of the language. It's more nuanced than a mere grammar check . The key here is to eliminate jarring or awkward expressions that may confuse your reader. Given the ambiguity often present in disfluent expressions, there may be more than one acceptable paraphrase that serves as an interpretation of the original sentence.

Paraphrase Example #2

Original: My dream is to work close shop staff.

Paraphrase 1: My dream is to work close to the shop staff.

Paraphrase 2: My dream is to work at a clothing shop.

Notice that the two paraphrases mean very different things, but as the original sentence is not very clear on meaning, we have to make an interpretive leap if all we have is the above sentence, out of context and without the speaker or writer nearby to clarify. Note also that both paraphrases are acceptable, understandable, and likely to have been spoken by someone familiar with the language.

Fluency Exercise:

I like play basketball and squash.

She like sweet potato is delicious.

If you want to be pilot you have to make an achieve school success.

Paraphrasing for Formality

Whether to write in a formal tone depends on our audience. It’s very much like deciding whether to wear jeans or slacks, a t-shirt or a shirt and tie. If you are writing in a very hierarchical context or organization, or in a culture where formality plays a major role, such as Japan, it is best to understand and utilize formality in your writing.

In a sense, it is easier to identify what is informal than what is formal. Informal language often includes contractions (e.g. “they’re” instead of “they are,” “I’m” instead of “I am”), casual salutations (“hey” instead of “hello”), and ellipsis (“sup?” instead of what’s going on?). Only you can be the judge of how formal you need to be in your particular context, since although it is often worse to be too informal in a formal context, it can likewise be construed as pompous if you are overly formal among friends or family.

Paraphrase Example #3

Original: Hey buddy, whatcha doin’ right now?

Paraphrase: Hello, sir, what are you doing?

In this example, the formal and informal elements are bolded, and the change in tone is fairly obvious.

Formality Exercise (determine whether it is informal/formal and then change to the opposite)

Well it is a very fine morning, is it not?

Heya, Ima play some guitar with my gals.

Dearest brother, I am writing to express in utmost sincerity the most elevated wishes to you and your family.

Paraphrasing for Cohesion

Cohesive writing is the art of taking distant topics and bringing them together in a smooth and compelling way. In a word, it is about achieving flow in your writing. Rewriting paragraphs so that they are cohesive is time consuming and challenging, because it requires not only mechanical rewording, but also an understanding of what information your reader will find familiar and specific and what they will find distant and opaque. Effectively rephrasing for cohesion means arranging old information so that it comes at the beginning of sentences and new information so that it comes at the end, all the while ensuring that the passage doesn’t seem too contrived.

Paraphrase Example #4

Original: We rented a rowboat towards the end of the trip, after having spent thirteen days in the Himalayas, with Martha and Jan already very tired from the journey. The rowboat was large and contained three compartments for clothing, food, and other necessities. Martha and Jan had become very tired after an incident that was emotionally very taxing for them.

Paraphrase: Towards the end of the trip, after having spent thirteen days in the Himalayas. Martha and Jan were already very tired from the journey. They had become very tired after an incident that was emotionally very taxing for them. Nevertheless, we decided to rent a rowboat, which was large and contained three compartments for clothing, food, and other necessities.

How do we know that the paraphrase is more cohesive than the original? We simply follow the sequence of topics.

In the original passage, we find the following:

Original: rowboat -> trip -> Himalayas -> Martha & Jan -> tired -> rowboat -> compartments -> Martha & Jan -> tired -> taxing

Paraphrase: trip -> Himalayas -> Martha & Jan -> tired -> tired -> taxing -> rowboat -> compartments

When you map the topics in this way, the cohesion becomes readily apparent. In many books, authors advise that writers use proper transitions, but cohesion is about more than proper transitions. It is about arranging your topics in such a way that old information transitions smoothly into new information, so that you don’t force your reader to zigzag around your text. Although rephrasing a paragraph can be tricky and intensive, practice often and you'll develop and eye for it.

Cohesion Exercises (borrowed from Joseph Williams):

To obligate a corporation upon a contract to another party, it must be proven that the contract was its act, whether by corporate action, that of an authorized agent, or by adoption or ratification and such ratification will be implied by the acquiescence or the acceptance of the benefits of such contract, it being essential to implied ratification that the acceptance be with knowledge of all pertinent facts.

Asian competitors who have sought to compete directly with Acme's X-line product groups in each of six market segments in the Western Pacific region will constitute the main objective of the first phase of this study. The labor costs of Acme's competitors and their ability to introduce new products quickly define the issue we will examine in detail in each segment. A plan that will show Acme how to restructure its diverse and widespread facilities so that it can better exploit unexpected opportunities, particularly in the market on the Pacific Rim, should result.

During the first years of our nation, a series of brilliant and virtuous presidents committed to a democratic republic yet confident in their own superior worth conducted its administration.

Paraphrasing for Parallelism

Parallelism is often considered in grammar textbooks, and it does seem to bridge the gap between merely correct grammar and overall pleasant style.

Paraphrase Example #5

Original: It is a good idea to write fluently, with clarity, and be concise.

Paraphrase: It is a good idea to write fluently, clearly, and concisely.

You could say that elegance in writing is a big thing, that it consists of one’s ability to take in the world, to understand how it is and why it is, and to interpret it with a sense of the richness that is inherent in it, but you could also say that writing with parallel constructions adds a little bit of elegance to your writing.

Parallelism Exercises:

There were three books, a toy monkey sat on the desk, and what else is in the room?

Friendly are those who offer of themselves, good people listen carefully, and I think most people are kind that will walk you home.

I ate lunch and was at the store until five cleaning up.

Paraphrasing for Conciseness

“Brevity is the soul of wit,” says Polonius, who ironically rambles a lot in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. But he has a point. If we can distil our thoughts into something sharp and to the point, we may aspire to touch the soul of wit. For many conciseness is about making things shorter, and while that’s a result of making something concise, conciseness itself is about removing unnecessary and redundant material from a sentence.

Paraphrase Example #6

Original: The roses were red in color and soft in texture.

Paraphrase: The roses were red and soft.

In the above paraphrase, we removed what was redundant; since something can only be red with respect to color and soft with respect to texture, there is no need to mention general categories of these properties.

Conciseness Exercises:

In the event that there is a breach of contact, we would do well to observe the fact that we are in the wrong.

The synonym you chose to use in your essay was not uninviting of criticism.

Each and every one of us would like to give a thank you for the work you have completed.

Paraphrasing for Originality

The concept of ‘originality’ has become ubiquitous since the advent of the plagiarism checker. A plagiarism checker will typically match sequences of words to determine whether two texts match. A definition of plagiarism will usually include something like, ‘trying to pass someone else’s work off as your own,” so the intention of the author really is key, even though a plagiarism check will do something far more superficial than assess intention. As a consequence people will try to eliminate plagiarism by changing words around, even if the work is and always was their own.

For the purposes of paraphrasing, originality goes beyond sequences of words; to write something original, you must either introduce a new thought, a new emphasis within the same thought, or a qualification of the original thought. Otherwise you need to quote the original material.

Paraphrase Example #7

Original: We learn by example and by direct experience because there are real limits to the adequacy of verbal instruction.[^2]

Paraphrase: There are limits to formal education; we must also learn through experience and by working through the examples of others.

Even though the words are very different, the main substantive change we made was substituting verbal instruction for formal education. Verbal instruction is broad and can refer to exchanges in a classroom, apprenticeship, at work, or in any other context. Formal education narrows the scope.

Paraphrasing for Empathy

Although there is an overlap, paraphrasing for empathy is not quite the same as merely being polite; instead, it sets a stance that you are not threatening, that you might be wrong, and that you are respectfully listening and open to possibilities. This is easier to achieve with questions than with assertions, but to write with empathy, we have to make assertions that ask.

Paraphrase Example #9

Original: As I’ve told you many times before, we need a home security system!

Paraphrase: I sure would like to rest with ease and not worry about every sound I hear. I may be wrong, but a security system sounds like a good idea. What do you think?

Empathy Exercises:

I get it, you’re saying that we have to cut expenses to save the firm.

It’s not enough to believe in yourself. You have to actually get up and do things.

If you haven’t bought these cryptocurrencies.

In this guide we’ve covered nine different ways of paraphrasing, and believe you me, there are many more. You must find a style and a way of revising that brings out the richness of your thought and makes it resonate for others, one thought at a time, for every thought. If you can articulate an expression compellingly and sincerely, you will have contributed a gem to the world’s information.

Clarity Paraphrases:

The firefighters believed more water would come.

Lexicographers write dictionaries.

When you use synonyms, you must consider context.

Fluency Paraphrases:

I like to play basketball and squash.

She likes sweet potato because it is delicious.

If you want to be a pilot, you have to succeed in school.

Formality Paraphrases:

Good morning!

Hi, I’m going to play the guitar with my girlfriends.

Bro, all my best to you and your fams.

Cohesion Paraphrases:

To prove that a corporation is obligated to another party, the other party must prove one of two conditions:

a. the corporation or its authorized agent explicitly acted to enter the contract, or

b. the corporation adopted or implicitly ratified the contract when, knowing all pertinent facts, it acquiesced in or accepted its benefits.

The first phase of this study will mainly examine six market segments in the Western Pacific region to determine how Asian competitors have sought to compete directly with Acme's X-line product groups. In each segment, the study will examine in detail their labor costs and their ability to introduce new products quickly. The result will be a plan that will show Acme how to restructure its diverse and widespread facilities so that it can better exploit unexpected opportunities, particularly in the market on the Pacific Rim.

During the first years of our nation, its administration was conducted by a series of brilliant and virtuous presidents committed to a democratic republic yet confident in their own superior worth.

Parallelism Paraphrases:

What else is in the room besides the three books and the monkey sitting on the desk?

Friendly are those who offer of themselves, good those who listen carefully, and kind those that will walk you home.

I ate lunch and until five I cleaned the store.

Conciseness Paraphrases:

We would be wrong to breach the contract.

The synonym you used in your essay invited criticism.

We would like to thank you for your work.

Quotability Paraphrases:

Summer is the best because it is a time of adventure, a time of growth, a time to get out of the house and go to a new place.

Buy cheap and sell dear.

When a couple elopes, they are no longer one person but two.

Empathy Paraphrases:

If I’m understanding correctly, I believe you are suggesting that we trim expenses to improve the financial health of the firm, do I have that right?

Believe in yourself, absolutely, and then do things in a way that honors and validates those beliefs.

If they are consistent with your investment thesis, you may want to see if there opportunities in cryptocurrencies.

[^1] Williams, J. M., & Bizup, J. (2013). Style: Lessons in clarity and grace. Boston: Pearson.

[^2] Gladwell, Malcolm. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. New York: Little, Brown and Co, 2005.

