Filler Word Counter

Filler words are the ones that can be deleted without changing the meaning of the sentence: very, really, quite, just, actually, basically, in order to, the fact that. They accumulate during drafting because they smooth the rhythm of a sentence while it is being written, and they survive because each individual instance looks harmless. In aggregate they are what makes prose feel padded.

Intensifiers deserve particular attention, because they usually weaken rather than strengthen. "Very important" is less forceful than "critical"; "really fast" is less forceful than a number. The pattern is that an intensifier is reaching for emphasis the underlying word cannot supply, and the better fix is almost always a stronger noun or verb rather than a modifier propped in front of a weak one.

Do not delete mechanically, though. Some of these words carry genuine meaning in context — "just" can mean "only", "actually" can mark a real contrast with expectation — and conversational writing needs a certain amount of connective softness to avoid reading as clipped. Spoken formats need more of it than written ones. Use the count to see how heavily a draft leans on them, then read each instance and cut the ones doing no work.