Writing Style Checker — Claude Code MCP server: flags AI tells
A prose linter that spots weasel words, passive voice, hedging and phrasing overrepresented in AI-generated text. Handy when you edit a README or docs.
claude mcp add --transport http wsc https://wsc.theserverless.dev/mcpWhat Writing Style Checker does
Eight detectors run over your text: weasel words, passive voice, repeated words, long sentences, nominalizations, hedging, filler adverbs and AI tells. Every flag comes with a source, drawn from corpus studies and a Wikipedia editor-maintained catalogue of AI writing signs. The author is clear about the limits: this is not authorship proof, just a specific edit that improves the text whoever wrote it.
The MCP tools are check_text for a full eight-detector pass, fix_duplicates to strip adjacent repeats and hand back clean text, and list_word_lists for details on the word lists. The local build adds check_file, which reads a file from disk and picks up .wscrc.json on its own. Settings live in .wscrc.json: toggle detectors, add your own terms, set the sentence-length threshold. Every field is optional.
Two ways to connect: a hosted server at https://wsc.theserverless.dev/mcp and a local one via npx -y wsc-mcp. The hosted option needs no install, but your text leaves your machine — keep that in mind for internal documents. The local one reads files from disk, so it is the pick for private material.
What it helps with
- strip passive voice and vague wording from a README before publishing
- remove filler words like "very" and "basically" from documentation
- catch adjacent repeated words left after edits
- scan a draft for phrasing typical of AI-generated text
- set a custom sentence-length threshold in
.wscrc.json
Example prompts for the agent
- Check this text for AI tells and passive voice with
check_text - Clean up repeated words in
docs/intro.mdusingfix_duplicates - Show me what word lists the server uses:
list_word_lists
How to install Writing Style Checker
1Platform CLI: remote server
claude mcp add --transport http wsc https://wsc.theserverless.dev/mcp2Platform CLI
claude mcp add writing-style-checker -- npx -y wsc-mcp1Platform CLI: remote server
codex mcp add writing-style-checker --url https://wsc.theserverless.dev/mcp2Platform CLI
codex mcp add writing-style-checker -- npx -y wsc-mcpConfig file
{
"mcpServers": {
"writing-style-checker": {
"url": "https://wsc.theserverless.dev/mcp"
}
}
}{
"mcpServers": {
"writing-style-checker": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"wsc-mcp"
]
}
}
}Config file
{
"servers": {
"writing-style-checker": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://wsc.theserverless.dev/mcp"
}
}
}{
"servers": {
"writing-style-checker": {
"type": "stdio",
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"wsc-mcp"
]
}
}
}1Platform CLI: remote server
gemini mcp add -t http writing-style-checker https://wsc.theserverless.dev/mcp2Platform CLI
gemini mcp add writing-style-checker npx -y wsc-mcpStep by step, with commands for each platform: How to add an MCP server to Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Gemini CLI and more
Questions about Writing Style Checker
How do I install Writing Style Checker in Claude Code?
For the hosted server: claude mcp add --transport http writing-style-checker https://wsc.theserverless.dev/mcp. For the local one: claude mcp add writing-style-checker -- npx -y wsc-mcp.
What does Writing Style Checker do?
It runs eight detectors over your text: weasel words, passive voice, duplicates, long sentences, nominalizations, hedging, filler adverbs and AI tells. Each flag cites a source.
How is the hosted server different from the local one?
The hosted server connects at https://wsc.theserverless.dev/mcp and needs no install. The local one runs through npx -y wsc-mcp, reads files from disk with check_file and finds .wscrc.json itself.