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Paraphrasing Explained: Definition, Techniques, and Examples for Effective Writing

Satwick Ghosh

Table of contents

While researching for your article or essay, you might have encountered a sentence or a paragraph that's so intriguing that you thought you must include it in your content! But you can't use those exact words, right?

Well, paraphrasing is the way to do that. However, the idea is not to steal someone's content but to capitalize on it by drafting a much better version while adding your input and research.

You can always have your own piece written and make it more intuitive to your audience while using the original one as a reference.

'It's easier said than done'

'Although the idea sounds like a good one in theory, it will still be difficult to actually execute it.'

Both the above sentences have similar meanings, but they appear different. That's a classic example of paraphrasing.

But how do you paraphrase while keeping the essence of the original sentence intact and still not plagiarising?

That calls for some tips and tricks! And here, we have got you covered.

In this blog, we will explain what is paraphrasing, why you might need to paraphrase, how to paraphrase, and the difference between paraphrasing and summarizing.

Let's dive in.

Table Of Contents

What is paraphrasing.

Paraphrasing is the process of restructuring or tweaking a paragraph so that it represents the same meaning or idea from the original statement but with different sentence construction, choice of words, formats, or, possibly, tone or voice.

It means making the meaning clearer, especially in a shorter and simpler form, along with your thoughts/comments. In addition to borrowing, clarifying, or expanding on information and your comments, paraphrasing is doing all the above-stated actions without plagiarizing the information.

Why do people paraphrase?

There are several reasons why people paraphrase. Following are some of the reasons for paraphrasing.

  • Paraphrasing helps avoid plagiarism.
  • It also provides support for claims or adds credibility to the writing.
  • It demonstrates your understanding and provides an alternative method to using indirect and direct quotes in your own words (referenced) infrequently.
  • Paraphrasing in academic research helps utilize source material for writing essays, providing evidence that the essay is appropriately referenced.
  • Paraphrasing in writing helps you ensure that you use sources to communicate something important to your readers.

What is paraphrasing plagiarism?

Plagiarism is stealing someone else’s ideas without acknowledgment. Plagiarism can come in several forms: global, verbatim, patchwork, paraphrase, and self-plagiarism. However, apart from global plagiarism, other types of plagiarism are often accidental.

Although paraphrasing is accepted , rephrasing sentences or paraphrasing someone else’s idea without citing or acknowledging is considered paraphrasing plagiarism. Even when translating someone else’s words, if the translated text from another language is not cited, this is also a type of paraphrasing plagiarism.

How to paraphrase?

When it comes to paraphrasing, you can either do it manually or use an AI-powered tool like Writesonic to rephrase your content. While we will guide you through both processes, here is how to paraphrase with Writesonic Content Rephraser.

Check out the steps below:

  • Log in to Writesonic or sign up (if you haven't already done so!).
  • Search for Content Rephrase and select the tool from the results.

how to paraphrase

  • On the Content Rephrase v2 window, put the text in the Content box.
  • Select the Words Length from the drop-down for the rephrased content.
  • Select your Brand Voice / Tone of Voice from the list.
  • Finally, hit the Generate button.

is paraphrasing easy to do well

If you are not satisfied with the output received, simply click on the Regenerate button.

is paraphrasing easy to do well

If you want, you can also paraphrase manually without using any tool.  Here is a guide on different techniques to paraphrase effectively,

What is the difference between summarizing and paraphrasing?

Summarizing is a concise statement that briefs the contents of the passage. On the other hand, paraphrasing is just rewriting sentences using your own words. In fact, there is more than one difference between summarizing and paraphrasing.

Check out the comparison chart to learn the differences between summarizing and paraphrasing, besides their definition.

Definition

Summarizing refers to the concise statements and key points of the original work or piece

Paraphrasing refers to restating the texts or passages in your own words based on your comprehension


Underlines

The central idea of the original sentence


Simplifies and clarifies the original sentence or texts


Length of the text

It is shorter when compared with the original writing or piece


It is almost the same length as the original statement


Objective 

To express the general concept of the piece or work briefly using a precise language


To break down the complex words into more comprehensible and simple words


Uses

When you want to provide a quick review of the topic or piece


When you want to present your point of view in different words while incorporating the authors’ ideas as well


Doesn’t include

Unnecessary information, details, examples, and reader’s interpretations 


Problematic language, lengthy quotes, same words from the original passage or phrases from the original sentence. 


Top 5 tips and tricks to follow while paraphrasing

Following are 5 digestible paraphrasing tips you can incorporate when paraphrasing your sentences.

Identify the important parts

You can't paraphrase until you understand the meaning! In fact, paraphrasing demonstrates your understanding of the original material. Thus, read the original content until you get enough ideas to explain it in your own words.

Once you have the original concept, reduce it to the key points, and don't focus on the sentence structures at the start. Another way to rewrite or reword the source without losing your key points is to use a paraphrasing tool .

Change up the words

Change the words using synonyms while noting down the concepts or key points. However, if you face writer's block and can’t find the right words, which can make your content incompetent, use rewording tools .

AI rewording tools can come up with synonyms, organize your phrases, and enhance your sentence structure. Moreover, an AI wording tool ensures the content is unique, original, and plagiarism-free.

Make sure meaning is preserved

Although paraphrasing requires rewording and changing the words, ensure that the same meaning must be maintained along with the ideas. In addition to that, keep your word choices lucid and simple to convey the relevant information from the source without sticking too close to the original source.

One way to keep your writing consistent when paraphrasing is by using paraphrasing tools. The AI tool can alter the sentence structure while maintaining the original meaning.

Double-check for grammar and punctuation

When paraphrasing, double-check and compare the paraphrased copy with the original passage. Make adjustments to ensure it’s completely rewritten. Also, make sure that the grammar and punctuation are correct.

Double-checking your work for grammar and punctuation by reviewing it more than once improves its quality. Paragraph rewriters use AI for paraphrasing, which can tweak the tonality and narrative, ensure a grammar check, and make the content concise and conceivable.

Use an online paraphrasing tool like Writesonic

As stated previously in the article, using a paraphrasing tool is the fastest way to paraphrase your sources without plagiarizing them. One such creative AI writing tool that assists you with paraphrasing is Writesonic .

Writesonic is trained on billions of parameters. It refines the grammar, spelling, and style to generate original, paraphrased content. In addition to that, Writesonic generates unique and plagiarism-free content that resonates with the target audience with just one click.

With AI chatbots like ChatGPT by Open AI and ChatSonic by Writesonic taking away all the limelight, they can also be used effectively for paraphrasing text.

Different strategies for paraphrasing

Even though there are AI paraphrasing tools to make the work easier, the following are different strategies you can use to paraphrase your sentence.

Understanding the main ideas

One of the strategies for successful paraphrasing is understanding the source's main idea and writing style. When you understand the idea behind the sentence, it becomes easier to explain in your own words.

After taking note of the important nouns and verbs, see which synonyms might be appropriate to replace. You can use a synonym that expresses the same meaning for the key concepts or points in the original sentence.

Making connections

When you use synonyms, it is given that the structure may also need a little changing. So, instead of just swapping a single word, make appropriate changes around the words to make sense of the sentence. Here, your paraphrasing skills come into play.

Here is an example of paraphrasing: “ According to scientists, there is another method to achieve a pollution-free environment.”

The paraphrased content would say something like - “Scientists found an alternate way to attain a pollution-free environment.”

In the above sentence, the adjective ‘according to’ is swapped with the verb ‘found’ along with other necessary changes. These changes are made to maintain a harmonious connection between the words and to make the sentence sensible while retaining its meaning and avoiding plagiarism.

Focusing on syntax

The syntax is the arrangement of words in a specific order written in well-formed phrases or sentences. While paraphrasing is about restating or rewording, ensure to focus on the well-structured and grammatically correct sentences by making appropriate connections or paraphrases.

Benefits of paraphrasing

Paraphrasing has some benefits that you can reap in aspects of your writing skills and learning abilities.

Improves writing skills

Paraphrasing requires you to change the passages in your own words, which may help refurbish your writing skills. Rewriting or paraphrasing is essential in writing essays or research papers.

Paraphrasing allows you to express ideas or information with a fresh set of words to make the same thing sound more interesting or even simpler. You can see paraphrasing as an opportunity to enhance your writing skills without plagiarizing someone else’s work. This includes rewriting and expressing the ideas in your own voice.

Increases comprehension

Comprehension is understanding the written material and explaining what is read. At the same time, paraphrasing demonstrates your understanding of the complex details from the source and your ability to explain the connections between main points. Therefore, it's obvious that you can comprehend a text better when you paraphrase it.

Moreover, it was found that paraphrasing for comprehension is an excellent tool for reinforcing reading skills. It can assist by identifying the main ideas, finding supporting details, and identifying the original author's voice.

So when you rewrite the sentence in your own words, you can double-check your comprehension. This helps improve your awareness and allows you to gain a better understanding of the content, and allows you to write better.

Enhances understanding

To paraphrase words or phrases, you must extract their meaning by reading the material again and again and fully understanding the context. This allows the reader to understand the original statement more clearly by adding more clarity to it. So, when you paraphrase the original phrase, you articulate your thoughts and ideas more clearly and come up with new insights and perspectives on the topic.

Saves time & energy

Creating content from scratch is difficult and requires much time and energy. It requires you to do proper research, which is both time and energy-consuming.

An easy solution to the painstaking process is paraphrasing your sentence with appropriate citations. This will allow you to create the content without spending much time on research and ideation, saving much of your time and energy.

Helps avoid plagiarism

Among all the benefits, the most favorable benefit of paraphrasing is that it helps you avoid the accusation of plagiarism. You are simply committing plagiarism (an offense as stated by the federal government) when you use the same idea and speech from the original text, word by word.

However, by rewording the original source, you can present the ideas in your own words and easily avoid plagiarism. What’s more, paraphrasing can save you in both accidental and deliberate cases of plagiarism.

Paraphrasing examples

Now that we have known all about paraphrasing, its reasons for use, and its benefits, let’s look at some examples of paraphrasing and how exactly you can paraphrase.

#1 Example of Paraphrasing

Paraphrased

Apples are domesticated trees and fruit of the rose family which is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. They are predominantly grown for sale as fresh fruit, although apples are also used commercially for vinegar, juice, jelly, applesauce, and apple butter and are canned as pie stock. 


Fresh apples are either eaten raw or cooked. Cooked apples are used in a variety of ways. They are frequently used as a pastry filling, apple pie being the archetypal American dessert.


Apples are domesticated trees and fruit of the rose family, and they are one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. Apples are primarily grown for fresh fruit sales, though they are also used commercially in the production of vinegar, juice, jelly, applesauce, and butter, as well as canned pie filling. 


They are consumed either raw or cooked. However, a variety of recipes call for cooked apples. Apple pie is the most iconic American dessert, where apples are frequently used as a filling for pastries. 

