Rephrasing in Word: Tools and Tips for Better Writing
Author: Amanda LiLast Modified: 2025-02-19
Rephrasing in Word refers to the process of rewriting or improving sentences to make them clearer, more concise, or more impactful. It is particularly useful for improving writing quality, avoiding repetition, or adjusting the tone for different audiences.
With the integration of AI technology, rephrasing has become more efficient and intuitive. AI-powered tools in Word can provide real-time suggestions, helping writers enhance clarity, professionalism, and tone with minimal effort. Whether you're crafting professional emails, refining academic papers, or enhancing creative writing, this guide will introduce several practical tools and methods to make your writing more polished and impactful.
Rewrite content using Microsoft Word's Rewrite Suggestions feature
Microsoft Word’s Rewrite Suggestions feature uses AI technology powered by Microsoft's Natural Language Processing (NLP) models. The feature analyzes your text and offers rephrasing suggestions to improve sentence clarity and structure. Available for Microsoft 365 subscribers, this feature can be accessed on both the Word desktop version (with the latest updates) and Word for the web.
Note: If you are on the desktop version and don’t see it, try updating your application or using Word online.
Launch Microsoft Word and open the document where you’d like to rephrase content.
Right-click on the sentence you want to rephrase and select Rewrite Suggestions from the context menu.
Tip: The feature only supports one sentence at a time and provides suggestions for the sentence you right-click on.
The sentence will be highlighted, and a pop-up menu will appear, displaying alternative phrasings for the highlighted sentence.
Click on your preferred suggestion to replace the original sentence.
Notes:
This feature is exclusive to Microsoft 365 subscribers. Ensure your subscription is active to access this functionality.
This feature primarily supports English. For documents in other languages, alternative methods or tools might be required.
If your content includes mixed languages and the English sentence you want to rewrite follows another language, selecting a suggestion might overwrite part of the previous sentence.
Rewrite content using Kutools for Word’s Super Polish feature (keep formatting)
Kutools for Word’s Super Polish feature is an advanced AI tool designed to enhance your writing while maintaining the original formatting of your document. This feature is especially useful for users who want to polish their content without losing important formatting, such as headings, font styles, and layout. With a variety of customization options, Super Polish allows you to adjust the style and scope of your polished content to fit your specific needs.
Kutools for Word, equipped with AI 🤖, offers over 100 handy features to simplify your tasks.
Launch Microsoft Word and open the document that contains content you want to rephrase.
Click Kutools > Super Polish. AI-powered features provided by Kutools are completely free for all users.
In the Super Polish dialog box, you can customize the polishing process as follows:
Choose your desired style from the Writing Style drop-down list, which offers over 20 options. This enables you to customize the tone and level of formality to suit your polished content.
Under the What content do you need to polish section, choose what part of the document you want to polish:
Selected content in the document: Manually select the specific content you want to polish before opening the dialog box.
Current paragraph content: Automatically polish the paragraph where your cursor is placed.
Current page content: Polish all content on the page where your cursor is located.
Entire document content: Apply polishing to the entire document.
Click OK. Kutools will generate a new document containing the polished content, which will be displayed side by side with the original document.
What Can You Do with This Side-by-Side View
Once the polished document is generated, it appears alongside the original for easy comparison. This view is designed to help you review the changes and decide which edits to apply:
Clicking on a paragraph in the polished document automatically highlights the corresponding paragraph in the original document.
Beneath a selected paragraph in the polished document, a toolbar provides the following options:
Replace: Replace the original paragraph with the polished version.
Insert Below: Insert the polished paragraph directly below the original.
Change Writing Style: Select a different style from the Style drop-down list and click Repolish to generate a revised version of the paragraph.
Repolish: Generate a new version if the current polished result does not meet your expectations.
Done: Close the toolbar when finished; it will be permanently closed for the current document session once the button is clicked.
When you're done reviewing and applying changes, you can save the polished document as a separate file or close it, depending on your requirements.
Notes:
If a paragraph contains multiple text formats, Super Polish will recognize only the format of the first text. The entire paragraph in the polished document will then adopt this format.
Carefully review the polished content to ensure it aligns with your intent and desired tone. While the feature maintains formatting, it’s important to verify the polished text’s accuracy and relevance.
Rewrite content using Kutools for Word’s Real-Time Assistant
The AI-powered Real-Time Assistant feature in Kutools for Word is an innovative tool that provides instant feedback and suggestions to refine your writing as you work. It is designed to enhance the quality of your content by improving clarity, tone, and overall effectiveness, making the writing process more intuitive and efficient.
Kutools for Word, equipped with AI 🤖, offers over 100 handy features to simplify your tasks.
Here are the steps to get real-time rephrasing suggestions to improve your writing in Word:
Launch Microsoft Word and open the document on which you are currently working to receive rephrasing suggestions in real-time.
Click Kutools > Real-Time Polish. AI-powered features provided by Kutools are completely free for all users.
Tip: You may also locate this function in the Real-Time Assistant drop-down menu.
The Real-Time Assistant pane will appear on the right side of your Word document. In the Real-time Polishing box, you can receive immediate rewriting suggestions by performing any of the following actions:
Place the cursor within a paragraph to receive its rephrasing suggestions, as shown in the screenshot below.
