What is plain-language simplification and what does this Text Simplifier do?
Text simplification makes information easier to follow through direct structure, shorter sentences and clearer supported wording. Local mode applies conservative rules and safe sentence breaks. Optional AI assistance can restructure difficult passages but must retain technical terms and facts when they matter.
How to use Text Simplifier
Paste up to 2,000 words and review the source readability metrics.
Choose Light, Plain Language or Very Simple and select a processing source.
Run the tool explicitly and examine each suitable sentence change.
Accept, reject or edit the result, then verify facts and current after-metrics.
Key features
- Local wordiness and long-sentence revision
- Safe passive-to-active suggestions when an actor is known
- Optional semantic simplification
- Sentence-level editorial decisions
- Readability and sentence-length comparisons
- Fact and terminology preservation warnings
Input guide
Use complete English prose. Preserve any technical term that your audience needs, and do not use Very Simple as a substitute for subject-matter review. A measured reading grade describes the current output; it is not a guaranteed target or accessibility certification.
How to understand your results
Reading Ease, reading grade, average sentence length and long-sentence counts show measurable surface changes. A lower grade is not automatically more accurate or appropriate. Preservation status flags supported factual elements that differ and keeps the original available.
Worked example
Due to the fact that the protocol was approved by Dr. Maya Rao, it must not be altered before 12 May 2026.
Local mode can shorten “due to the fact that” and may make the named actor explicit. The name, date and negation remain protected.
Common use cases
- Prepare public-facing explanations of complex work
- Make instructions more direct
- Review a long academic sentence for structure
- Compare a technical source with a clearer draft
Text Simplifier guidance and best practices
- Define necessary technical terms instead of deleting them.
- Test the result with representative readers.
- Keep legal, medical and safety qualifications intact.
- Use the dashboard as evidence for review, not a compliance badge.
Limitations, assumptions and cautions
- Simplification cannot guarantee accessibility or understanding.
- Local wording coverage is intentionally focused.
- AI assistance can oversimplify relationships or specialist terms.
- Readability formulas do not measure factual accuracy.
Privacy and processing
Local or explicit AI-assisted processing
Local clarity edits and analytics run in your browser. AI-assisted simplification sends the submitted text for the requested transformation after explicit action and is not shared-cached by ScholarTool.
Related tools
These live canonical tools support a useful adjacent task without duplicating this one.
Text Simplifier FAQs
Clear guidance for choosing and using the catalogue responsibly.
What does the Text Simplifier change?
It reduces supported wordiness, offers conservative sentence breaks and can optionally restructure complex wording with AI assistance.
What is the difference between Light and Plain Language?
Light makes minimal edits; Plain Language uses more local clarity rules and sentence-structure suggestions.
What does Very Simple mode do?
It permits stronger AI-assisted restructuring and therefore carries a stronger preservation warning.
Does simplification always lower reading grade?
No. The measured grade depends on the actual output, and a small edit may not change it.
Can technical terms be preserved?
Yes, and important specialist terms should remain when precision requires them. Always verify the result.
How does the tool protect numbers and facts?
It compares supported figures, dates, names, links, citations, quotations and negation before and after.
Can I accept or reject sentence-level changes?
Yes. Suitable suggestions have individual and bulk decision controls.
Can I edit the simplified result?
Yes. The output is editable and its metrics recalculate after manual changes.
Which simplification features work without AI?
Wordiness reduction, selected passive rewrites, conservative sentence splitting, analytics and preservation checks work locally.
Does AI-assisted simplification send my text for processing?
Yes. Choose Local if the text should not leave your browser.