Paste a draft and it is checked against 19 words and phrases that carry racial, gender, ageist, ableist, religious or cultural bias. Each match shows an inclusive alternative and a short note on the history behind the phrase. Every phrase the checker knows is listed on this page.
Your text never leaves this page. The check runs entirely in your browser: no upload, no server, no storage.
The checker matches your text against a fixed, documented reference list: the same list published in full on our biased language examples page. A match means a phrase from that list appears in your draft, nothing more. The note attached to each match explains where the bias comes from, so you can make an informed choice rather than follow a rule blindly.
It does not judge intent, context or quotation. Fiction, history and reporting sometimes need a loaded phrase on the page, in a character's mouth or in a quoted source. The checker gives you the information; the decision about your draft stays yours.
The checker matches exactly these 19 entries, rendered from the same data file it reads. Nothing is matched that is not on this list.
Racial. In the slavery era in the United States, a brown paper bag was held up to the faces of potential business patrons; they were served only if their skin was lighter than the bag.
Racial. Dates back to the slavery era, when enslaved people on plantations were required to enter dance competitions with a cake as the prize; using it for a simple task is derogatory toward African-American people.
Religious. Many people do not celebrate Christmas; 'holiday break' or 'winter vacation' is more inclusive regardless of religion.
Language. Shows bias against people who learned English as an additional language; requiring fluency is a better job-posting requirement.
Gender. Addressing a mixed group as 'guys' shows gender bias and can exclude women from the conversation.
Racial. Rooted in post-emancipation US voting laws that let white people vote without meeting literacy requirements if their grandfathers could vote, excluding non-white citizens.
Racial. Likely originated in Americans mocking Native American or Chinese speech patterns; biased against people of a specific ethnicity.
Gender. Implies only men work; gender-neutral alternatives include work hours, time at work, and billable hours.
Racial/Gender. 'Master' refers to the master of a plantation and also implies a male owner in power within the home.
Ableist. Person-first language puts the person before the disability, making clear the disability is not what defines them.
Racial/Classist. In vaudeville, the cheapest seats, often sold to African-American audience members, were the peanut gallery; the term dismisses their comments as invalid.
Racial. Many Native American and First Nations people find the term offensive because it makes light of indigenous cultures that do not embrace the concept.
Ageist. Associated with ageist biases that can lead to hiring discrimination and unfair treatment of older adults.
Gender. Excludes more than half the population; use 'human' or 'humankind' to refer to the human race.
Racial/Cultural. Traced to the Mandinka tribe's Maamajomboo, a masked ceremonial dancer feared by 1700s English colonizers; now used to mean nonsense.
Ableist. Calling someone a victim can make them feel powerless; person-first language centres the person over the condition.
Cultural. 'Paddy' is a derogatory slang term for an Irish person, dating to heavy US discrimination against Irish immigrants in the 1800s.
Racist. 'Indian' is a misnomer from Columbus mistaking the Americas for India; using it to describe sitting cross-legged can be offensive.
Racial. Refers to the ratio of minority to white residents that triggered 1950s 'white flight' from cities to suburbs.
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