CleanThisText guide
How to compare two text drafts
Review additions and removals without confusing an edit comparison with a similarity score.
Keep old and new versions in order
In Text Compare, put the original in the first field and the revision in the second. Select Words for prose or Lines for records where each row matters, then select Run tool. Additions describe the revision; removals refer to the original.
Compare corresponding passages rather than a complete report against one excerpt. Include enough surrounding text for context, but exclude unrelated page navigation copied with the draft.
Read the diff as a review aid
Replacing Monday with Tuesday highlights the removed and added day. The copyable output is the second draft, not a merged version. Changes counts changed diff segments, not every changed character or an exact number of editorial decisions.
Moved text can appear as a removal and an addition. Word comparison is not a byte-for-byte whitespace audit. Use line mode or a source-code diff when indentation and exact formatting are essential.
Similarity answers a different question
Text Similarity compares lowercased sets of word tokens: shared unique words divided by all unique words in the union. Repetition and word order do not influence that score, so differently ordered passages can still be 100% similar.
Neither tool establishes plagiarism, authorship, or factual accuracy. Review changed names, dates, amounts, and removed qualifications directly before approving a revision.
Worked example
Input
one two three
Second input
two three four
Result
50.0% similar
Two unique words are shared out of four in the union. The score is not an authorship assessment.
For the next step
Simple hardware for an offline draft workflow.
Optional picks for moving paper notes into a file and writing through a revision.
MUNBYN portable scanner
A handheld scanner option for bringing paper notes and pages into a digital workflow.
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GLENCREAG RK104 retro mechanical keyboard
A full-size mechanical keyboard option for long cleanup, formatting, and writing sessions.
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