#2 Example of Paraphrasing

Paraphrased

The word paper originated from the reedy plant papyrus. Papyrus plants grow abundantly along the Nile River in Egypt. Prior to the invention of the paper machine, papermaking can be traced to about 105AD, when Ts’ai Lun— an official in the Imperial court of China, created a sheet of paper by using mulberry, old rags, and other bast fibers along with fishnets, and hemp waste.


By the 14th century, a number of paper mills existed in Europe. And later in 1798 Nicolas-Louis Robert in France constructed a moving screen belt that would receive a continuous flow of stock and deliver an unbroken sheet of wet paper. In 1800 a book was published comprising practical methods for manufacturing paper from wood pulp and other vegetable pulps.


The term "paper" comes from the name of the reedy plant papyrus which thrives along Egypt's Nile River. Prior to the invention of the paper machine, papermaking can be traced back to 105AD, when Ts'ai Lun, an official in the Imperial court of China, created a sheet of paper from mulberry and other bast fibers, as well as fishnets, old rags, and hemp waste.


By the 14th century, Europe had several paper mills. Later, in 1798, Nicolas-Louis Robert in France built a moving screen belt that would take in a constant flow of stock and deliver an intact sheet of wet paper. In 1800, a book was published that detailed practical methods for making paper from wood pulp and other vegetable pulps. 

Final Words

Once you grasp the concept of paraphrasing, it can be a powerful tool for writers. It provides several benefits in aspects of writing and learning skills. The correct way and right use of paraphrasing can protect writers from accusations of plagiarism.

However, note that successful and correct paraphrasing requires the use of multiple techniques each time. So, it is not sufficient to simply replace the keywords or the main concepts with synonyms.

One of the easiest ways to reword the original source is by using an AI writing tool. Writesonic is a well-known AI paraphrasing tool that can refine grammar, spelling, and style to generate original plagiarism-free AI content .

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By paraphrasing existing sentences, you can elevate your writing and achieve different goals as a writer. That’s why rephrasing is helpful in plenty of cases: rewriting citations, strengthening the message of your text, and rewording your ideas while improving style.

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How Does Rephrasing Help Me Become a Better Writer?

This feature is highly customizable, meaning you’re in control. Choose from five different categories—general, formal, concise, fluent, or simple—to transform your writing to better suit the context and tone. Paraphrasing helps you by refining and perfecting your masterpieces.

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LanguageTool’s paraphrasing feature does so much more than just rewrite sentences. Not only does it check for stronger, more suitable word choice, but it also corrects your sentence as a whole to ensure high-quality writing. With its intuitive and user-friendly interface, everyone can leverage Artificial Intelligence to achieve the best results possible.

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What Other Features Does LanguageTool’s Paraphraser Provide?

The best part of using A.I. to paraphrase your writing is that the suggested sentences come free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Want to also improve style? Simply go back to the general correction to view stylistic suggestions.

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It’s an online tool that rewrites texts in a new (stylistically different) way by using alternative wording and a rephrased sentence structure.

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More in-depth suggestions, especially for word choice and style

How Can I Effectively Use the Rephrasing Tool?

For basic users, the paraphrasing feature is limited to three times daily. If you need more rephrased sentences, you can upgrade to LanguageTool Premium to get access to unlimited paraphrasing in six languages and several English dialects. Remember: No personal data is stored (ever) and privacy guidelines are strictly followed (always).

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  • 01.   Sign up for Wordtune (it’s free)
  • 02.   Write or paste your text
  • 03.   Highlight the text you want to paraphrase
  • 04.   Click “Rewrite”
  • 05.   Choose a paraphrasing suggestion
  • 06.   Pick the tone and/or length of your choice

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Wordtune offers both free and premium plans. The free version offers up to 10 Rewrites and Spices, three AI generations, and three summaries a day. On top of that, you have unlimited grammar and spelling corrections. There are a range of premium plans with different features and pricing, including Advance, Unlimited, and Business options. Compare pricing and plans.

Yes, Wordtune integrates with other apps, including various web applications, your chosen internet browser, and Google Docs.

Wordtune has a variety of features, including grammar and spell check, Rewrite tools, a Summarizer, and your own personalized knowledge library. To learn more about the features, read this guide or check out our dedicated support section .

Yes. Wordtune has a smart synonym tool that allows you to highlight a single word and get a list of optional synonyms or substitutions. It also works on phrases, so you’re not just limited to single words.

Absolutely. You can easily switch between rewriting a sentence or a whole paragraph, too. When your Rewrite panel pops up, simply choose Sentence or Paragraph in the right-hand corner.

Yes. Wordtune is a fine choice for students who are working on essays, reports, or really any formal piece of writing. Unlike other AI tools, it actually cites its source of information, avoiding common AI problems like hallucinations or copycatting. The best part is it allows you to take even further steps to avoid plagiarism and assure that your work is your own by offering you a wide array of rephrasing options.

Yes. Wordtune’s AI-assisted translation can help you rewrite your text in English from any of these 10 languages: Chinese - Mandarin, Arabic, Hebrew, Korean, Hindi, Russian, Spanish, German, French, Portuguese. Simply click Rewrite and Wordtune will translate your text into English.

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  • Best Paraphrasing Tool | Free & Premium Tools Compared

Best Paraphrasing Tool | Free & Premium Tools Compared

Published on February 2, 2024 by Koen Driessen . Revised on July 11, 2024.

Paraphrasing means rewording something—expressing the same idea in different words. Paraphrasing tools (or paraphrasers) are AI-powered online tools that can automatically rewrite your text for you. Students often use them to improve their writing and provide inspiration—making their text more formal, more fluent, or more concise.

But which online paraphrasers are really reliable at producing correct and readable English? To find out, we tested seven of the most popular free tools—and their premium versions when available.

We wrote three short sample texts to test their ability to improve text that was long-winded , grammatically incorrect , or disjointed . We ran these texts through all the different tools and assessed the fluency and accuracy of the output. We also took the user-friendliness of the tools into consideration.

The results show that the premium versions of QuillBot and Wordtune are the best tools out there, each excelling in different ways. If you’re looking for a free tool, QuillBot and Paraphrase Tool are the strongest options.

Paraphrasing tool Score
 

Table of contents

1. quillbot (premium), 2. wordtune (premium), 3. quillbot (free), 4. paraphrase tool (free), 5. paraphrase tool (premium), 6. wordtune (free), 7. rephrase (free), 8. paraphraser.io (free), 9. rephrase (premium), 10. paraphraser.io (premium), 11. spinbot, 12. pre post seo (free), 13. pre post seo (premium), honorable mention: grammarly, research methodology, frequently asked questions.

quillbot-premium

  • Great for shortening long-winded text
  • Reliable, accurate, grammatically correct output
  • Interactive synonym finder
  • Seven modes with noticeably different results
  • $19.95 per month (3-day money-back guarantee)
  • No paragraph rewrite mode
  • Does little to improve disjointed text

The premium version of QuillBot was one of the strongest paraphrasers we tested. Its “Shorten” mode was the best option for making long-winded text more concise. Unlike all other tools, it could consistently distinguish between unnecessary verbiage and essential details, often reducing the text’s length by more than 50% without compromising meaning.

With the grammatically incorrect text, QuillBot was quite consistent in its ability to remove glaring grammatical errors. But with this and the disjointed text, its ability to resolve sentence fragments was limited, since it seems to lack the ability to combine sentences—it only looks at each sentence individually. This problem was shared by most of the other tools we tested.

QuillBot’s interface is simple and usable, allowing you to choose from seven paraphrasing modes and manually adjust the number of synonyms. Paraphrasing is quick, and changes are clearly highlighted. You can also click on individual words to see more synonyms, with detailed information about how each should be used, making it flexible and informative.

To the QuillBot website

Try Quillbot now

wordtune-premium

  • Paragraph rewrite mode is unique and helpful
  • Does well with both disjointed and ungrammatical text
  • 10 options for each paraphrase
  • $24.99 per month
  • “Shorten” mode not great
  • Interface can be slightly buggy

Wordtune’s premium version was overall the most useful tool we tested. It provided a selection of 10 rewrites for each text. Not all of these were great, but there were generally a few good options in each case.

Where Wordtune stood out was in its whole-paragraph paraphrasing mode, which was able to combine sentences in an intelligent way, thus improving our disjointed and grammatically incorrect texts significantly. Unfortunately, the “Shorten” mode did little to actually shorten long-winded text, mostly functioning quite similarly to the standard rewrite mode.

We found the look of the site fairly clean and appreciated that it offers 10 different suggestions for each sentence. But we did find the interface somewhat awkward at times, and it was occasionally unable to generate suggestions in certain modes or would only generate one suggestion, suggesting some imperfections in the technology.

Try Wordtune

quillbot-free

  • Free, quick, and easy to use
  • No “Shorten” mode in the free version

We found QuillBot’s free version almost as reliable as the premium option. Its changes were generally logical and fluent, staying true to the meaning of the original text while improving flow. And, like the premium version, it resolved grammatical errors well.

That said, its ability to cut down long-winded text was restricted, since the “Shorten” mode is a premium feature. The two free modes, “Standard” and “Fluency,” performed well for other purposes but did little to deal with long-windedness.

The other main differences are a word limit of 125 words per paraphrase and the fact that the highest setting for synonyms can’t be selected. Besides those changes, we found the interface just as usable in the free version as in the premium one.

Try the QuillBot paraphraser

paraphrase-tool-free

  • “Summary” mode is very good
  • Handles all kinds of texts well (in “Summary” mode)
  • Other modes are very inaccurately labeled
  • Some modes add irrelevant content
  • Changes not marked in the text

Paraphrase Tool offered a large selection of different modes to paraphrase our text, some of them very useful. The most useful mode by far (for all of our texts) was “Summary,” which did a decent job of shortening the long-winded text and was able to combine sentences in the disjointed and grammatically confused texts, creating a much smoother read.

We found that other modes were not very accurately labeled: The “Shorten” mode often produced a longer text than “Standard” when the long-winded text was used. “Grammar” mode appeared to just produce very long-winded and repetitive text, while “Smooth” mode added a lot of text that was not based on anything in the original.

We appreciated the clean, minimalistic design of the site, but we did find it unhelpful that the changes made are not marked in any way in the output text. You’re also required to buy a subscription after a certain number of inputs, which isn’t clear when you start. In general, this is a strong paraphraser in “Summary” mode but a very unreliable one in other modes.

Try Paraphrase Tool

paraphrase-tool-premium

  • “Summary” mode is very good (but also available for free)
  • No limit on inputs
  • $7.99 per month (3-day free trial)
  • Extra modes are not worth the cost, often ridiculous

Paraphrase Tool’s premium version allows you unlimited paraphrases and unlocks 11 additional modes: “Academic,” “Confident,” “Simple,” “Smart,” “Clear,” “Thoughtful,” “Elaborate,” “Creative,” “Formal,” “Cohesive,” and “Emphatic.”

