Overview of BluePencil
Zoho BluePencil is a free grammar and spell checker that helps you write clear, concise, and error-free documents. It's available as a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox, ensuring accessibility wherever you write. After installation, you will get spelling and writing suggestions as you type, or you can use the BluePencil editor to proofread, translate and transliterate your content.
BluePencil operates within various Zoho apps, including Zoho Writer, Zoho Cliq, etc., and is also compatible with other platforms like Gmail, MS Outlook, Facebook, X, etc.
Highlights
a) Proofreading and content analysis
The BluePencil Editor, powered by Zia, offers a comprehensive set of tools for proofreading and content analysis. It goes beyond spell-checking, providing valuable insights to enhance your writing.
- Check for typos and grammatical errors: BluePencil catches spelling mistakes, punctuation errors, and subject-verb agreement issues.
- Suggest improvements to your writing: BluePencil also suggests ways to improve your writing style, such as by making your sentences clearer and more concise, or by avoiding clichés.
- Give you a readability score: BluePencil powered by Zia, the AI powered writing assistant can tell you how easy your writing is to read, which can be helpful if you're writing for a specific audience.
- Word Cloud Analysis: BluePencil's word cloud feature offers a visual representation of the most frequently used words and their respective counts. This provides a quick insight into the core theme of your content. It's especially valuable for writers crafting articles, offering a detailed view of the top ten words used.
![](https://static.zohocdn.com/zoho-desk-editor/static/images/info.png)
Note: BluePencil proofreads English, Spanish, and French, along with their variants.
How to install the BluePencil extension?
- Download the Zoho BluePencil extension from the Chrome Webstore, or Firefox add-on page.
- You will be automatically signed in. If not, click on "Login" and sign in using your email credentials.
- Allow BluePencil to access data by clicking on "Accept." This step ensures seamless functionality of the extension with your writing environment.
![](https://static.zohocdn.com/zoho-desk-editor/static/images/info.png)
Note: This permission is crucial for its proper functioning, and rest assured, we only ask for what's necessary, respecting your privacy.
How to enable or disable the BluePencil extension?
Toggle the BluePencil extension on or off for specific websites instantly. Adjustments can be made at any time by following these simple steps:
- Click the Extensions icon, then click the BluePencil extension.
- Disable the Writing Suggestions option.
![](https://help.zoho.com/galleryDocuments/edbsn68a88ce443eb70ed460eeb303065bf69c6dcfe9f50864a337a75571e8f94b9441d110a201ed65ab04ab314b67345aadf?inline=true)
You can also turn it off using the power button hovering over the BluePencil icon on your screen as shown in the image below.
How to proofread your content?
After you install the BluePencil extension, it will proofread your content across websites as you type. For a more focused approach, you can type your content in the BluePencil Editor where it provides suggestions and recommendations for improvements.
How to apply/use suggestions?
The BluePencil editor color-codes highlighted areas across your browser as you type. Simply hover over the highlighted text to grasp the suggestion, and with a click, apply the recommended changes to your existing content.
How to ignore a suggestion?
Disregard the spell/grammar error and remove the underline by just clicking Ignore in the suggestion pop up.
How to review content in detail?
For a thorough content review, input your text directly into the BluePencil Editor. Zia, our AI assistant, will provide a comprehensive analysis, including a readability score, and word cloud insights, alongside checks for grammar and spelling errors.
b) Translation
The BluePencil translates content from the following languages:
Afrikaans | Arabic | Assamese | Portuguese |
Azerbaijani | Belarusian | Bulgarian | Romanian |
Bengali | Catalan | Czech | Russian |
Danish | German | Greek | Sinhala |
English | Esperanto | Spanish | Slovak |
Estonian | Basque | Persian | Slovenian |
Finnish | Filipino | French | Albanian |
Irish | Galician | Gujarati | Serbian |
Hebrew | Hindi | Croatian | Sundanese |
Hungarian | Armenian | Indonesian | Swedish |
Icelandic | Italian | Japanese | Swahili |
Georgian | Khmer | Kannada | Tamil |
Korean | Lao | Lithuanian | Telugu |
Latvian | Malagasy | Macedonian | Thai |
Malayalam | Marathi | Malay | Tagalog |
Maltese | Dutch | Norwegian | Turkish |
Odia | Punjabi | Polish | Ukrainian |
c) Transliteration
The BluePencil currently transliterates content from and to the following languages: Tamil & Hindi.
