Free cover
letter checker.
Paste your cover letter below and this tool reports its length, its tone, the cliches it leans on, and how hard it is to read. It runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, stored, or sent anywhere. It is free, it is rule-based, and there is no sign-up.
Paste plain text, greeting and sign-off included. The tool reads the whole letter and reports on it line by line. Nothing you paste is sent anywhere.
Runs in your browser. Your letter never leaves this device. There is no server call, no database, and no analytics on the text you paste. Close the tab and it is gone.
Your results will appear here. Paste a cover letter and select "Check my letter".
Read this before you trust the number
This is not an AI reader and it does not judge whether your letter is good. It is a set of plain, rule-based checks that run in JavaScript in your browser: it counts words, paragraphs, and sentences, it looks for a fixed list of tired phrases, and it estimates a reading grade from sentence and syllable length. That is all. A letter can pass every check and still be dull, and a strong, specific letter can trip a check because it broke a guideline on purpose.
So treat the score as a quick edit pass, not a verdict. The real test of a cover letter is whether a person who knows the role would read it and think you understood the job. No tool can measure that. What a tool can do is catch the mechanical faults you stop seeing after the third rewrite: the letter that runs to two pages, the fourth sentence in a row that starts with "I", the opening you have used on every application. Fix those, then trust your own judgment on the rest.
Every check, and why it matters.
The score is built from plain heuristics you can see. Here is the full list, so there is no black box behind it.
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Word count | A cover letter that lands between about 250 and 400 words says enough to be specific without asking a busy reader for a second page. |
| Paragraph count | Three to five short paragraphs give the letter a shape: an opening, one or two paragraphs of evidence, and a close. One long block is hard to skim. |
| Average sentence length | Sentences that average over 25 words read as dense. Mixing short and long sentences keeps a reader moving. |
| Cliche and filler phrases | Phrases like "hit the ground running" or "team player" appear in millions of letters. They fill space without telling a reader anything specific about you. |
| Opening line | A generic "To whom it may concern" signals you did not learn who reads the letter. A name, or at least a team, shows effort. |
| You focus over I focus | When most sentences start with "I", the letter reads as a list of your wants. Tying your work to the role and the company reads as fit. |
| Reading grade level | An estimate from sentence and syllable length. Around a ninth to twelfth grade level reads as clear and adult without being a slog. |
| Sign-off present | A plain close like "Sincerely" or "Best regards" finishes the letter. A missing sign-off reads as an unfinished draft. |
A simple shape that works.
Most strong cover letters share the same four parts. You do not need anything clever, you need each part to do its job.
| Part | What it does |
|---|---|
| The opening | One or two sentences. Name the role, and say the one true reason you are applying to this company and not just any company. Skip the throat-clearing. |
| The evidence | One or two paragraphs. Pick two things the job asks for and show a moment where you did them. Use a real number or a real outcome, not an adjective. |
| The fit | A short paragraph that connects your work to their problem. This is where you write about them, not only about you. |
| The close | One or two sentences and a sign-off. Thank the reader, say you would welcome a conversation, and stop. No need to restate the whole letter. |
Common questions.
What the tool does, what it will not do, and why.
Is my cover letter stored or sent anywhere?
No. The entire check runs in JavaScript inside your browser. There is no upload, no server request, and no database. The text you paste is never transmitted, and it is gone the moment you close the tab. You can confirm this by opening your browser's network panel and watching that nothing is sent when you run the check.
Does this use AI to grade my letter?
No. It is a set of fixed rules: it counts words, paragraphs, and sentences, matches a list of known cliches, and estimates a reading grade from sentence and syllable length. There is no model and no judgment about quality. That is a deliberate choice, because it keeps the tool fast, private, and honest about what it can and cannot see.
How long should a cover letter be?
For most roles, aim for about 250 to 400 words across three to five short paragraphs, which fits comfortably on a single page. Under roughly 150 words tends to read as thin, and over 450 asks a busy reader for more time than the letter usually earns. These are guidelines, not laws. A senior or technical role can justify more.
Why does it flag sentences that start with "I"?
Because when almost every sentence starts with "I", the letter reads as a list of what you want rather than what you offer. A little of that is natural, it is your letter. The flag only trips when it dominates. The fix is not to delete every "I", it is to tie some of your sentences to the role and the company.
Will passing every check get me the job?
No. A clean, well-sized, cliche-free letter clears the mechanical hurdles, which is worth doing. It does not replace a specific story, relevant experience, or genuine interest in the role. The score removes obstacles between your words and the reader, it does not write the letter or make the hiring decision.
Once your letter reads well.
A tight cover letter is one piece of a personal-brand presence. Here is where to take it next.
A clean letter, and
a site to send with it.
A tight cover letter opens the door. Paste your resume into Portfolio and it drafts a complete personal website, a designer resume, and a matched cover letter in about a minute.