However, we found that these modes weren’t very useful or very accurately labeled. The “Summary” mode, already available in the free version, remained the best choice for all of our texts. Other modes like “Emphatic” inserted a lot of irrelevant text that had nothing to do with the original, generally making the text much longer and largely incoherent.

Because of this, the only real reason to pay for this tool is to remove the limit on inputs. But if you’re willing to pay, there are better options available. As the only part we can give a solid recommendation to, “Summary” mode, is available for free, we don’t recommend paying.

wordtune-free

Wordtune’s free version lacks the option to paraphrase whole paragraphs, the feature that really stood out to us, so it doesn’t score as well as the premium version.

Without this feature, Wordtune did perform decently at making sense of the grammatically incorrect text, although it didn’t make it all that fluent. But like other tools that work on a sentence-by-sentence basis, it did a poor job of improving disjointed text. The “Shorten” mode performed similarly to the premium version—not terribly, but not all that well.

We found it unfortunate that it limits users to 10 sentence rewrites per day in the free version and that rewrites can only be done on one sentence at a time. As with the premium version, we did like the overall look of the site. But if you’re looking for a free tool, QuillBot or Paraphrase Tool are better options.

rephrase-free

  • Paraphrases are reasonably fluent
  • Some changes distort meaning
  • Full of ads
  • Slow and inconvenient to use

Rephrase did a moderately good job paraphrasing our texts. Its changes were generally more advanced than simply swapping out some words for synonyms, and they tended to mostly retain the original meaning (although with some differences such as changing “we” to “I”).

It tended to resolve obvious grammatical problems effectively, although it couldn’t make the text completely smooth. It performed similarly to other tools with disjointed text, failing to combine sentences. It managed to cut down the long-winded text more than most and divide one sentence into two to improve readability, but some of its changes distorted the meaning.

In terms of usability, we found that the paraphrase sometimes loaded quite slowly, and the requirement to complete a captcha for repeated inputs was annoying. The site was also full of flashy ads that were quite distracting and seemed to slow down the page.

Try Rephrase

paraphraser-io-free

  • Ensures basic grammatical correctness
  • Quite basic rewrites
  • Some highly inaccurate synonyms and bugs with output
  • Very slow and buggy

Paraphraser.io’s rewrites were fairly basic. While it made some small changes to sentence structure, it mainly just swapped individual words out for synonyms, which were often highly inaccurate (e.g., changing “could” to “bottle”). It could not deal with long-winded text well, since it lacked a “Shorten” mode and tended to make the text even longer.

Its changes to the grammatically muddled text did usually ensure basic correctness, but not much fluency. Like the other tools, it was unable to do much to improve the flow of the disjointed text, since it wouldn’t combine sentences or add transition words. Occasionally, we saw errors like the insertion of sentence fragments without initial capitalization.

In terms of usability, we found it unfortunate that the paraphrased text loaded extremely slowly (and sometimes just failed to load). We appreciated the ability to click on individual words to see synonyms, but as noted, a lot of these synonyms were just wrong. Overall, the interface was poor.

Try Paraphraser.io

rephrase-premium

  • $20 per month
  • New modes add little
  • Still full of ads
  • Still slow and inconvenient to use

The premium version of Rephrase adds three extra modes, “Creative,” “Smart,” and “Formal.” We noticed little difference between these modes and the free ones, and we don’t see them as worth paying for.

In terms of usability, we found it annoying that you’re still required to complete a captcha for each paraphrase, even after paying for the tool, and that the same flashy ads still appear in the premium version. You get remarkably little for your money with the premium version of Rephrase.

paraphraser-io-premium

  • Doesn’t actually remove ads
  • Very slow, buggy, and confusing interface
  • No real advantages over free version

This tool’s premium version did not really add anything of value. The main selling point, the “Creative” and “Smarter” modes, performed very similarly to the free “Fluency” mode, with no real advantages. The slow loading times were also no better in the premium version.

Other pros included a word limit increase to 1,500 words—not very helpful when the tool only paraphrases on a sentence-by-sentence basis anyway. The premium version is also supposed to remove ads, but in practice we still saw ads when using this version, so it’s not clear what is meant by this.

We don’t find this tool a very good option to begin with, and we certainly don’t find the premium version to be worth the cost.

spinbot

  • Interface looks quite nice
  • Doesn’t really paraphrase, just swaps words for synonyms
  • Creates a lot of inaccuracies
  • Doesn’t correct grammatical errors
  • Doesn’t highlight changes
  • “Advanced Paraphrase” just redirects to QuillBot

We found SpinBot’s functionality to be extremely basic and produce a lot of errors. It did not do any real paraphrasing (changing the sentence structure) but simply swapped out a few words for synonyms, often highly inappropriate ones.

Because of this very basic approach, it failed to correct any of the grammatical errors in grammatically incorrect text. It also could not do anything useful for either the long-winded or the disjointed text, since it made no changes to structure whatsoever.

In terms of interface, the site has a nice enough look, but it doesn’t highlight the changes it has made in any way. Its “Advanced Paraphrase” button just redirects to QuillBot. Basic paraphrasing is fairly quick, but—as mentioned above—not very good.

Try SpinBot’s paraphrasing tool

pre-post-seo-free

  • Very basic paraphrasing
  • Creates lots of grammatical errors
  • Poorly designed interface
  • Many features buggy or broken
  • Slow to use

Pre Post SEO offered a few modes for paraphrasing: “Simple,” which just swaps out a few words for (usually inaccurate) synonyms, producing very poor text; “Advanced,” which makes slightly more extensive changes but produces a lot of errors; or “Fluency,” which does the same with fewer (but still some) errors.

None of these modes were very effective at improving any of our three texts. “Fluency” mode was at least able to resolve some grammatical errors, but its changes tended to make all of the texts less, not more, readable.

The interface of the site was very poor. Besides inserting errors into your text, the page is full of flashy ads and often freezes, forcing you to refresh the page. It’s necessary to complete a captcha for each input. Changes are highlighted in the text, and you’re supposed to be able to click on them for alternative synonyms, but this feature often breaks too.

Try Pre Post SEO’s paraphrasing tool

pre-post-seo-premium

  • $19 per month
  • No worthwhile improvements over free version
  • Creates lots of errors
  • Poor interface

The premium version of Pre Post SEO claims to feature a higher word limit of 2,500 words, but we found that we could already input more words than that in the free version. Testing suggests that different word limits apply to different modes, but this is not clearly explained, making it confusing.

The other main points are the removal of ads and captchas and the addition of a “Creative” paraphrasing mode. We found that this mode produced very similar results to “Fluency” mode and certainly wasn’t a feature worth paying $19 a month for. We don’t recommend paying for this tool.

Despite coming up frequently in the search results for paraphrasing tools, Grammarly doesn’t have a dedicated paraphrasing tool. Rather, one of the perks of a Premium membership is that it will sometimes suggest rewording phrases or sentences for clarity purposes. But there’s no way to paraphrase a specific sentence on demand.

If you have a Grammarly Premium membership, you can make use of this feature. But the lack of a standalone paraphrasing tool excluded Grammarly from our analysis and makes it an inappropriate choice if you’re looking for a paraphraser specifically. For more information, you can read our in-depth  Grammarly review .

Try Grammarly

To compare the capabilities of the different paraphrasing tools, we tested them all using the same texts and applying the same criteria to assess the output.

Testing texts

Three short testing texts were used to test the tools’ ability to deal with different kinds of writing. The three texts all expressed the same information in different ways to explore three different problems: long-windedness, grammatical incoherence, and disjointedness.

The first text states the information in a very long-winded way, using a lot of inflated language and needlessly repeating itself. We wanted to test whether the tools could paraphrase this text into something more concise while retaining the essential information.

Due to the fact that participants displayed a tendency to have a negative reaction to the intervention, we have reached the conclusion that the intervention was not a success. As a result of the fact that the intervention was less successful in comparison to comparable interventions available at the present time, we are of the opinion that more research is needed in order to ascertain whether or not the intervention has potential for wider use, due to this low success rate.

The second text communicates the information in a confusing, grammatically incorrect way that makes it quite difficult to follow. We wanted to see if the tools were able to make sense of it and express the intended meaning more coherently.

Due to participant’s tended to have negative reaction to the intervention. This why we conclude that they were not a success. Because similar interventions was better by comparison, this concludes that more research needs before knowing if the intervention is good for general using.

The third text conveys the information in a disjointed way, without appropriate use of transition words to make the text flow nicely and with one sentence fragment. We wanted to see if the tools could produce a more fluent, readable version.

Participants had overall negative reactions to it. We think the intervention wasn’t successful. There should be more research done. That way it can be seen if the intervention can be used more widely. Or if it is not appropriate.

Assessment criteria

To assess the quality of each tool’s output, we asked several questions:

  • Is it accurate ? Does it reflect the intended meaning of the original text, or does it add or remove content that changes the message?
  • Is it fluent ? Does it read clearly and flow smoothly, or does it seem stilted and unnatural?
  • Is it correct ? Does it eliminate grammatical errors or introduce new ones?
  • Is it significantly different ? Does it properly paraphrase by changing the sentence structure or merely swap out a few words for synonyms?

We ran all the texts through each tool repeatedly, trying out different modes if they were available and otherwise just assessing how the output varied between attempts—did it sometimes make mistakes? What was the best text it could produce?

To evaluate usability, we looked at the following factors:

  • How quick, easy, and flexible the tool was to use
  • Whether it clearly showed which parts of the text had been changed
  • Barriers such as requiring a sign-up, a word or character limit, or a limit on the number of paraphrases
  • In the case of premium versions, whether the additional features were worth the price

A grammar checker is a tool designed to automatically check your text for spelling errors, grammatical issues, punctuation mistakes , and problems with sentence structure . You can check out our analysis of the best free grammar checkers to learn more or try the Scribbr Grammar Checker .

A paraphrasing tool edits your text more actively, changing things whether they were grammatically incorrect or not. It can paraphrase your sentences to make them more concise and readable or for other purposes. You can check out our analysis of the best paraphrasing tools to learn more.

Some tools available online combine both functions. Others, such as QuillBot , have separate grammar checker and paraphrasing tools. Be aware of what exactly the tool you’re using does to avoid introducing unwanted changes.

To paraphrase effectively, don’t just take the original sentence and swap out some of the words for synonyms. Instead, try:

  • Reformulating the sentence (e.g., change active to passive , or start from a different point)
  • Combining information from multiple sentences into one
  • Leaving out information from the original that isn’t relevant to your point
  • Using synonyms where they don’t distort the meaning

The main point is to ensure you don’t just copy the structure of the original text, but instead reformulate the idea in your own words.

