Exploring WordRake for your organization? Try WordRake Enterprise 

Learn About Enterprise

Articles

Legal Writing

Ten Tips for Clearer Briefs
How to Work with a Legal Ghostwriter
Stop Slapping on Unnecessary Transition Words
Editing for Enforceability
Why Legal Documents Look the Same, But Need Not Sound Alike
Man vs. Machine: My Editorial Bout with WordRake
Craft a “Commercial” for Your Case to Find Clarity Before You Write
9 Effective Proofreading and Editing Strategies for Attorneys
Crafting Compelling Issue Statements
Say It Once, Say It Right: Trimming Legal Doublets and Triplets
The Big Four: Concrete Edits for Clearer Prose
The Misleading Allure of the Aggressive Lawyer
Document Creation Tools for Paralegals
Power Editing for Paralegals
Using the Table of Contents for Advocacy and Persuasion
Persuasive Legal Writing: Making the Most of Citations, Editing, and the Table of Authorities
Creating Clarity through Document Structure
Strategies for Eliminating Wordiness
Hey, Y’all! Welcome to the Courthouse!
Editing for Empathy in Legal Marketing
3 Must-Know Comma Rules for Lawyers
How Email Defines Your Writing Reputation
Is Your Jargon Justified?
Edit Your Legal Memos for Screen Reading
Ethically Meeting Word and Page Limits
The Perfect Brief Part 12 - The Brief Brief List
The Perfect Brief Part 11 - Polishing Your Brief
The Perfect Brief Part 10 - The 10 Myths of Brief Writing
The Perfect Brief Part 9 - Building a Bulletproof Argument
The Perfect Brief Part 8 - Capturing the Judge’s Imagination
The Perfect Brief Part 7 - Telling the Judge a Story
How Checklists Can Help You Cope with Disruptions
5 Kinds of Errors to Check in Legal Proofreading
The Perfect Brief Part 6 - Presenting Your Facts
5 Kinds of Errors to Check in Legal Editing
The Perfect Brief Part 5  - Developing Your Facts
The Perfect Brief Part 4 - Introducing Your Brief Properly
The Perfect Brief Part 3 - Opening with Your Own Case
The Perfect Brief Part 2 - Thinking Like a Judge
How to Draft a Memo in 21 Minutes
So Many Useless Words, So Little Time
The Perfect Brief Part 1 - Winning with Ethics
10 Practical Ways to Put Writing Advice into Action
How to Write the Perfect Memo Part 8 - Memo Language Editing Exercise
How to Write the Perfect Memo Part 7 - Streamlining the Memo
How to Write the Perfect Memo Part 6 - Introducing the Client Email
How to Write the Perfect Memo Part 5 - The Issue
How to Write the Perfect Memo Part 4 - The Advisory Memo
How to Write the Perfect Memo Part 3 - The Survey
How to Write the Perfect Memo Part 2 - Understanding the Primary Memoranda
How to Write the Perfect Memorandum Part 1 - 6 Questions Every Associate Should Ask
Show All

