Manuscript Analysis Free · in-browser · optional cloud history

Cliché & Overused Phrase Finder

Flag tired phrases AI drafts lean on — heart pounded, couldn’t help but, icy stare — so you can rewrite them.

All tools About & FAQ Full cleanup report Filter words
Runs in your browser. We don’t use your drafts to train models.
0 words 0 chars < 1 min
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Paste your text above, then click Analyze — or use Try sample for a quick demo.

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About this tool

AI drafts and fast first passes lean on the same tired phrases — "heart pounded," "couldn't help but," "let out a breath she didn't know she was holding." This cliché finder scans for dozens of overused expressions in commercial fiction and highlights every hit so you can rewrite with fresher prose. Paste from Story Studio or any AI novel draft; scanning stays private in your browser.

What you can do

  • Curated list of fiction and AI-overused phrases across genres
  • Phrase table sorted by frequency for targeted rewrites
  • In-context highlights for every cliché hit
  • Density guidance — clusters signal AI-default voice
  • Works on scenes, chapters, or full manuscripts
  • Fast re-scan after revision to confirm density dropped
  • Complements filter-word finder and redundancy checker

Replace stock metaphors with story-true images

Clichés survive spellcheck. Hunt AI-favorite figurative templates, keep idiom in character dialogue when it fits, and rewrite narration with details only your setting can own.

Adverb finder · Character profile generator · Manuscript cleanup · AI book outline generator

How to use it

  1. Paste a scene, chapter, or full manuscript into the analyzer.
  2. Click Analyze to scan for cliché patterns.
  3. Review the phrase table sorted by frequency.
  4. Rewrite flagged lines with specific action or sensation.
  5. Re-scan after revision to confirm cliché density dropped.

Tips for fiction authors

  • One cliché per chapter is survivable; clusters of three or more on a page signal an AI-default voice.
  • Replace body-part reactions ("heart pounded") with a concrete choice the character makes.
  • Run this after the filter-word pass — clichés and filter words often appear together in the same sentences.
  • Romance and thriller genres have familiar beats — keep what serves the scene, cut what feels lazy.
  • Before KDP, run cliché finder on your book description draft too — marketing copy carries the same stock phrases.

Related guides

Why AI Writes Every Character Wanting the Same Thing How to Use AI to Diagnose and Fix Sentence-Level Monotony Why AI Resolves Every Scene's Emotional Beat Too Neatly Use AI to Find Where Scenes Overstay Their Welcome

Common questions
What is a free cliché finder for fiction?

Paste a scene or a chapter. This finder highlights stock phrases such as heart pounded and couldn’t help but, counts how often each one appears, and leaves the rewrite to you. It runs in the browser.

Does it catch every cliché?

It matches a curated list of common fiction and AI-overused phrases. Use judgment for intentional voice or genre tropes.

Is this the same as the filter word finder?

No. Filter words distance the narrator (very, felt, seemed). This tool targets stock phrases and metaphors.

Will it flag intentional genre tropes?

Sometimes. Romance and thriller may use familiar beats — keep what serves the scene, cut what feels lazy.

Is my manuscript uploaded?

No. Cliché scanning runs entirely in your browser on Entangled Text.

Why do AI drafts use so many clichés?

Models draw on common training patterns. This finder makes invisible stock language visible for your revision pass.

Is this a cliché detector or a cliché finder?

Both names, one tool — with or without the accent. Paste a scene and it finds the tired phrases, shows each one in context, and counts how often it turns up. It never rewrites the line for you.

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