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Driessen, K. (2024, July 11). Best Paraphrasing Tool | Free & Premium Tools Compared. Scribbr. Retrieved August 21, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/language-rules/best-paraphrasing-tool/

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Paraphrasing Tool

Reword and rephrase any text to express ideas in multiple different ways with this advanced free tool.

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Use cases of Paraphrasing Tool

Paraphrasing tool helps you effortlessly craft unique and engaging content by transforming ideas, messages, and information to elevate your writing, avoid plagiarism, and enhance the impact of your message.

Contextual Paraphrasing : Maintain the original message's essence while achieving natural flow and coherence.

Creative Content Generation : Craft diverse and engaging content with fresh perspectives, enhancing your writing style.

Plagiarism Prevention : Generate unique and original content to safeguard against plagiarism concerns.

Real-time Suggestions : Receive instant, contextually relevant alternatives for dynamic content creation.

The technology behind Paraphrasing Tool

Paraphrasing Tool uses a language model that learns patterns, grammar, and vocabulary from large amounts of text data – then uses that knowledge to generate human-like text based on a given prompt or input. The generated text combines both the model's learned information and its understanding of the input.

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Rewrite your text with precision and ease

Transform your writing with DeepL’s AI-powered paraphraser and grammar checker. Offering unparalleled accuracy and versatility in rewriting, experience the future of paraphrasing today.

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Revolutionize your writing with our advanced AI paraphraser

Embrace the power of DeepL’s cutting-edge AI to transform your writing. Our paraphrasing tool goes beyond simple synonym replacement, using a sophisticated language model to capture and convey the nuances of your text. 

With our paraphraser, you'll not only retain the essence of your original content, but also enhance its clarity.

We currently offer text rewriting only in English and German. In the future, we'll  release new languages gradually  to ensure we deliver texts that are not just rewritten, but elevated.

Why use DeepL’s paraphrasing tool?

With our AI writing assistant, you can:

Improve your writing

Enhance the clarity, tone, and grammar of your text, especially in professional contexts.

Avoid errors

Forgo errors and present your ideas concisely for more polished writing.

Speed up writing

Expedite the writing process with suggestions for more formal, refined language.

Express yourself clearly

Perfect sentences and express yourself clearly—particularly for non-native English and German speakers.

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Here's what you can do with our paraphraser

For business use:

  • Great for short-form writing, like emails or messages, and long-form content, like PowerPoint presentations, essays, or scientific papers.

For personal use:

  • Improve your writing and vocabulary, generate ideas, and express your thoughts more clearly.

DeepL’s paraphraser is also helpful for language learners. For example, you can memorize suggested vocabulary and phrases.

Try our paraphrasing tool to improve your writing instantly

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Key features of our AI paraphrasing tool

  • Incorporated into translator: Translate your text into English or German, and click "Improve translation" to explore alternate versions of your translation. No more copy/paste between tools.
  • Easy-to-see changes: When you insert the text to be rewritten, activate "Show changes" to see suggested edits.
  • AI-powered suggestions: By deactivating "Show changes", you can click on any word to see suggestions and refine your writing.
  • Grammar and spell checker: Our paraphrasing tool is all-in-one, helping you correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
  • Helpful integrations:  Access our paraphrasing tool in  Gmail, Google Slides, or Google Docs  via our browser extension or in  Microsoft Word via add-ins .
"The fastest, easiest, and most efficient translation tool I've ever used."
" You can easily modify the translation to use the vocabulary you want and make it sound natural. "

Still have questions about DeepL’s paraphrasing tool?

1. what makes our paraphrasing tool unique.

DeepL uses advanced AI to provide high-quality, context-aware paraphrasing in English and German. Our tool intelligently restructures and rephrases text, preserving the original meaning and enhancing your writing.

2. How do you use DeepL’s paraphrasing tool?

To accomplish writing tasks, you can:

- Paste your existing text into the tool

- Compose directly in the tool

- Use DeepL Translator before refining your writing with our paraphraser

3. Can the tool paraphrase complex academic texts?

Absolutely. DeepL's paraphraser is designed to handle complex sentence structures, making it useful for academic writing.

4. How does DeepL's paraphraser support language learners?

By making suggestions, the tool enables you to learn new phrases or words to incorporate into your vocabulary.

5. Is the paraphrasing tool free to use?

For now, the tool is completely free to use.

Explore the capabilities of our tool

Mike Stuzzi

7 Best Paraphrasing Tools (Reword Your Text)

Updated on December 21, 2023

Paraphrasing is an important skill to have, especially if you want to create unique content for your website or even academic documents. If you’re looking for a way to paraphrase your text quickly and easily anywhere, you need to find a suitable rewording tool online.

Some of the best paraphrasing tools out there, including AI-powered ones, come with other features such as grammar correction and plagiarism checking . So, you end up with a high-quality document that clearly passes your message to your reader. In this blog post, you’ll discover some of the best tools that you can use to rewrite your text.

Disclaimer:  Because the site is reader supported, we may earn a commission if you use our affiliate links.

Read also: Best AI Writing Programs

What Is the Best Paraphrasing Tool?

Below is a list of the top free and paid rewording tools to use online.

1. QuillBot

Quillbot

QuillBot is an AI-powered paraphrasing tool that offers you a deep understanding of your text. You just need to copy-paste the text and it will automatically rewrite it for you with as many variations as possible.

Quillbot allows you to change the tone of your document with modes such as Standard, Fluency, Formal, Simple, and Creative. These modes will determine how it rewords your writing. For instance, if you have casual text but need it for use in a professional setting, you can paraphrase it using the Formal mode.

The tool is free and easy to use, and you don’t even have to create an account to test how it works. However, if you have a Quillbot Premium plan, then the Paraphrasing feature will be available to you without limits.

Check out the full Quillbot review .

Quillbot Pros and Cons

Pros: Can reword entire texts you paste on its editor, contains numerous modes, and has plagiarism-checking capabilities

Cons: While the free version allows you to paraphrase a paragraph or two, unlimited rewrites are only available on the premium plan

Quillbot Pricing

Quillbot Pricing

  • Free: $0 a month with a 125-word limit
  • Premium: Annual ($4.17/month), Semi-Annual ($6.66/month), Monthly ($9.95/month)

2. Jasper AI

Jasper Paraphrasing Tool

Jasper is an AI text generator that can help you create new content from scratch even if you lack ideas. The tool can help you write copy for marketing, such as ads and product descriptions, as well as outlines and paragraphs for your articles.

Jasper offers a paraphraser that you can use to change the words in your content without altering their meanings. Jasper’s paraphrasing tool makes it easy to reword your content at scale without having a professional do it one by one or doing it yourself. So, instead of hours, you just need minutes to get a fully reworded piece of text no matter the length.

Check out the full Jasper review .

Jasper Pros and Cons

Pros: Jasper offers more than just a regular paraphraser and can serve as your AI writing assistant

Cons: You cannot use Jasper’s paraphrasing tool by itself and you need a subscription to access it, among its numerous other tools like AI writer and plagiarism checker

Jasper Pricing

Jasper AI Pricing

  • Creator: $49/month
  • Teams: $125/month
  • Business: Custom plan

3. Writesonic

Writesonic Paraphrasing Tool

If you need another AI-based paraphrasing tool, Writesonic may interest you. This specific tool can help you craft new pieces of blog articles, social media posts, and even Google ads. What’s more, Writesonic writes SEO-friendly and plagiarism-free content that can rank on Google without a lot of effort.

Besides writing content for your website or emails, you can also access Writesonic’s paraphrasing tool as a user. Writesonic’s paragraph rewriter can help you rephrase lengthy paragraphs in a single click. You get to fix any grammatical errors and retune your sentences to be better readable.

Writesonic Pros and Cons

Pros: The paragraph rewriting tool is free of cost up to 1,000 characters.

Cons: You’re limited to 1,000 characters as a free user

Writesonic Pricing

Writesonic Pricing

  • Free Trial: $0 a month
  • Unlimited: Starts at $20/month
  • Business: Starts at $19/month
  • Enterprise: Custom packages starting at $1,000/month

4. Grammarly

Grammarly

This is one of the most popular writing tools out there widely used for grammar correction, but it also doubles as a great paraphrasing tool. You can use Grammarly to easily rewrite your sentences without any errors.

Grammarly has what’s known as clarity suggestions. These suggestions appear if Grammarly notices that your document is wordy. It also applies to run-on sentences where two complete sentences are put together but without proper punctuation or coordinating conjunction.

In the Grammarly editor, you’ll see blue lines under the text where the rewording is required. You just need to click to see what’s the rephrased version and use it to improve your writing.

Remember, Grammarly just rewrites a sentence but can’t paraphrase entire paragraphs or documents at the moment. But in general, it’s a great editing tool to deal with all writing issues in one place.

Grammarly Pros and Cons

Pros: Grammar and spelling checker, plagiarism detector, and lots of additional features to make your content better

Cons: Cannot paraphrase whole paragraphs and documents

Grammarly Pricing

Grammarly Pricing

  • Free: $0/month but lacks numerous features
  • Individual plans: $12/month (billed annually), $20/month (billed quarterly), $30/month (billed monthly) with several premium features for clarity, vocabulary, and tone improvement
  • Business: $15/month for one member with a minimum of three members

Spinbot

Spinbot is a free online article rewriter that specializes in spinning texts quickly and accurately. It only requires you to copy-paste your text, and it will automatically rewrite the sentences for you.

It can as well paraphrase articles and you don’t need an account to start. The limit for each spin or paraphrase in the editor is about 1,000 words.

With its Basic Paraphrase, you can use get a rephrased version of your document with the same concepts. The Advanced Paraphrase button leads you to Quillbot.

The good thing about Spinbot is that you can choose to get the shortest possible version or the longest available length for the resulting text. If you’re not sure, it can randomly generate results for you.

Spinbot Pros and Cons

Pros: Free tool for paraphrasing capability for longer texts like documents or articles, and no need to register or pay to use

Cons: The tool doesn’t save your documents

Spinbot Pricing

Spinbot is free to use for everyone.

6. Paraphraser.io

Paraphraser.io

This is yet another text rewording tool that lets you copy-paste, type in your text, or upload a file to have it reworded. Paraphraser.io works in the same way as other online tools for paraphrasing.

It has a few rephrasing modes to choose from, namely Fluency, Standard, Creative, and Smarter. The Paraphraser.io’s Paraphrasing Tool also offers proofreading capabilities that allow you to make sure the text you’ve reworded is free of errors.

You can also ensure that your document is original with its plagiarism-checking feature. To top it all up, the tool has a text summarizer that can be useful for extracting the key points from a longer piece of content.

Paraphraser.io Pros and Cons

Pros: Paraphrase entire documents with proofreading features, check for grammar, and ensure originality

Cons: The free version offers two modes — Fluency and Standard

Paraphraser.io Pricing

Paraphraser.io Pricing

This tool offers free rewording of up to 600 words. The Pro plan costs $20/month billed monthly or $12.50/month billed annually and increases the limit to 1,500 words. Students only pay $7/month!