Professional Writing

Clearing the Fog: Simple Ways to Improve Scholarly Nonfiction
Writing is Thinking: Why Knowledge Workers Must Maintain Their Writing Skills
Federal Favor: How Concise Writing Wins Contracts
Let’s Talk About Myself: An Explanation of Reflexive Pronouns and First-Person Pronouns
Three Ways to Improve Your Writing Process and Reduce Your Suffering
Confused by Fused Participles? How to Use Pronouns and -ing Words Properly (and 2 Ways to Think About English)
Balancing Prescriptive and Descriptive Grammar in Editing
Weaknesses of AI-Generated Writing—and Why You Must Edit
How to Edit and Proofread Your Writing: Nine Tips for People Who Hate to Reread
When to Cut “That” from a Sentence—and When to Keep It
Is that Adjective Eligible for an Upgrade?
Why Active Verbs Create Vigorous Sentences While Adjectives Drain Energy from Weak Verbs
A Primer on Plain Language Laws
The “Bite, Snack, Meal” Approach Helps You Feed Content-Hungry Readers
How to Rescue Your Sentences from the Gerund Trap
24 Clichés to Leave Behind in 2024: Part 3
24 Clichés to Leave Behind in 2024: Part 2
24 Clichés to Leave Behind in 2024: Part 1
Why You Must Edit Your Business Emails
Tighten Your Writing by Condensing Tautologies
Keep Your Head in the Game: Gamify Your Editing Process
Understanding Why Common Phrases Are Actually Redundant
A Primer on Passive Voice: What It is, When to Use It, How to Fix it
Feedback Can Be Something to Look Forward To
Why So Many Words? Cut Nominalized Phrases to Spotlight Your Ideas and Arguments
Pack More Punch in Your Writing: Choose Verbs over Verb Phrases and Nominalization
How to Spot Nominalizations and Transform Them into Active Verbs
How to Eliminate Clichés to Communicate Clearly and Meaningfully
Clearing Collaboration Roadblocks by Writing with Authority
Plain Language News! ISO Releases Plain Language Standards
Using Track Changes and Comments for Collaborative Editing in Microsoft Word
Why AI-Generated Text Sounds Wordy and Choppy
Simple Beats Fancy Every Time
Sharpen Your Message by Deleting Intensifiers
How to Stop Writing When You’ve Said Enough
How to Cut Sentence-Starting Clutter
Are You Over-packing Your Writing?
Writing Educational Content for Government Employees
Who Must Write in Plain Language? The Answer is Broader Than You Might Expect
Can Action Verbs Be Written in Passive Voice?
Complying with Federal Plain Language Guidelines
How Trimming Time Expressions Reduces Redundancies
Writing Easy-to-Read Marketing Reports
How to Develop Powerful Funding Proposals for Nonprofit Donors
8 Guaranteed Ways to Improve Your Writing
6 Tips to Improve Your Proposal Writing
Plain Language Health Communication and the Myth of Universal Design
Gained in Translation: Making Health Information Plain Across Languages
Part Four: How to Get Useful Feedback
Part Three: Divide and Conquer the Writing
Co-Creating Plain Language Health Information
Power Dynamics and Plain Language in Healthcare
Plain English and Narrative: What's the Story?
Reporting for Duty: Plain English in Corporate Reports
Part Two: Schedule Incubation Time for Your Ideas
Are You Friend or Foe?: Legalese Versus Plain English
8 Tips for Plain English
Part One: Four Questions to Ask Before You Write
How to Use Possessive Pronouns to Show Ownership
Pronouns 101: How to Use Short Words to Avoid Repetition without Losing Clarity
Affect vs. Effect: Understanding the Difference and Choosing the Right Word
Don’t Make Me Cringe
Control Your Emails – Don’t Let Emails Control You!
Are you busy or are you productive?
Why Your Content Marketing Writing Needs to Be Polished and Professional
Own Your Expertise, Earn Your Authority
How Writing Coaches Help Promising Professionals Reach Their Potential
The Science Behind Successful Task-Switching
What’s In Your Business Writing Library?
5 Tips to Tackle Inbox Overload
Do You Overuse These 8 Transitions?
Why We Must Improve Business Writing
So Many Useless Words, So Little Time
9 Tips to Upgrade Your Resume
Why We Can’t Rely on Spell-Checkers for Proofreading
4 Tips to Avoid Email Errors
3 Common Punctuation Mistakes
Engineers Aren't Exempt - 4 Reasons They Must Write Well
These 9 Ideas Will Improve Your Written Communication
How to Become a Technical Writer: Fundamentals & Certifications
4 Great Sources for International Research Grants
RFP 101: What Is the Purpose of an RFP?
Show All

Writing Strategies

What Comes Before the Zero Draft? Exploring the Negative Draft
Stop Slapping on Unnecessary Transition Words
Editing for Enforceability
Why Legal Documents Look the Same, But Need Not Sound Alike
Man vs. Machine: My Editorial Bout with WordRake
Craft a “Commercial” for Your Case to Find Clarity Before You Write
Writing in Reverse: How Planning, Checklists, and Outlines Can Improve Your Writing
6 Ways to Save (or Start) Your Senior Thesis
Write A Strong Personal Statement with These 12 Tips
9 Effective Proofreading and Editing Strategies for Attorneys
5 Things to Do When Writing Letters of Recommendation for Lawyers—And What to Avoid
Prepositions 101: How to Reduce Phrasal Prepositions to Single Words
Crafting Compelling Issue Statements
Say It Once, Say It Right: Trimming Legal Doublets and Triplets
The “Bite, Snack, Meal” Approach Helps You Feed Content-Hungry Readers
The Big Four: Concrete Edits for Clearer Prose
24 Clichés to Leave Behind in 2024: Part 1
The Misleading Allure of the Aggressive Lawyer
Why So Many Words? Cut Nominalized Phrases to Spotlight Your Ideas and Arguments
Pack More Punch in Your Writing: Choose Verbs over Verb Phrases and Nominalization
Document Creation Tools for Paralegals
How to Spot Nominalizations and Transform Them into Active Verbs
Power Editing for Paralegals
Using the Table of Contents for Advocacy and Persuasion
Persuasive Legal Writing: Making the Most of Citations, Editing, and the Table of Authorities
Creating Clarity through Document Structure
Stop Fighting the Hypothetical: Using the Subjunctive Mood and Conditional Phrasing in Legal Writing
Strategies for Eliminating Wordiness
How Trimming Time Expressions Reduces Redundancies
8 Guaranteed Ways to Improve Your Writing
Hey, Y’all! Welcome to the Courthouse!
How to Build Your Personal Brand through the Work You’re Already Doing Daily
Editing for Empathy in Legal Marketing
3 Must-Know Comma Rules for Lawyers
How Email Defines Your Writing Reputation
Clear Legal Writing Made Easy: Reduce Brain Strain for Your Readers
Is Your Jargon Justified?
Edit Your Legal Memos for Screen Reading
What’s In Your Legal Writing Reference Library?
Ethically Meeting Word and Page Limits
How to Write a Fast and Fearless First Draft
How Anyone Can Improve Their Writing
Show All

