How To Lower Your Similarity Score Without Losing Your Argument

A similarity percentage on its own tells you very little. What matters is where the matches sit and whether each one is cited. Work through the report in this order and most high scores drop into a comfortable range within an hour or two.

1. Exclude what should never have counted

Reference lists, bibliographies, appendices, standard cover pages and quoted material are matched text by design. Most institutions allow these to be excluded from the score, and a properly configured report separates them so you can see your real figure.

2. Fix the uncited matches first

Sort matches by size. Any uncited block over about 25 words is the real risk — add the citation, or rewrite it. Small scattered matches of five to eight common academic words are normal and are not worth your time.

3. Paraphrase by understanding, not by swapping words

• Read the passage, close the source, and write the idea from memory.
• Change the sentence structure, not only the vocabulary — synonym swapping still matches.
• Add your own evaluation: why the finding matters to your argument.
• Cite the source anyway — a paraphrase still needs attribution.

4. Use quotations deliberately

Quote only when the exact wording is the point — a definition, a legal clause, a line of data. Keep quotes short, format them correctly for your style guide, and follow each with a sentence of your own analysis.

What percentage is acceptable?

There is no universal number. Many departments treat under 15% with everything properly cited as unremarkable, while a 40% score made entirely of correctly quoted and referenced material can still pass review. Always check your own course handbook — it outranks any online rule of thumb.

Check it before you submit

EduWriter Online Academy returns a full similarity review report with the matched passages highlighted, so you can see precisely which sentences to fix. Request the number of slots you need, name your budget, and a specialist confirms the price with you first.