WordAI

This is a paraphrasing tool that has been available for a long time. WordAi prides itself on helping users realistically rewrite texts. Given the AI capabilities, you’ll expect it to produce well-written and edited drafts faster that not only your audience will find valuable but also that which Google can show in search results pages.

WordAi can help you rewrite articles for your blog in a simple way. What you do is paste the content you’ve written into its editor after signing up for the free trial. You can choose the number of rewrites you need and select whether you need the resulting text to be regular, more conservative, or more adventurous.

You can even do a bulk rewrite for several pieces you have in a CSV or ZIP package. WordAi can also save your articles for future reference.

WordAi Pros and Cons

Pros: Article rewriting features, bulk paraphrasing tool, and API access

Cons: Slow processing time (unlike other AIs that take seconds to generate texts), a rewriter of average quality, and has difficulties paraphrasing articles with more “complicated” words

WordAi Pricing

WordAI Pricing

  • Monthly: $57/month
  • Yearly: $27/month billed annually
  • Enterprise: Custom

What Is a Paraphrasing Tool?

A paraphrasing tool (also called a rewording tool, a rephrasing tool, or a sentence rewriter, among other names) is a tool that helps you reword existing text. More recently, we’ve seen AI paraphrasing tools taking over.

What happens is that they analyze the text you input and then find different words to pass the message in. Besides using different words, they also change the sentence structures of the content.

You can use a paraphrasing tool as a web publisher, writer, or blogger that needs original content based on the text you already have. Maybe you had written and published it earlier or have acquired it from an online source. These tools help you avoid plagiarism issues and can also save you the hours you would spend manually changing words and sentences.

Still, you shouldn’t rely on them 100 percent. The quality of the text you get will depend on the tool you use. Many free and random tools offer low-quality results, making it necessary to invest in a premium one if you have the budget for it. Be sure to go through the resulting text to ensure it makes sense and fits your needs.

Reasons for Paraphrasing: Why Is It Important?

You need to be aware that copying other people’s writings for the sole purpose of rewording them to appear as if you wrote them is not the best way to do things both in content creation and academically. It presents someone else’s ideas and not yours. Always strive to write your own documents and only paraphrase where applicable.

Here are the instances where paraphrasing is recommended:

  • Simplifying text that’s hard to understand
  • Reducing the number of quotes in your work
  • Shortening a longer read

These online tools provide a great starting point for anyone looking to reword their texts quickly and accurately. Of course, some are more accurate than others. But you need to be careful to not compromise the quality of your grammar with low-quality rewording tools.

So, you may need to test a few to know which one works the best for you. Most of them offer free versions and trials that you can play with to understand how they work.

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Internet Entrepreneur & Expert Blogger

Mike Stuzzi is an Internet entrepreneur and expert blogger specializing in business, marketing (mostly SEO ), and artificial intelligence . On this blog, Mike Stuzzi talks about business and tests and reviews the best business software and AI tools to help people automate various tasks. He is also knowledgeable in personal finance matters and shares his knowledge with readers through blogging.

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14 Online Paraphrasing Tools You Need to Try

Crystal Crowder

Trying to find the best way to express yourself isn’t always easy, but online paraphrasing tools may help. Or maybe you’re struggling to pare down a long essay to better meet the word count requirements. The good news is that you don’t have to try to do it manually. Just let these tools paraphrase what you’ve already written.

2. QuillBot

3. wordtune, 4. paraphrase online, 5. seo wagon, 6. paraphrasing tool, 7. grammarly, 8. paraphrasing.io, 9. cleverspinner, 10. dupli checker, 11. plagiarism detector, 12. spinnerchief, 13. spinrewriter, 14. prepostseo, frequently asked questions.

Also read: 6 of the Best Google Chrome Extensions to Annotate Text on the Web

Why Use Paraphrasing Tools

If you’ve never used a paraphrasing tool, the purpose is simple – rephrase, condense, and find alternative words. Whether it’s research papers, social media posts, blog posts, or anything else, these tools help with the following:

  • Avoiding plagiarism : when you’re researching information online, you may not mean to write it exactly like the source material, but it does happen sometimes. Paraphrasing tools help detect possible plagiarism and reword content to avoid it.
  • Improve overall wording : do you keep using the same words or just want to spice up your text a bit? By paraphrasing your current text, you can avoid repetitive text and make everything flow better.
  • Create multiple versions of the same text : if you’re trying to avoid Google penalizing you for duplicate content, you can paraphrase the same content multiple times to ensure unique content on each blog or website you’re posting to.
  • Reduce word count : often, paraphrasing tools cut out superfluous words to reduce your word count. This is ideal if you’ve gotten wordy and need to quickly pare things down.
  • Improve your writing skills : seeing how these tools rewrite your content may also help boost your own writing skills thanks to synonyms, better phrasing, and more efficient copywriting.

Best Online Paraphrasing Tools You Need To Try Why

Price: Free (ad-supported)

SpinBot is one of the best, free online paraphrasing tools. It has two versions: Text Spinner and Paraphrasing Tool. While each works similarly, you can reduce or increase the word count using the Paraphrasing Tool. Unlike many available tools, Spinbot is completely free and handles up to 10,000 characters or approximately 1,000 words at a time.

Before you use the tool, turn off any ad-blockers, as they interfere with it, then copy the text you want to paraphrase and paste it into the field provided. I used the Paraphrasing Tool for this example.

Best Online Paraphrasing Tools You Need To Try Spinbot

Once you’ve pasted your text, choose whether to ignore capitalized words, such as proper names and any specific keywords (ideal if you’re writing SEO content). Then click “Basic Paraphrase” for a simple paraphrased version.

Use the slider at the top to increase or reduce the word count. If you want an even better version of your content, click “Advanced Paraphrase.”

Also read: How to View Blurred Text on Websites

Price: Free (limited) | Premium $19.95/month or $99.95/year

QuillBot is like SpinBot but “on steroids” and is definitely the more professional online paraphrasing tool. It has the following features:

  • Multiple paraphrasing modes: Standard, Fluency, Expand, Shorten, Formal, Simple, and Creative
  • Choose three to four synonyms
  • Add freeze words and phrases (things you don’t want to change)
  • Content summarizer to see just the main points
  • Improved grammar writer
  • Plagiarism detector

Best Online Paraphrasing Tools You Need To Try Quillbot

The free version is limited to 125 words, one freeze word, Standard and Fluency modes, and 1,200 words in the summarizer. The premium version gives you unlimited words, 6,000 words in the summarizer, all modes, faster processing speeds, a plagiarism checker, and advanced grammar rewrites.

The premium features make it a worthwhile investment if you plan to paraphrase content often or just summarize content to make it easier to do research.

Price: Free for up to 280 characters | Premium for $9.99/month

Wordtune offers more than just a website to paraphrase content. You can also download it as a Chrome extension and use it directly on your favorite sites, such as Gmail, Slack, LinkedIn, and Facebook. The free version is extremely limited, usually only handling one or two sentences or up to 280 characters, but it’ll give you a simple rewrite. You only get ten rewrites per day. For social media posts or a sentence you can’t get quite right, free is more than enough.

Best Online Paraphrasing Tools You Need To Try Wordtune

You’ll want the Premium version to really get the most out of Wordtune. It allows you to paraphrase unlimited words and choose between a casual and formal tone. Easily expand or condense your content based on your needs. If you’re using this for business purposes, you can request custom pricing for your entire team.

What’s nice is that the tool offers multiple versions of the same content at one time, which is ideal for creating multiple rewrites simultaneously.

Price: Free

Paraphrase Online is one of the simpler online paraphrasing tools. You don’t really have any extra features to play around with. The only real thing you can do beside paraphrasing your content is click words to see synonyms: hover your mouse over the content to see which words you can click on.

Best Online Paraphrasing Tools You Need To Try Paraphrase Online

While it doesn’t give the most perfect rewritten content, there don’t seem to be any daily limits. However, in testing, pasted content cut off at approximately 1,000 characters. To do more, paste your content in chunks.

Also read: The 10 Best Google Chrome Extensions for Productivity

SEO Wagon is actually a collection of numerous SEO tools, such as an article rewriter, a plagiarism detector, backlink checker, page rank checker, and a keyword density checker. For the purposes of paraphrasing, you’ll want to use the Article Rewriter tool.

Best Online Paraphrasing Tools You Need To Try Seo Wagon

Everything on the site is free to use, though the site is ad-supported. The great news is that you can paraphrase anything from a sentence to a full blog post or article, though the longer your content is, the longer it takes the tool to process it. For instance, a 1,000-word article took around five minutes to complete, while a paragraph took around 30 seconds. All changes are presented in various colors to make them easy to review.

There is one drawback to this tool, though: If you try to spin the same text more than once, it’ll be flagged as spam, and you won’t get a new version.

The aptly named Paraphrasing Tool is one of the best free online paraphrasing tools available. It analyzes every word to create the best-sounding version of the original text. It uses AI and the NLP (neurolinguistic programming) technique to create more realistic-sounding variations.

Best Online Paraphrasing Tools You Need To Try Paraphrasing Tool

In tests, the content actually flowed better than other free tools and was comparable with premium tools. Of course, you are limited to 10,000 characters at a time, but there’s nothing to sign up for, and the tool works quickly, which is always a plus. If you have more than 10,000 characters, just enter your text 10,000 characters at a time.

Price: Free | Premium starting at $12/month

Grammarly doesn’t work quite like other paraphrasing tools. Instead, it’s more like having a grammar teacher standing over your shoulder, correcting you as you write. The free version simply provides you with suggestions to improve conciseness, helps you determine the tone of the content, and eliminates spelling and grammatical errors. You will need to sign up for a free account to use it.

Best Online Paraphrasing Tools You Need To Try Grammarly

To get the most from Grammarly, you’ll want to upgrade to the Premium plan, which adds full-sentence rewrites, tone suggestions (to change the tone if needed), and word choices. For businesses, you can upgrade and get additional features starting at $15/month/member. For professional writers, Grammarly is a great tool to add to your arsenal.

Grammarly is available for most major browsers, Windows, Mac, Microsoft Office, and Google Docs. You can also use the online Grammarly Editor.

Also read: 10 OpenOffice Tips and Tricks to Improve Productivity

Paraphrasing.io is as simple as it gets. No sign-ups; just paste your text and paraphrase it. Surprisingly, this free tool lets you choose the tone of your rewritten content. Switch between regular, formal, creative, and academic. Formal is set by default, but it’s easy to change it. There’s even a plagiarism detector and summary tool.

Best Online Paraphrasing Tools You Need To Try Paraphrasingio

You’re limited to 500 characters at a time, so it’s best for sentences and short paragraphs. You can either copy your text into the editor or upload a TXT, DOC, or DOCX file directly. The only downside is that it’s ad-supported, and the “Paraphrasing” button is placed below a banner ad under the editor.

