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Cover Letter Scorer

Business SpecialtyCareer and Interview Tools
Score out of 100 —
Verdict
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Words
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Sentences
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Paragraphs
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Figures quoted
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Stock phrases
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Sentences starting with I
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Paste your cover letter and the scorer grades it out of 100 on eight visible checks. A 320-word letter in four paragraphs, quoting two results, opening without a stock line and asking for an interview, scores 100; each stock phrase such as team player costs 5 points.

About this tool

Hiring managers skim a cover letter in under a minute, so the drafts that fail usually fail on the same handful of habits: a stock first line, no figures, every sentence beginning with I, and no request for a next step. This scorer reads your draft against eight such checks and shows the points for each one, what it found and why it fell short, so you know which paragraph to rewrite first. The checks are rules of thumb drawn from common recruiter advice, not a hiring model. A letter can score 100 and still be generic if it says nothing specific about the employer, so treat the score as an edit list, not a verdict on your candidacy. Your text stays in your browser.

How to use it

  1. Paste the letter

    Paste the full letter, or open a .txt file, keeping a blank line between paragraphs so they are counted.

  2. Read the score

    The score out of 100 and a one-line verdict update as you edit.

  3. Work down the table

    Each of the eight checks shows its points, its maximum and what was found, such as the stock phrases detected.

  4. Edit and re-check

    Fix the lowest-scoring check first and watch the total change while you type.

Examples

Three stock sentences

Cover letter
I am writing to apply. I am a team player and a hard worker. I would like to discuss the role.

Result Score out of 100: 15
Verdict: Rewrite
Words: 21
Sentences: 3
Paragraphs: 1
Figures quoted: 0
Stock phrases: 2
Sentences starting with I: 100%

  1. Eight checks are scored and added: 0/20 + 0/10 + 0/10 + 0/15 + 5/15 + 0/10 + 10/10 + 0/10 = 15 of 100.
  2. Average sentence length = 21 words ÷ 3 sentences = 7.

A stock opener, two stock phrases and every sentence starting with I leave only the closing request and part of the phrase score.

A short letter with two figures

Cover letter
Dear Ms Lee, At Acme I cut support costs by 12% in 2023 while the team grew from four people to nine. I would welcome an interview to talk about your plans for the help desk.

Result Score out of 100: 75
Verdict: Good, with fixes
Words: 36
Sentences: 3
Paragraphs: 3
Figures quoted: 2
Stock phrases: 0
Sentences starting with I: 33.3%

  1. Eight checks are scored and added: 0/20 + 10/10 + 5/10 + 15/15 + 15/15 + 10/10 + 10/10 + 10/10 = 75 of 100.
  2. Average sentence length = 36 words ÷ 3 sentences = 12.

Two figures and three paragraphs earn full marks on those checks, but at well under 150 words the length check scores zero.

How it is calculated

score = length (20) + opening (10) + I-openers (10) + figures (15) + stock phrases (15) + sentence length (10) + closing request (10) + paragraphs (10)

length
20 points for 250 to 400 words, 10 for 150 to 500
figures
15 points for two or more numbers or percentages, 8 for one
stock phrases
15 points minus 5 for each phrase such as team player or hard worker
I-openers
share of sentences that begin with I; 30% or less earns 10

Words and sentences are counted with Unicode word rules. The opening check skips a salutation line and looks for openers like I am writing to. Average sentence length is words divided by sentences, with 12 to 25 words earning full marks. The closing check looks for a request such as an interview or a call. Paragraphs are blocks separated by blank lines.

When not to use it

  • For academic or creative applications where a longer statement of purpose is expected.
  • For letters not written in English, because the phrase lists are English only.

Common mistakes

  • Pasting from a PDF without blank lines, which makes the whole letter count as one paragraph.
  • Adding numbers with no context just to raise the figures check.
  • Chasing 100 instead of naming the employer and the specific role.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a cover letter be?

Most career services advise one page, which is roughly 250 to 400 words. The scorer gives full length marks in that range and half marks between 150 and 500 words.

Why does starting sentences with I lower the score?

A run of sentences opening with I reads as a list about yourself rather than about what you would do for the employer. Up to 30% of sentences is fine; above 50% earns no points on that check.

Which phrases count as stock phrases?

The list includes team player, hard worker, detail-oriented, self-starter, results-driven, go-getter, proven track record, think outside the box, perfect fit and the salutations to whom it may concern and dear sir or madam. Each one found costs 5 of the 15 points.

What counts as a figure?

Any number in the text, including percentages, years, money amounts and counts such as 12% or 40 clients. Two or more earn full marks because concrete results are easier to believe than adjectives.

Does a high score mean the letter will get an interview?

No. The checks catch common style problems, but they cannot judge whether your experience matches the job or whether the letter is tailored to the company. Ask someone who knows the field to read it too.

Is my letter uploaded anywhere?

No. The scoring runs in your browser, and the text is not saved or sent to a server.

Cite this tool

Using this tool in an assignment, article or report? Copy a citation, or a link for your website.

APA

Tools Directory Editorial Team. (2026, October 17). Cover Letter Scorer. Tools Directory. Retrieved October 27, 2026, from https://tools.milunir.com/business-specialty/career-and-interview-tools/cover-letter-scorer/

MLA

Tools Directory Editorial Team. “Cover Letter Scorer.” Tools Directory, 17 Oct. 2026, https://tools.milunir.com/business-specialty/career-and-interview-tools/cover-letter-scorer/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Tools Directory Editorial Team. “Cover Letter Scorer.” Tools Directory. Last modified October 17, 2026. Accessed October 27, 2026. https://tools.milunir.com/business-specialty/career-and-interview-tools/cover-letter-scorer/.

Link<a href="https://tools.milunir.com/business-specialty/career-and-interview-tools/cover-letter-scorer/">Cover Letter Scorer – Tools Directory</a>