# Install diction with Homebrew, apt, dnf, MacPorts, Nix
GNU diction and style. Version 1.11 via Homebrew; verified from local package data. Also installable with debian: sudo apt install diction.
## Install
```sh
sudo av install brew:diction
```
Additional install commands:
### macOS
- Homebrew (100%):
```sh
brew install diction
```
Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata
- MacPorts (94%):
```sh
sudo port install diction
```
Evidence: MacPorts ports tree: textproc/diction/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
### Linux
- Debian apt (92%):
```sh
sudo apt install diction
```
Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: diction from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz
- dnf (92%):
```sh
sudo dnf install diction
```
Evidence: Fedora Rawhide package metadata: diction from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst
- Nix (92%):
```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#diction
```
Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/di/diction/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
## Package facts
- **Package key:** brew:diction
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Version:** 1.11
- **Source summary:** GNU diction and style
- **Homepage:**
- **Generated:** 2026-08-03T19:37:03+00:00
## Executables
- diction (alias)
- style (alias)
## Install behavior
- Bottle: not available
## Freshness
- Page generated: 2026-08-03
- Package-manager version: 1.11
## Project history and usage
GNU diction packages two old Unix-style writing aids, diction and style, as free software. The tools scan prose for wordy or commonly misused phrases and report surface readability measures from the command line.
### Project history
The GNU source release describes diction and style as free implementations of older standard Unix commands that disappeared from many modern systems after being unbundled. Its manual page says the historical diction command came from old Unix systems and the AT&T Documenter's Workbench, while GNU diction is a reimplementation that can be paired with deroff, dehtml, or detex.
The 1.11 release tarball records support for Dutch, GPLv3 licensing, and autoconf 2.61. The GNU FTP archive shows public GNU releases from 0.7 in 1998 through 1.11 in 2007.
### Adoption history
GNU diction's adoption story is modest and package-manager oriented: it keeps a small, classic prose-checking command available on systems where the original Unix tools are no longer bundled. Its value is strongest for users who like scriptable text filters rather than editor-integrated writing assistants.
### How it is used
diction reads files or standard input and marks sentences containing phrases from its language databases; style reports readability and other surface characteristics. The manual documents pipelines with deroff for roff documents, and similar use with dehtml or detex for HTML and TeX.
### Why package nerds care
The package is a small example of GNU preserving an old Unix userland niche: plain text in, diagnostics out, no service, no account, and no project-local configuration.
### Timeline
- 1997: GNU diction copyright range begins in the 1.11 manual page.
- 1998: diction 0.7 appears in the GNU FTP archive.
- 2007: diction 1.11 is released with Dutch support and GPLv3 licensing.
### Related projects
- AT&T DWB diction/style, deroff, dehtml, detex, and fmt are the closest historical and pipeline neighbors.
### Sources
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## Security Notes
narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.
- **Geiger risk:** green / low
- narrow executable package without higher-risk signals
## Other Package-Manager Records
- Debian apt - diction - 1.14-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: diction from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | Utilities to help with style and diction (English and German) | http://www.gnu.org/software/diction/diction.html
- Nix - diction: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/di/diction/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
- Ubuntu apt - diction - 1.14-1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: diction from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | Utilities to help with style and diction (English and German) | http://www.gnu.org/software/diction/diction.html
- dnf - diction - 1.14-14.fc45: normalized package name match | Fedora Rawhide package metadata: diction from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/07190dc5ae9f35ae73866675fed6d95fe6e8d9fe22c9d7cdf85862cb2ed24a4c-primary.xml.zst | Identifies diction and style errors | http://www.gnu.org/software/diction/diction.html
- MacPorts - diction: normalized package name match | MacPorts ports tree: textproc/diction/Portfile from https://api.github.com/repos/macports/macports-ports/git/trees/master?recursive=1
## Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/diction.yml](https://github.com/mxcl/pkgdb/blob/main/combined/diction.yml)
## Sources
- pkg.so package database
- Geiger risk classifier
- curated package history
- pkgdb category and tag curation
- external package-manager database matches
- cross-ecosystem install command graph