Update: This article still gets occasional views, though it’s eight years old as I’m adding this note (May 19, 2026). Grammarly keeps updating its software, so the points I made here may not all apply today. I still stand by the advice under “A tool, not an oracle.” It’s more important than ever as overreliance on AI grows more common.

 
Mistakes in spelling or grammar can torpedo an otherwise great article. Grammarly is a popular online tool for catching them. I use the free version regularly to check articles before submitting them. It does a decent job at catching the worst of my blunders. It hasn’t impressed me enough to go for the paid version, too. It has its quirks, being obsessive on some issues and plain wrong on others.

Mokka sternly protecting a dictionary. December 30, 2008.