rephrasing

Rephrasing is the process of expressing the same idea in different words or sentence structures, without changing the underlying meaning. It is used to improve clarity, adapt tone, or fit a different audience or medium.

Techniques include substituting synonyms, changing sentence order, converting active to passive or vice versa, splitting or combining sentences, altering emphasis, and adjusting grammar and tense. The goal is to preserve content while improving readability or meeting constraints such as word count.

Rephrasing is closely related to paraphrasing; in many contexts the terms are used interchangeably, but some writers distinguish paraphrasing as a more substantial restatement that preserves the idea with new wording and attribution. In academic contexts, rephrasing without proper citation may still constitute plagiarism.

Common uses span education, journalism, content creation, editing, translation, and language learning. Tools include style guides, grammar editors, and plagiarism checkers; manual rephrasing relies on understanding audience, purpose, and nuance.

Example: Original: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. Rephrased: The fast brown fox leaps over the sleeping dog.