d) Built-in editor
The BluePencil editor will be useful if you are looking to input your content directly into the Editor to receive detailed suggestions from Zia, including a readability score, word cloud insights, and in-depth analysis of grammar and spelling errors.You can open the BluePencil editor either in a new tab or within the tab where you are actively typing.
How to access the editor?
a) In a New Tab:
- Click on the Jigsaw icon to reveal a list of installed browser extensions. It's typically found in the top right corner of your browser window, near the address bar.
![](https://help.zoho.com/galleryDocuments/edbsn00c2bfcb8cbbb003793356b177fd4ca11f65904e86c16c31b127f6d471ead0122aac4a3545f98d28873f4ae00a52117a?inline=true)
- Within this list, identify the Zoho BluePencil extension.
- Click on the Zoho BluePencil extension. This will open a new popup window specifically for the BluePencil Editor.
![](https://help.zoho.com/galleryDocuments/edbsnd32258659921b389af818735bc23041d5440062c8ce6ffe7f18786e61f20b26bd3ff113a514c447fbd4be0f084cea306?inline=true)
b) In the Same Tab/From the Suggestion Popup:
- As you type, the suggestion popup will highlight spelling and grammar errors, offering immediate suggestions.
- Click on the BluePencil logo at the bottom right of this popup to seamlessly open the BluePencil Editor for a detailed review.
e) Adding words to your BluePencil Dictionary
a) Instantly add from suggestion popup
As you type, the suggestion popup highlights words not in your dictionary and allows you to take the following actions instantly.
- Add to Dictionary: Incorporate words into your personal dictionary to prevent them from being marked as errors.
- Ignore: Disregard the spell/grammar error and remove the underline.
![](https://help.zoho.com/galleryDocuments/edbsn3e7590f88dc894cd3ff7520cb57de715fe757cd14c8a0927ab6a047bd2af80400e93f5e22fcb1fd015500dfd0b5f2f5b?inline=true)
b) Add words in My Dictionary/ Org Dictionary pane
My Dictionary: Add commonly used special words to your dictionary to prevent BluePencil from flagging them as spelling errors.
Team Dictionary: The admin and super admin can add words or import .txt files containing team specific words to create a dictionary for the entire team. All members in the team can use these words without BluePencil marking them as errors.
g) Supported browsers
- Chrome
- Firefox
h) Administrative operations
i) Team Management
For subscribers to the Team plan, the super admin can:
- Create a team (This action requires a license but enables the formation of teams tailored to your organizational structure)
- Modify a team's name
- Add or remove members and
- Assign roles to members
ii) Enabling/disabling spellcheck options
Tailor your spellcheck experience by enabling or disabling the following options:
- Ignore words in uppercase
- Ignore words in mixed case
- Ignore words that contain numbers
iii) Setting writing quality
Refine your writing with customizable options. Toggle on/off:
- Wordy Phrases
- Rephrasable Sentences
- Improper Word Choices
- Non inclusive
- Informal writing
j) Subscriptions
BluePencil offers a free plan along with two premium plans. For detailed information on these subscriptions, please visit
this page.
The free trial period of 30 days starts as soon as you sign in. During this period, you will have access to the Individual Premium plan. After 30 days, it will change to the free plan, which includes spellcheck and grammar suggestions, excluding style and other writing suggestions.
To continue using all the capabilities of BluePencil without any restrictions, upgrade to the Individual or Team premium plans. The super admin can switch the plans of the team or organization at any time from the subscription pane.