Since launching the readability analysis way back when we’ve been steadily adding support for more and more languages. Today, with the release of Yoast SEO 6.2, we’re expanding our knowledge of languages again by introducing passive voice checks for the French and Spanish languages.
Improving language checks
At Yoast, we firmly believe that readability ranks. We’ve developed several tools to help you write awesome articles that please both readers and search engines. The readability analysis is one of our most popular tools. It checks whether your writing is up to scratch. The tool determines how readable your content is and suggests improvements to make sure everyone can enjoy your articles. We use our vast knowledge of languages to offer advice tailored to your situation and language used.
Currently, we can check texts in several languages. We offer full support for English and German, while Dutch, French, Italian and Spanish have varying degrees of support. We’re always looking to expand our knowledge of languages. In Yoast SEO 6.2, we’re growing our support for French and Spanish: we can now run a complete passive voice check in both languages.
Passive voice French and Spanish
You might know that using the passive voice often in your text makes it appear distant and your messages will become less apparent. Sentences become longer and more complicated. Readers have to think harder and longer about what you have to say. Our passive voice check keeps your passive voice in check. As of today, we’re doubling the number of languages we can check for passive voice. French (La voix passive) and Spanish (La voz pasiva) join English and German. More languages are on the way.
| English | German | Dutch | French | Spanish | Italian | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transition words | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Flesch reading ease | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| Passive voice | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Sentence beginnings | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sentence length | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Function words (for Internal linking and insights) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Security improvements, bugfixes & enhancements
In every release, we try to fix annoyances both big and small. By fixing these bugs, we make sure that Yoast SEO keeps running without fault. With every enhancement, we add we try to make it easier for you to use the plugin. One of the most significant improvements in Yoast SEO 6.2 is the hardening of our security. We’ve adopted several stricter code checks that enforce a more rigorous security policy. This means that our code is less prone to outside manipulation.
Thanks for using Yoast SEO
So there you have it. Yoast SEO 6.2 adds two new passive voice checks – French and Spanish – and several other improvements. So, if that’s your mother tongue or just a language you use regularly, you’ll be delighted with this new addition. Wondering what else is new? Check out the changelog on WordPress.org. Don’t forget to hit that update button!