Highlight the content you wish to receive rewriting suggestions for; it can be any number of sentences or paragraphs.
Compose new content in the document, and the rephrasing suggestions will be generated automatically.
Edit the content in the document, upon which rephrasing suggestions will be automatically generated.
The refined text will be displayed in the Real-time Polishing box for your review. If you are not satisfied with it, there are options available to regenerate it:
Get a new suggestion: Click the Regeneratebutton directly.
Produce a new rephrased suggestion in a specific language: Select a different language, and then click the Regenerate button.
Generate a new revised text based on an additional condition: Select an additional condition, and then click the Regenerate button.Tip: By clicking the Edit option from the drop-down menu, you can add your custom condition.
After reviewing the enhanced suggestions, you have several options to apply them:
Specifically copy certain content: Select the content, right-click, and choose Copy. Then, paste it wherever necessary.
Copy the entire refined content: Click the Copy button and then paste it wherever needed.
Insert: Add the refined content after the original text.
Replace: Replace the original text with the refined version directly.
Notes:
Activating the Real-Time Assistant requires an API key. You can click the Settings button in the upper-right corner of the Real-Time Assistant pane to configure the AI Settings.
Carefully review the polished content to ensure it aligns with your intent and desired tone
Rewrite content using online paraphrasing tools
Online paraphrasing tools have gained popularity for their ability to quickly improve text clarity, adjust tone, and eliminate redundancy. These tools leverage advanced AI algorithms to suggest alternative phrasings, making them highly effective for writers looking to enhance their content. However, despite their usefulness, these tools often fall short in preserving formatting and lack the seamless integration provided by Microsoft Word and Kutools for Word.
Here are some widely used online tools for rephrasing:
ChatGPT
ChatGPT, powered by OpenAI, is a versatile tool that provides high-quality rephrasing suggestions. By entering your text and specifying your goals (e.g., simplifying, professional tone, etc.), ChatGPT can generate multiple alternatives tailored to your needs.
Visit the OpenAI website or use integrated tools that include ChatGPT functionality.
Paste your text into the chat and ask for rephrasing suggestions, such as "Can you rewrite this text to make it more formal?"
Review the generated options and choose the one that best suits your purpose.
Scribbr is specifically designed for academic and professional writing. Its paraphrasing tool focuses on improving sentence structure and enhancing the readability of your text while maintaining its original meaning.
Select the rephrasing mode, such as standard or fluency. Adjust the Synonyms level to control how much the tool changes the original words into their synonyms. And select the language of the text.
Click the Paraphrase or Rephrase button.
Review the rephrased text and copy it as needed.
QuillBot
QuillBot is a widely popular online paraphrasing tool that offers multiple modes to rephrase text, including Standard, Fluency, Formal, Creative, and more. It also integrates seamlessly with web browsers and word processors, allowing for quick edits without leaving your workspace.
Select the rephrasing mode, such as standard or fluency. Adjust the Synonyms level to control how much the tool changes the original words into their synonyms. And select the language of the text.
Click the Paraphrase or Rephrase button to let the AI rewrite your content.
Review the rephrased suggestion and copy it as needed.
Grammarly
Grammarly is primarily known for grammar and spell-checking, but it also offers a free paraphrasing tool to help improve sentence clarity.
Click the Paraphrase button to let the AI generate rephrased content.
Review the paraphrased text and copy it as needed.
Do More in Less Time with AI-Enhanced Kutools for Word
Kutools for Word isn't just a set of tools - it's a smart solution designed to boost your productivity. With AI-driven capabilities and the most essential features, Kutools helps you accomplish more in less time:
Create, refine, translate, summarize and secure documents effortlessly.
Improve grammar, clarity, and tone as you write in real time.
Rephrase and translate content with no layout or formatting changes.
Ask how to complete a task - like removing section breaks - and the AI will guide you or do it for you.
All tools work seamlessly inside Word, always within reach.
Effective rephrasing in Word not only improves the quality of your content but also ensures clarity, coherence, and readability. Here are some practical tips to help you achieve the best results:
Use Synonyms
Take advantage of Word’s built-in Thesaurus to quickly find suitable synonyms and avoid repetitive word usage. By right-clicking on a word and selecting Synonyms, you can view alternative terms that match the context of your sentence. This is especially helpful for creating more engaging and varied content without altering its original meaning.
Do Not Overuse AI Suggestions
While AI-based rephrasing tools, such as Word’s Rewrite Suggestions or Kutools’ Real-Time Assistant, are powerful, overusing them can result in content that feels unnatural or inconsistent. AI suggestions should serve as a starting point; always review and adjust the output to align with your intended tone and message.
Tip: Use AI for inspiration, but rely on your judgment to finalize the text for a natural and personalized touch.
Avoid Keyword Stuffing
When rephrasing content for SEO purposes, ensure that keywords are integrated naturally into your writing. Keyword stuffing - overusing specific terms - can harm readability and lower the overall quality of your content.
Example of Keyword Stuffing: "Rephrasing in Word is essential for rephrasing documents because rephrasing helps with rephrasing effectively."
Better Alternative: "Rephrasing in Word improves document clarity, making it easier to rewrite text effectively and enhance readability."
By striking a balance, you can optimize your content for search engines without sacrificing flow or coherence.
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