How to Find Passive Voice in Microsoft Word — And a Free Alternative That Does More
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Microsoft Word can detect passive voice, but you have to turn it on manually in the Editor settings — it is off by default. Even when enabled, Word underlines passive sentences one at a time with a blue squiggle, but does not show you a total count or percentage for your document.
If you want to see exactly how much passive voice is in your writing and get every passive sentence highlighted at once, the free passive voice checker does that in one paste — no Word subscription required.
How to Enable Passive Voice Detection in Microsoft Word
Word does not check for passive voice by default. To turn it on:
- Open Word and go to File → Options (Windows) or Word → Preferences (Mac).
- Select Proofing, then click Settings next to "Writing Style."
- In the Grammar Settings panel, scroll down to find Passive Sentences and check the box.
- Click OK and run the Editor (Review → Editor or press F7).
Word will now flag passive sentences with a blue underline. Click a flagged sentence and the Editor pane on the right will suggest a rewrite — though Word often cannot complete the rewrite without knowing who the actor is, so it may just say "consider revising."
On Microsoft 365 online (browser version), go to Review → Editor and select "Clarity" in the sidebar — passive voice flags appear there.
What Word's Passive Voice Checker Does Not Tell You
Word flags individual passive sentences, but it does not give you:
- A total count — you cannot see how many passive sentences are in your document at once
- A percentage score — no way to know if you are at 5% or 35% without manually counting
- All flags simultaneously — Word shows passive suggestions one at a time through the Editor pane, not all highlighted at once
- A visual overview — no gauge or summary view to assess the scale of the problem quickly
Word also sometimes misses passive constructions that do not match its grammar patterns, and it occasionally flags sentences that are not actually passive. The detection is useful but not exhaustive.
Sell Custom Apparel — We Handle Printing & Free ShippingThe Free Passive Voice Checker — No Word License Needed
The passive voice checker takes a different approach: paste your full text and get everything at once.
- Your passive voice percentage appears immediately at the top
- Every passive sentence is highlighted in the text — you can see the full picture at a glance
- The gauge shows whether your score is green (under 10%), amber (10–20%), or red (over 20%)
- No Microsoft 365 subscription, no desktop install, works on any browser including iPhone and Android
It is particularly useful when working on documents outside Word — Google Docs, Notion, email drafts, web copy — where Word's Editor is not available.
Word vs Free Checker — Which to Use When
Both tools have a place depending on what you are doing:
| Situation | Best Tool |
|---|---|
| Editing a Word document with tracked changes | Word Editor (passive voice enabled) |
| Checking your passive percentage before submitting | Free browser checker |
| Working in Google Docs, Notion, or a web form | Free browser checker |
| Need a quick one-sentence suggestion | Word Editor |
| Checking a full article or report for passive density | Free browser checker |
| No Microsoft 365 access | Free browser checker |
For a complete view of your writing quality, combine the passive voice check with the readability scorer — high passive voice and a high grade level together signal writing that needs significant revision.
Check Your Passive Voice Without Word
Paste any text and see your passive percentage, every flagged sentence, and rewrite suggestions — free, no login, no subscription.
Open Passive Voice DetectorFrequently Asked Questions
Why is passive voice detection turned off by default in Microsoft Word?
Word turns it off by default because passive voice is not always wrong — it is a stylistic choice rather than a grammar error. Word's Editor focuses on clear errors first. You can enable it in Proofing settings if you want passive voice flagged consistently.
Does the free tool work if I copy-paste from Word?
Yes. Copy your text from Word (Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C), paste it into the tool, and it processes everything instantly. Formatting does not transfer, but the tool only analyzes the plain text content, which is what you need for passive voice detection.
Can the free browser tool replace Word's grammar checker entirely?
For passive voice specifically, yes — and the percentage scoring gives you more useful data than Word does. For general grammar and spelling, Word's full Editor is more comprehensive. Use the browser tool for passive voice assessment and passive percentage tracking.