Google Docs rolling out new stylistic writing suggestions marked by purple underlines

In addition to Smart Compose, grammar corrections, and spelling autocorrect, Google Docs is now rolling out writing suggestions that feature a purple underline to help with tone, style, and word choice.

Google Docs will mark the following “stylistic and writing ” suggestions with a purple underline:

• Alternate wording
• Using active voice 
• Making sentence structure more concise 
• Use of more inclusive language 
• Potential inappropriate words 

This joins the red squiggly line for misspellings and blue underlines on grammar errors. Selecting an underline (with your cursor) will provide a brief description with the ability to implement the change, ignore, send feedback, or open settings. 

They appear as you type to “help guide you when there are opportunities to avoid repeated or unnecessary words, helping diversify your writing and ensuring you’re using the most effective word for the situation.” 

You’ll see suggestions when there are opportunities to structure a sentence with an active voice or when a sentence can be more concise, helping to make your writing more impactful. Potentially discriminatory or inappropriate language will be flagged, along with suggestions on how to make your writing more inclusive and appropriate for your audience. 

The goal is to “elevate your writing style and make more dynamic, clear, inclusive, and concise documents.” These purple underlines/corrections will be enabled by default but can be turned off one-by-one in Tools > Stylistic suggestions on the web. Education administrators will get the ability to disable entirely.

This Google Docs features is rolling out over the coming weeks, and availability is as follows:

Tone and Style 

• Available to Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus 
• Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Education Fundamentals, Frontline, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers

Word Warnings 

• Available to Business Standard, Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Fundamentals, Education Standard, Education Plus, Teaching and Learning Up 
• Not available to Google Workspace Essentials, Business Starter, Enterprise Essentials, Frontline, and Nonprofits, as well as G Suite Basic and Business customers 

More on Google Docs:

• Google Meet is adding desktop Picture-in-Picture, built into Docs, YouTube livestreaming, & E2EE
• Docs getting expanded Markdown support and auto-detection on the web
• Google Docs adding email template for joint drafting that integrates with Gmail