Ensure your academic work is original with our free plagiarism checker. Perfect for students who want to verify their essays, research papers, and assignments before submission.
Check your paper for plagiarism in 7 simple steps
Copy and paste your essay or paper into the text box, or upload a file (.txt, .doc, .docx, .pdf)
Our tool will analyze your content using pattern detection and web search sampling
See your plagiarism percentage and color-coded highlighted sections
View where potential matches were found online with source links
Use our suggestions to paraphrase flagged sections and improve originality
Verify your improvements and ensure you're below 10% similarity
Save your detailed plagiarism report for your records
Learn what plagiarism is, why it matters, and how to avoid it
Plagiarism is presenting someone else's work, ideas, or words as your own without proper attribution. It's one of the most serious academic offenses, with consequences ranging from failing grades to expulsion. Understanding what constitutes plagiarism is the first step to avoiding it.
Many students plagiarize unintentionally—forgetting to cite a source, paraphrasing too closely, or not understanding citation rules. Our plagiarism checker helps you identify these issues before submission, giving you the opportunity to fix problems and submit original work with confidence.
Understand the different forms of plagiarism to avoid them
Copying text word-for-word from a source without quotation marks or citation. This is the most obvious form of plagiarism and is always intentional.
How to avoid: Always use quotation marks for direct quotes and cite the source.
Piecing together phrases from multiple sources or changing a few words while keeping the original structure. Often unintentional but still serious.
How to avoid: Completely rewrite ideas in your own words and sentence structure.
Rewording someone's ideas without giving credit. Even if you change every word, you must cite the original source of the idea.
How to avoid: Cite sources even when paraphrasing. The idea still belongs to someone else.
Reusing your own previous work without permission or citation. Submitting the same paper for multiple classes is typically not allowed.
How to avoid: Always write new content or get instructor permission to reuse work.
Forgetting to cite sources, misquoting, or incorrectly citing. While unintentional, it still has consequences.
How to avoid: Keep detailed notes with sources and double-check all citations.
Understanding similarity scores and what they mean for your work
Most academic institutions accept 10-15% similarity, which typically includes properly cited quotes. However, standards vary by institution and assignment type. Here's a general guide:
| Plagiarism % | Status | Action Needed |
|---|---|---|
| 0-10% | Excellent | Submit with confidence |
| 11-15% | Good | Minor review recommended |
| 16-25% | Warning | Review and improve citations |
| 26-50% | High Risk | Major revisions needed |
| 51-100% | Severe | Complete rewrite required |
Note: Similarity is not the same as plagiarism. Properly cited quotes, common phrases, and bibliographies may increase similarity scores without being plagiarism.
Practical tips to ensure your work is original
Give yourself enough time to research, write, and revise. Rushed work leads to shortcuts and accidental plagiarism.
Always record the source when taking notes. Include author, title, page numbers, and URLs for later citation.
Use quotation marks for direct quotes and cite immediately. Keep quotes to 10-15% of your paper maximum.
Change both words AND sentence structure. Read, understand, then write in your own voice without looking at the source.
Add citations while writing, not after. This prevents forgetting sources and ensures proper attribution.
Use our plagiarism checker to verify originality. Fix any flagged sections before your professor sees them.
See how students use our plagiarism checker
"I used this plagiarism checker before submitting my research paper and discovered I had accidentally plagiarized 18%. After fixing the citations and paraphrasing better, I got it down to 7%. My professor praised my original work! This tool saved my grade."
"As an online student, I needed to make sure my discussion posts were original. This free checker helped me verify my work before every submission. The detailed report showing exactly which phrases were flagged helped me understand how to paraphrase better."
"The highlighted text view made it so easy to see exactly what needed to be changed. I was able to quickly identify sections that were too similar to my sources and rewrite them. Great educational tool for learning proper citation!"
Everything you need to know about checking for plagiarism
Struggling to write original content? Running out of time before your deadline? Our professional academic writers can help you create 100% original, plagiarism-free papers tailored to your requirements.
How our free tool compares to paid alternatives
| Feature | Our Free Tool | Turnitin | Grammarly Premium | Copyscape |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $4-$6/paper | $30/month | $0.05/search |
| Database Size | Web search | 70B+ pages | Large | Web only |
| Accuracy | Good | Excellent | Very Good | Good |
| Best For | Students | Academia | Writing quality | Web content |
| Report Detail | Detailed | Very detailed | Detailed | Basic |
| No Account Required | ||||
| Privacy (No Storage) |
Our free tool is ideal for initial checks and learning about plagiarism. For final submission verification, consider using your institution's official tool.