How honest is what you're reading?
Score any article against George Orwell's six rules for clear, honest prose. Expose dead metaphors, passive evasion, jargon, and doublespeak — in seconds.
How It Works
Step 1
Paste a URL
Drop any article link into the scanner, or browse to any page with the extension installed.
Step 2
We analyse
Five rule-based analysers plus readability metrics scan the text against Orwell’s six rules.
Step 3
See your score
Get a 0–100 score with per-rule breakdowns, highlighted issues, and actionable suggestions.
For Readers
Know when you’re being manipulated. Spot passive evasion, dead metaphors, and doublespeak instantly.
For Writers
Improve your drafts. Get specific, actionable feedback on clarity and directness before you publish.
For Everyone
Hold media accountable. Share scores, compare outlets, and demand clearer language from those in power.
Orwell's Six Rules
From “Politics and the English Language” (1946) — the foundation of everything we measure.
Rule 1
Dead Metaphors
Detects clichés and worn-out figures of speech
“Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are accustomed to seeing in print.”
Rule 2
Word Complexity
Flags unnecessarily complex words with simpler alternatives
“Never use a long word where a short one will do.”
Rule 3
Verbosity
Identifies bloated sentences and unnecessary words
“If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.”
Rule 4
Passive Voice
Spots passive constructions that obscure responsibility
“Never use the passive where you can use the active.”
Rule 5
Jargon
Catches foreign phrases, jargon, and specialist terms
“Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.”
Rule 6
Common Sense
The escape clause — clarity trumps rigid rules
“Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.”
Listen
Hear the rules discussed in depth on this podcast episode.
Analyse any page, right from your browser
The Orwell Score extension scores pages instantly and locally — no data leaves your browser. Works on every site, even those that block automated requests.
Add to Chrome — FreeComing soon to the Chrome Web Store
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Orwell Score?+
The Orwell Score analyses writing against the six rules George Orwell laid out in his 1946 essay “Politics and the English Language.” It generates a score from 0–100 measuring clarity, directness, and honest use of language.
How is the score calculated?+
We run five rule-based analysers (dead metaphors, word complexity, verbosity, passive voice, and jargon) plus a common-sense check. Each rule produces a sub-score, weighted by importance, to compute the overall score. Bands range from Excellent (90–100) to Orwellian (0–29).
Is it free?+
Yes. The web scanner and browser extension are free to use. The extension scores pages instantly and locally — no data leaves your browser. The web scanner sends the article URL to our server for analysis.
Which sites does it work on?+
The browser extension works on any webpage. The URL scanner works on most publicly accessible articles. Some sites with aggressive bot protection may block the scanner — use the extension for those.
Who was George Orwell?+
George Orwell (1903–1950) was the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair, author of Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm. His essay “Politics and the English Language” argued that unclear writing is a tool of political manipulation, and set out six rules for honest prose.