Price: $9.90/month or $85/year, three-day free trial available

CleverSpinner doesn’t offer a free version, and you’ll need a credit card to sign up for the three-day free trial. However, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee. The tool is designed to not only pick synonyms but analyze the context of the content to ensure the new version flows just like a human wrote it.

Best Online Paraphrasing Tools You Need To Try Cleverspinne

In addition to paraphrasing content, CleverSpinner ensures that everything is completely unique to pass any CopyScape checks. The advanced AI can rewrite 500 words in just a few seconds. While the price may not make it worth it for casual users, for anyone who needs to paraphrase a lot of content or create multiple versions of the same content, it’s well worth checking out.

Price: Free | Multiple premium plans starting at $10/month

Dupli Checker is one of the more generous free online paraphrasing tools. Easily get rewritten versions of up to 2,000 words (not characters, unlike most other tools) at a time. The site is heavy on ads, which may turn many users off.

Best Online Paraphrasing Tools You Need To Try Duplichecker

Dupli Checker has a variety of tools available for text analysis, SEO research, image editing, and more, but you’ll be most interested in the Paraphrasing Tool. While there are no usage limits on the free tool, premium plans give you more words at once along with larger plagiarism checks. The $10/month plan lets you rewrite up to 30,000 words at a time.

Also read: 15 of the Best Free Notion Templates

Price: Free | Premium plans starting at $20/month

Plagiarism Detector is first and foremost about preventing plagiarized content, but there’s also a paraphrasing tool and grammar checker. The free version of the paraphrasing tool lets you rewrite anywhere between 50 to 2,000 words at a time. In my testing, it didn’t paraphrase as much of the content as other tools, only rewriting around 25% versus the 50% to 90% that others did.

Best Online Paraphrasing Tools You Need To Try Plagiarism Detector

However, it’s a good option to quickly rephrase a sentence or short paragraph, especially if you’re struggling to find the right word or synonym. If you want to work with more text at a time, upgrade to get 72,000 words a month and 240 plagiarism detection searches. For most users, the free version is sufficient.

Price: Free | Premium plans starting at $57/month, $107/year, or $307/lifetime

SpinnerChief is one of the more advanced online paraphrasing tools. The free version lets you create basic spun (rewritten) text of up to 150 words at a time. You’re limited to 20 spins or rewrites per day. However, for individual sentences or short paragraphs, it works incredibly well and shows you both structural and word changes.

Best Online Paraphrasing Tools You Need To Try Spinner Chief

The premium versions give you unlimited usage, more advanced paraphrasing, more synonyms, batch spinning, grammar checks, and much more. You can test drive the premium version for three days for $7. There is also special pricing for teams, and the lifetime license is a good deal.

Also read: 8 Chrome Extensions that Automate Boring Browsing Tasks

Price: $47/month, $197/year, or $497/lifetime

SpinRewriter uses ENL (emulated natural language) to quickly paraphrase any text. There’s a five-day free trial available if you sign up for the yearly plan. You can cancel as soon as you test it out. The tool is designed for users who need to rewrite the same article numerous times, such as marketers or bloggers posting similar content on multiple sites.

Best Online Paraphrasing Tools You Need To Try Spinrewriter

When rewriting content, you can upload your own or even search Google for content using keywords. Then, select your settings, such as rewriting just sentences or entire paragraphs. You can create up to 1,000 versions of the same article. While SpinRewriter is pricey, it can be an invaluable tool for bulk paraphrasing.

Price: Free | Premium starting at $50/year

PrePostSEO offers paraphrasing for free. Use it as often as you would like. I was able to rewrite a 1,000-word article for free. Easily copy and paste content or upload documents. You can also choose from Simple, Advanced, Creative, and Fluency paraphrasing modes along with excluding specific words, such as keywords.

Best Online Paraphrasing Tools You Need To Try Prepost

If you want to rewrite larger articles, you’ll want to upgrade. The basic plan starts at $50/year, lets you check 5,000 words at once, and also gets rid of ads and those annoying captchas.

PrePostSEO also offers a plagiarism checker and summarizer. Just like with the paraphrasing tool, you can upgrade word count limits in the premium plans.

Also read: How to Do a Reverse Image Search on iPhone and iPad

Are paraphrasing tools ethical?

While plagiarizing content is never ethical, paraphrasing tools create new versions of existing content. Some people use it to copy articles, essays, and research papers online to create their own without having to do any extra work. This is kind of a gray area, but the most ethical use of these tools is to revise content you’ve written yourself. Whether you just want it to sound better or you need a second version, you’re still working with content you created and not someone else’s.

If you’re trying to copy content from another site to summarize or paraphrase but the site won’t let you, try these methods instead.

Is paraphrased content plagiarism-free?

Not always. While most tools promise mostly plagiarism-free content, you should always verify whether the new content is unique or not. You can even use the plagiarism checkers offered by many of the tools above.

If you’re manually trying to paraphrase your content, try these difference checker tools to see how much the content has been changed.

Are there any paraphrasing mobile apps?

While there are some apps, most are poorly rated and cumbersome to use. It’s usually easier to use the websites above and download the text to your mobile device.

Image credit: Deeezy via Pixabay .

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Crystal Crowder

Crystal Crowder has spent over 15 years working in the tech industry, first as an IT technician and then as a writer. She works to help teach others how to get the most from their devices, systems, and apps. She stays on top of the latest trends and is always finding solutions to common tech problems.

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Paraphrasing Tool

The paraphrasing tool uses AI-based technology to present content differently without changing its main idea. Revamp your paragraphs with this paraphrase facility.

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What is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is the process of conveying the meaning of something written or spoken using different words, especially to gain more clarity. It involves rearranging the content of a text in a way that is clear and concise without changing its main message or ideas. It is a useful technique for summarizing or explaining a complex concept in simpler terms. It requires careful attention to the original text to avoid plagiarism and maintain accuracy.

How to Paraphrase Online?

The process of paraphrasing is quite simple and straightforward with our paraphrasing tool. You can follow the easy steps given below to paraphrase online.

Copy-paste text or upload file.

Select the language and paraphrase mode.

Hit the Paraphrase Text button.

Check rephrased results in the Output Section.

Paraphrasing Tool Online for Multiple Languages

How does online paraphrasing tool work.

The online Paraphrasing Tool is based on advanced algorithms that help you paraphrase text without taking anyone’s assistance.

It starts by understanding the context and flow of your uploaded text.

It identifies keywords contained in the text to preserve and not change them in the paraphrasing process.

It highlights and replaces the words and paraphrases with easy-to-understand synonyms without disturbing the context of the text.

Finally, it displays top-quality paraphrasing results on your screens in no time. If you want to know more about it, Wikipedia is the best resource in this regard.

Modes Provided by Our Paraphrase Tool

Unlike most paraphrase tools you’ll find over the web, this online paraphraser comes with different modes to provide users with effective paraphrasing results. These modes include the following:

The smart spin mode provides users with smart paraphrasing results. Firstly, it understands the context of your entered text and replaces words that just have a single synonym automatically. It also highlights the words that have multiple synonyms and allows you to pick them as per your choice.

Replace Manually

The replace manually mode gives you the complete authority to paraphrase text as you desire. It highlights all the words that can be replaced with synonyms and provides you with suggestions to replace them. By manually selecting synonym suggestions, you can finish the paraphrasing process on your own with this mode.

The ultra spin mode is a combination of smart spin and replace manually mode. Under this mode, the words in the entire content are replaced with their synonyms. In addition, the replaced words are highlighted, and suggestions are provided against them to help you choose your desired sentence or phrase as per the context of your article.

AI Rephraser

The AI rephraser is a premium paraphrasing mode that uses advanced AI technology to rephrase your entire text. This mode not only changes the words contained in your text with synonyms. It also modifies the sentence structure of the text to make it look entirely unique to the readers. With this mode, you can generate text that no one can say is paraphrased from another source!

Features of Paraphraser

The paraphraser online has some distinct features that make it stand out from others. Some of which are described below:

Files Uploading

This paraphrasing tool supports all kinds of file formats; if you wish to upload your text in the file instead of copy-pasting, then you don’t have to get it in a specific format. It allows you to upload all kinds of text file formats, which include .txt, .doc, .docx, .odt, .pdf, .rtf, and .tex.

Unlimited Free Paraphrasing

The paraphrase tool won’t impose any sort of restrictions on users for its usage. It allows everyone to paraphrase online as many times as they want without any cost.

24/7 Accessibility

You don’t need to wait for a specific time to use this paraphraser. It provides you this facility with 24/7 accessibility. Hence, you can easily access this utility from any corner of the world, anytime!

Copyright Checking

Besides allowing you to paraphrase text, this rephrase online also provides you with an option of copyright checking. If your primary concern is to get rid of plagiarism, you can turn to the plagiarism checker once you have completed the paraphrasing of your text on this web portal.

SEO and Human-Friendly Content

Your SEO efforts won’t go in vain if you choose to use this online paraphraser. While paraphrasing your entered text, this tool ensures to keep SEO essence alive and delivers human-friendly content.

Responsive Layout

The user-friendly interface of this paraphrasing tool provides you with an easy way to paraphrase online. You won’t have to face any troubles for using it; by following simple steps, you can rephrase text in a matter of seconds.

Sentence Rephraser Helps you to Write Better, Smarter, and Faster

Our sentence rephraser gives you an opportunity to bring improvements to already written text. From the tone of the article to its fluency, style, and vocabulary, this advanced paraphrasing tool will help you revamp your text as per your requirements. We aim to assist you in the writing process; you can surely write better and smarter in no time with the help of different modes. The tool also supports multiple languages and dialects of the English language, which can surely give you relief and help you paraphrase as you want!

😍  Paraphraser Impressive
⚡️  AI-Powered Advanced
✏️  Writing style School, University, or Work
🚀  Instant paraphrase Essay, Paragraphs & More
⊞   Modes 4 modes
💲  Price Free of cost
🌍  Language Multilingual

Web-based Sentence Rephraser

We are providing many web-based content applications to our users like Paraphrasing tool, Text Compare and Word to PDF . But this is the most useful and best tool that can provide you with multiple variations of a single word or sentence. It is based upon the sentence syntax and its grammatical formation.If you are one of those people who want to create content in bulk, then this is undoubtedly the best paraphrasing tool to manage and spin your articles. By using this article paraphrase tool, you can create a perfect copy of your source article. It generates a variation by using the spinning algorithm, which is commonly known as paraphrasing.

Paraphrasing Tool Users

The paraphrase online helps people working in various domains of life. From the corporate to the education sector, this tool is a right fit for many individuals. Here are the most common users of the paraphrasing tool.

