---
title: "Inclusive Language Score"
description: "alex / retext-equality flags for gendered defaults, ableist idioms, exclusionary tech terms, and condescending phrasing."
keywords: ["inclusive language", "alex", "retext-equality", "writing quality"]
---

mehen runs an `alex`-style / `retext-equality`-style check against a bundled dictionary covering:

## Categories

- **Gendered defaults** — `mankind → humanity`, `fireman → firefighter`, `manhole → maintenance-hole`.
- **Ableist idioms** — `crazy`, `insane`, `lame`, `dumb`, `blind to`, `tone deaf`.
- **Exclusionary tech terms** — `master/slave → primary/replica`,
  `whitelist/blacklist → allowlist/denylist`, `grandfather clause → legacy exception`,
  `sanity check → spot check`.
- **Condescending** — `obviously`, `just`, `simply`, `easy`, `of course`.

## Output

Per-document `InclusiveLanguageScore` plus a list of flags with source spans. Any new
inclusive-language flag is a 🔴 regression in the [PR comment](/guides/pr-comment-design).

## References

- [alex](https://github.com/get-alex/alex).
- [retext-equality](https://github.com/retextjs/retext-equality).
- [Inclusive Naming Initiative](https://inclusivenaming.org/).

## See also

- [Wording quality](/metrics/markdown/prose/wording-quality) — orthogonal style flags.
