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Dialogue Tag Analyzer

Analyze dialogue tags in your fiction: ratio of said/asked vs fancy tags, adverbs on tags, and quoted line count. Free browser tool for AI dialogue cleanup.

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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

Fancy dialogue tags and adverb-heavy speech attributions can distract readers — and AI drafts love "exclaimed," "murmured," and "declared." This dialogue tag analyzer counts plain tags (said, asked) versus ornate alternatives, flags adverbs attached to tags, and reports your plain-tag ratio so you can balance voice with readability. Paste a dialogue-heavy scene; analysis stays private in your browser.

What you can do

  • Counts plain tags (said, asked) versus fancy alternatives across the paste
  • Plain-tag ratio stat benchmarked against commercial fiction norms
  • Table of ornate tags sorted by frequency for targeted rewrites
  • Flags adverbs attached to speech tags — a common AI weakness
  • Quoted line count so you can gauge dialogue density in the same pass
  • Works on scenes, chapters, or full manuscripts with heavy speech
  • Complements the dialogue ratio tool for pacing and attribution balance

Make dialogue attributions invisible again

Fancy tags and adverb piles shout “AI.” Measure plain vs ornate ratios, prefer action beats, and reserve whispered/lied for moments that change meaning.

Dialogue ratio · Adverb counter · AI fiction writing tips

How to use it

  1. Paste a scene or chapter with dialogue into the text box.
  2. Click Analyze to parse speech tags and attributions.
  3. Review the plain versus fancy tag ratio at the top.
  4. Check the fancy-tag table for repeated offenders like "exclaimed."
  5. Replace unnecessary ornate tags with "said" or action beats, then re-scan.

Tips for fiction authors

  • Action beats often replace tags entirely: instead of "'Watch out,' she exclaimed," write "She grabbed his arm. 'Watch out.'"
  • In two-character scenes, you can drop tags after the rhythm is established. Readers will track who is speaking.
  • AI-generated dialogue overuses "exclaimed," "murmured," and "declared." Replace most with "said" — readers skip it automatically.
  • Reserve fancy tags for moments they genuinely add information: "whispered" when volume matters, "lied" for dramatic irony.
  • If adverbs cluster on tags ("said angrily," "asked quietly"), rewrite with action beats that show tone instead.

Common questions

Should I only use "said"?

Not always — variety helps. The goal is to avoid every line using exclaimed, declared, or murmured when "said" is invisible.

What is a good plain-tag ratio?

Many commercial novels use "said" or "asked" for most attributions. Higher plain ratios often read cleaner on the page.

Does it count tags inside quotes?

The analyzer focuses on attribution patterns outside quoted speech.

Is my dialogue uploaded?

No. Tag analysis runs locally in your browser — nothing is sent to Entangled Text servers.

How does this differ from the dialogue ratio tool?

This tool analyzes tag quality (said vs fancy). The dialogue ratio tool measures how much of your chapter is speech versus narration.

Related guides

Why AI Writes Every Character Wanting the Same Thing How to Use AI to Diagnose and Fix Sentence-Level Monotony How to Use AI to Find Where Your Scenes Overstay Their Welcome How to Use AI to Write a Character's Interior Monologue Style

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