Webmasters don’t have to rely on content writers anymore to write every single sentence on the website. In case webmasters need a sentence or paragraph urgently, they can turn to the paraphrase generator and easily get plagiarism free text.

In academia, students are involved in writing tasks on a daily basis. Being a student, you will understand how hard it is to manage academic tasks. The tough routine often leaves them with no spare time to concentrate on writing assignments and leads them to plagiarize information from different sources over the web. Instead of getting involved in this act of academic dishonesty, you can make use of the paraphrasing tool to complete writing tasks in a short time. It allows you to write faster without facing any hassle.

Pro Tip: Proofread your content after paraphrasing through Grammar Checker .

Researchers

The researchers often need to make use of secondary research data to support their own findings. When using secondary research data, they cannot simply copy-paste information into their research, as it will give a bad impression to the readers. The researchers can save themselves by using this paraphrasing tool online. It can help you present the research of others in unique words.

Digital Marketers

Digital marketers need to produce content on a daily basis to aid their content marketing strategies and generate leads and revenue for online businesses. However, generating content isn’t a piece of cake, as you can easily run out of ideas at some point. In such a case, you can follow a different strategy in which you can rephrase existing content pieces and repurpose them to further reap its benefits. The paraphrasing tool free can help you out in repurposing old content. It can provide you with fresh and engaging content against your entered text without leaving any traces of plagiarism.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How to rephrase a sentence.

You can rephrase sentences with the online sentence rephraser. It allows you to easily paraphrase a sentence without investing time and effort.

When Can Paraphrasing Be Not Used?

It cannot be used when you have to write down specific terminologies. You cannot modify terminologies in your own words, as it won’t be of any help to the readers. In addition, when you are required to add the exact quotes of famous in your writing, you cannot paraphrase them.

Do I Need to Get Registered for Using this Paraphrase Online Facility?

No! You don’t need to get registered to use this paraphrase online facility. If you wish to get its premium membership, then you’ll need to create an account on plagiarismdetector.net.

What is the Important Point to be Considered While Paraphrasing?

The most important point to be considered while paraphrasing is the usage of unique vocabulary. A text can be effectively paraphrased with the help of your own words while maintaining the context of the original text.

Is it Legal to Use a Paraphrase tool?

Yes! It is legal to use a paraphrase tool because it provides the users with text that has a distinct sentence structure and unique words.

What is Understood by Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is a process in which a written text needs to be expressed with different words to make it easily understandable for the targeted audience.

Does this Paraphrasing Tool Free Steal My Work?

No! This paraphrasing tool free doesn’t steal your work. The uploaded text or files aren’t saved in its databases. Once the paraphrasing process is completed, your work gets safely removed from its servers.

How Do You Paraphrase Correctly?

The paraphrasing process requires discrete attention to individual sentences and words used in a text. If done incorrectly, it won’t allow you to maintain the original meaning of the text or get rid of plagiarism. Therefore, to avoid this nuisance, you can get your hands on a reliable paraphrasing tool. It can paraphrase any text correctly on your behalf and provide you with effective results.

What is the Difference Between Free and Paid Paraphraser?

The free paraphraser provides you with modes that replace words with their suitable synonyms and offer suggestions as well.

On the other hand, the paid paraphraser allows the users to get their hands on AI-based paraphrasing, which completely revamps the entire text and makes it look unique.

IMAGES

  1. Phrases to Use for Paraphrasing

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  2. How to Paraphrase: A Super Simple Printable Guide

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  3. How to Paraphrase like a Straight A Student

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  4. How to Paraphrase: A Super Simple Printable Guide

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  5. How To Paraphrase In Six Easy Steps

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  6. Academic Projects Paraphrasing Service Providers January 2023

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COMMENTS

  1. How to Paraphrase

    Paraphrasing means putting someone else's ideas into your own words. Paraphrasing a source involves changing the wording while preserving the original meaning. Paraphrasing is an alternative to quoting (copying someone's exact words and putting them in quotation marks ). In academic writing, it's usually better to integrate sources by ...

  2. How to Paraphrase in 5 Simple Steps (Without Plagiarizing)

    Understanding what paraphrasing is, and how to do it well, takes the challenge out of paraphrasing and makes it a more user-friendly skill. Contents: ... Keep the entire context in mind when you paraphrase. How to Paraphrase in 5 Easy Steps. There are some practical steps you can follow to ensure skillful paraphrasing. It might take some ...

  3. How to Paraphrase (Without Plagiarizing a Thing)

    Paraphrasing rules and proper paraphrasing citations. Change every word you can and adjust the sentence structure to paraphrase without plagiarizing. Some passages require you to use a few of the same words as the original. For example, if you're paraphrasing a passage that uses the word photosynthesis, there's really no other synonym to use.

  4. How to Paraphrase: Dos, Don'ts, and Strategies for Success

    To paraphrase in your paper using Plotnick's method above, look at your sources and try the following: Write down the basic point (s) you want to discuss on a notecard (in your own words). Take your notecard points and turn them into sentences when you write your essay. Add the reference for the source.

  5. How to paraphrase (including examples)

    Paraphrasing is simple when you break it down into a series of steps. Here are the 6 steps you can use to paraphrase your sources: 1. Choose a reputable source. First, you need to pick a credible source to paraphrase. A credible source will likely have ideas and concepts that are worth repeating.

  6. Paraphrasing a Paragraph: An Easy Step-by-Step Guide

    Paraphrasing a paragraph is rewriting the ideas from a paragraph written or said by someone else in your own words and style. The points remain the same, but you restate the meaning with new, original writing. When you want to use another person's ideas in your own work, you typically have two choices: direct quotes or paraphrasing.

  7. What is Paraphrasing? An Overview With Examples

    Example 6. Original: "Regular exercise is crucial for maintaining optimal physical health and preventing various health issues.". Paraphrased: "Exercising regularly is important for keeping your body healthy and avoiding health problems.". In these examples, you can observe the use of different wording, sentence structure, and synonyms ...

  8. QuillBot's Guide to Paraphrasing

    Paraphrasing, like most things, is a process. When determining how to paraphrase, there are a few things you must do every time. The paraphrasing steps are easy but should be followed to a T in order to ensure you're conveying the referenced information accurately. You can paraphrase correctly every time by following the five steps below:

  9. Paraphrasing Tool

    Paraphrasing involves expressing someone else's ideas or thoughts in your own words while maintaining the original meaning. Paraphrasing tools can help you quickly reword text by replacing certain words with synonyms or restructuring sentences. They can also make your text more concise, clear, and suitable for a specific audience.

  10. Paraphrasing Tool (Ad-Free and No Sign-up Required)

    Our Paraphraser is free to use. You can rephrase up to 125 words at a time, as many times as you'd like. There are no daily limits on free paraphrases. We also offer two free modes: Standard and Fluency. If you'd like to paraphrase more text at once and unlock additional modes, check out QuillBot Premium. Premium offers you unlimited inputs ...

  11. How to Paraphrase

    First, to define paraphrase: A paraphrase is a rewriting, rewording, or otherwise rephrasing of a piece of text. When we paraphrase, we change the structure while retaining the original meaning of the words. Typically the unit of a paraphrase is the sentence, but it can also be at the phrase level or even at the paragraph or document level.

  12. Paraphrasing: What is Paraphrasing, Techniques and Examples

    Well, paraphrasing is the way to do that. However, the idea is not to steal someone's content but to capitalize on it by drafting a much better version while adding your input and research. ... An easy solution to the painstaking process is paraphrasing your sentence with appropriate citations. This will allow you to create the content without ...

  13. AI Paraphrasing Tool

    For basic users, the paraphrasing feature is limited to three times daily. If you need more rephrased sentences, you can upgrade to LanguageTool Premium to get access to unlimited paraphrasing in six languages and several English dialects. Remember: No personal data is stored (ever) and privacy guidelines are strictly followed (always).

  14. Free Online Paraphrasing and Rewriting Tool

    Follow these 6 steps to reword emails, paraphrase academic sources, avoid plagiarism, or even fine-tune text messages. 01. Sign up for Wordtune (it's free) 02. Write or paste your text. 03. Highlight the text you want to paraphrase. 04. Click "Rewrite".

  15. Best Paraphrasing Tool

    Try Paraphrase Tool. 5. Paraphrase Tool (Premium) "Summary" mode is very good (but also available for free) Handles all kinds of texts well (in "Summary" mode) No limit on inputs. $7.99 per month (3-day free trial) Extra modes are not worth the cost, often ridiculous. Changes not marked in the text.

  16. Free AI Paragraph Rewriter

    Paraphrasing, rephrasing, and rewriting paragraphs involve similar processes of modifying text, yet they serve distinct purposes and entail varying degrees of change. Paraphrasing a paragraph is taking someone else's idea or writing and putting it into your own words. This is often done to make complex concepts easier to understand without changing the core message.

  17. Paraphrasing Tool

    Paraphrasing Tool uses a language model that learns patterns, grammar, and vocabulary from large amounts of text data - then uses that knowledge to generate human-like text based on a given prompt or input. The generated text combines both the model's learned information and its understanding of the input. 0.

  18. Free AI Paraphrasing Tool

    Ahrefs' Paraphrasing Tool uses a language model that learns patterns, grammar, and vocabulary from large amounts of text data - then uses that knowledge to generate human-like text based on a given prompt or input. The generated text combines both the model's learned information and its understanding of the input.

  19. How to Paraphrase

    Paraphrasing means putting someone else's ideas into your own words. Paraphrasing a source involves changing the wording while preserving the original meaning. Paraphrasing is an alternative to quoting (copying someone's exact words and putting them in quotation marks ). In academic writing, it's usually better to paraphrase instead of ...

  20. Explore the AI-powered paraphrasing tool by DeepL

    Key features of our AI paraphrasing tool. Incorporated into translator: Translate your text into English or German, and click "Improve translation" to explore alternate versions of your translation. No more copy/paste between tools. Easy-to-see changes: When you insert the text to be rewritten, activate "Show changes" to see suggested edits.

  21. 7 Best Paraphrasing Tools (Reword Your Text)

    The tool is free and easy to use, and you don't even have to create an account to test how it works. However, if you have a Quillbot Premium plan, then the Paraphrasing feature will be available to you without limits. ... It can as well paraphrase articles and you don't need an account to start. The limit for each spin or paraphrase in the ...

  22. 14 Online Paraphrasing Tools You Need to Try

    Or maybe you're struggling to pare down a long essay to better meet the word count requirements. The good news is that you don't have to try to do it manually. Just let these tools paraphrase what you've already written. Content. 1. SpinBot. 2. QuillBot. 3.

  23. Paraphrasing Tool

    The process of paraphrasing is quite simple and straightforward with our paraphrasing tool. You can follow the easy steps given below to paraphrase online. Step 1. Copy-paste text or upload file. Step 2. ... The free paraphraser provides you with modes that replace words with their suitable synonyms and offer suggestions as well. On the other ...