Academic Writing

Clearing the Fog: Simple Ways to Improve Scholarly Nonfiction
5 Great Gifts for Graduates
6 Ways to Save (or Start) Your Senior Thesis
Write A Strong Personal Statement with These 12 Tips
5-Step Editing Checklist for Your Thesis (and 1 Quick Way to Check Your Thesis for Free)
5 Things to Do When Writing Letters of Recommendation for Lawyers—And What to Avoid
Show All

About WordRake

Man vs. Machine: My Editorial Bout with WordRake
Simplicity Mode: Engaged
Don’t Dismiss that Dialog Box!
For Best Results, Rake Twice
Have You Discovered These WordRake Hidden Features?
How to Become a WordRake Power Editor
Are You a WordRake Power User?
Q&A with WordRake Founder Gary Kinder
Show All

Legal Profession

How to Work with a Legal Ghostwriter
Prepositions 101: How to Reduce Phrasal Prepositions to Single Words
The Misleading Allure of the Aggressive Lawyer
How Paralegal Programs Can Create Great Writers—What to Look For
How to Get the Most Value from Legal Document Work
Should You Get a Paralegal Certificate?
How to Build Your Personal Brand through the Work You’re Already Doing Daily
Editing for Empathy in Legal Marketing
Confusing Accountability and Blame Is Killing Your Culture
Curiosity Is The Foundation For Innovation
To Bring Change, Embrace Imperfect Decision-Making
“Incremental” Is Not A Dirty Word
Innovation Is A Red Herring Without Cultural Change
Innovation Is Not A Strategy
To Increase Client Satisfaction, Improve Yourself
Build a Better Team to Solve the Right Problems
Is Your Legal Tech Initiative Working?
To Innovate In Law, We Need Analysis, Not Hype
Rise Up And Innovate: A Manifesto For Lawyers
Changing Attitudes to Technology Starts with Incentives
Why Better Technology Implementation Isn’t About the Tech
How the Tech We Get Holds Back the Tech We Need
Show All

Plain Language

A Primer on Plain Language Laws
Plain Language News! ISO Releases Plain Language Standards
Simple Beats Fancy Every Time
Who Must Write in Plain Language? The Answer is Broader Than You Might Expect
Is Your Jargon Justified?
Show All

Grammar & Mechanics

Let’s Talk About Myself: An Explanation of Reflexive Pronouns and First-Person Pronouns
Balancing Prescriptive and Descriptive Grammar in Editing
Prepositions 101: How to Reduce Phrasal Prepositions to Single Words
Is that Adjective Eligible for an Upgrade?
Why Active Verbs Create Vigorous Sentences While Adjectives Drain Energy from Weak Verbs
Why So Many Words? Cut Nominalized Phrases to Spotlight Your Ideas and Arguments
How to Spot Nominalizations and Transform Them into Active Verbs
How Trimming Time Expressions Reduces Redundancies
8 Guaranteed Ways to Improve Your Writing
3 Must-Know Comma Rules for Lawyers
Judges Know Infographic #3
Writing Secret #3: Find words ending in ion
Writing Secret #2: Find the preposition of
Writing Secret #1: Look for To Be Verbs
Writing Secret #8: Look for Or
Writing Secret #7: Look for As
Writing Secret #6: Look for Each Period
Writing Secret #5: Look for Of
Writing Secret #4: Look for In
Writing Secret #3: Look for That
Writing Secret #2: Look for There-That
Writing Secret #1: Look for It-That
Show All

Recent Posts

An Interview with Legal Writing Coach Lisa G. Pearl

WordRake Staff

A Legal Writing Interview with Attorney Neven Selimovic

WordRake Staff

An Interview with Attorney and Legal Writing Coach Chinua Asuzu

WordRake Staff

A Legal Writing Interview with Attorney Brendan M. Kenny

WordRake Staff

An Interview with Legal Ghost Writer Matt Sullivan

WordRake Staff
Try WordRake on your own documents now! 
Download your 7-day free trial here.
No credit card required.

WordRake is available for Word on Mac and Windows. WordRake is also available for Outlook on Windows.

Show System Requirements
WordRake System Requirements
Mac System Requirements(WordRake for Word)
  • Operating Systems: Sequoia, Sonoma, Ventura, Monterey, Big Sur, or Catalina
  • Applications: Office 365*, MS Word 2024, 2021, 2019, or 2016
Not compatible with Word 2011 or web-only versions of Word
Windows System Requirements(WordRake for Word and/or Outlook)
  • Operating Systems: Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Server 2022, Server 2019, Server 2016
  • Applications: Office 365*, MS Word and/or Outlook 2024, 2021, 2019, 2016, and 2013 
*Not compatible with Outlook 2007, or web-only versions of Office 365