How do you avoid common proofreading errors?

When it comes to self-editing/proofreading, I've always found that reading my text aloud was tremendously helpful. It is, however, easy to still skip over errors. To combat that, I'll go out of my way to really focus on annunciation, which naturally slows down my reading and helps to eliminate errors. Any time I'm coaching my staff on editing, I focus specifically on this.

Several years ago I was asked for advice on a prospective career as a proofreader. "You must be willing to lose sleep," I said, "worrying about the possibility of missed punctuation." The answer was the verbal equivalent of an arched eyebrow, but that was fine with me. However, when I said, "You'll have to fall in love with writing," the reply was an insistent, "Well, I don't want to write. I want to proofread." The questioner was very bright, but the remark meant a failed interview. As others have said, an expert proofreader will employ any available means to ensure that the work is scoured for errors. Reading each line backward is a common approach. However, it's essential to know what excellent writing is. How can one edit without it?

Although Grammarly provides considerable proofreading assistance with Word documents, I recommend that writers also use Word's text-to-voice function to listen to what they have written. This function is found under the "Review" menu. Text-to-voice allows you to assess the flow of your language, and it helps you catch any gaps or snags in the text missed by Grammarly. It also helps you conceptualize the best transition sentence to use at the end of a paragraph. I listen to my writing one paragraph at a time when I am writing a research paper, article, business brief, or book. Using the help of Grammarly and Word's text-to-voice function gives me clarity and confidence in how my writing will strike its readers. Dr. Horace Columbus Neal II

Get some distance and read your text aloud. Don't try to proofread as you write - you'll still miss mistakes and spend more time writing anyway. Plan for a day or two after you finish editing to forget about the text so that you can come back with fresh eyes for the proofreading.

If you can, print the article. A printed matter is different from one that you can just browse through and scroll up and down in your electronic device. There are errors that you can see in a printed text that you cannot using your laptop or mobile phone, so printing is crucial.

Expand your checklist into a stylesheet as well. This is where you list all of the rules that apply to the specific text you’re working on (really important for fiction!). You would typically list character and place name spelling, capitalisation rules, and so on. End off your stylesheet with a checklist to go through at the end of your proofread. Include elements like: does the table of contents match the actual chapter titles? Did you apply the appropriate version of English throughout? Does your proofread match the client’s requirements? Take your time refining what you include on your stylesheet. It will become easier to build with each new proofreading job you do.

It's easy to forget the smaller details, like a shorter/longer dash here or a missing quotation mark there, which can be small but broad details to miss during a proofread. But just as important as fixing punctuation is making a list of words that need to be consistently spelled: - Is it "alright" or "all right"? - Are there different ways to spell a word depending on which version of English you're using? - Is there repetitiveness in a sentence due to using a word too much, like conjunctions? The find and replace feature is your best friend when covering the smaller, forgettable details. Making a checklist to cover these before submitting your proofread paper will save you the headache.

Your checklist and brand style guide should be your go-to resources, especially when working with specialized content. Use them side by side when proofing and editing. Your checklist should remind you to review the nuances you need to be mindful of (i.e., the spelling of certain people or brands), and your brand style guide should include the right information to address those nuances.

This is a vital part of proofreading. The stages can be spelling, grammar, punctuation, awkward phrases, etc. (as noted above). Trying to catch all errors at once is not practical and will leave mistakes.

My favorite proofing tip I ever received came from my high school English teacher: "walk away, come back, repeat three times." What she meant was give the text a rest period of at least 30 minutes. By walking away and returning, both my mind and eyes are refreshed. She was also correct that by the third time, all errors are typically caught. Sometimes, when a response is needed quickly - like an email - I condense the rest period to 5 minutes. Still works!

I always proofread each item upon completion. Each sentence, each paragraph, and finally the finished product. It's a slower process, but it's as thorough as you can be. I would also HIGHLY recommend never leaving a sentence incomplete "for later." You might lose your train of thought or even forget to complete it later on.

In addition to proofreading in stages, one thing I've found really helpful is taking a break from the entire task before marking it as done. When you're "done" proofreading a piece, go do something else for about 30 minutes and come back to check. This time, you have a fresh eye and you're easily able to spot errors you might have missed.

Proofreading and editing are multilevel tasks. Review one "level" at a time. First, review for factual information, proper citations, etc. Then, check for style, voice, and structure. Lastly, go into mechanical parts like grammar, punctuation, and the like. Breaking it down like this creates a structured hierarchy that allows you to focus on each level and not get overwhelmed.

Stepping away from the message and come back after a few minutes can also help you look at it from a correctness perspective. When we communicate complex ideas our writing minds burn more energy on refining the idea, not the grammar and correctness. Step away from the message after the idea has been crafted, come back after a short break or completing a different fast with proofreading in mind. This will make the grammar/spelling errors “pop” out and become easier to find than when you originally drafted.

While changing the appearance of your text is a good way to catch errors, it can just as easily introduce errors in the copy. As a good practice, double-check to ensure that you have maintained uniform formatting in the final approved copy.

Since English is my fifth language, occasionally I have problem with prespositions, such as in, on, at, to, into, with, out, etc. To find out the right preposition I write a few words at Google Search box and see the pages containg the rest... I also use search engine to find out the most popular spelling or alternative names of a thing or concept, by comparing the number of pages containing such a word. For instance, Quran or Koran. Muhammad or Mohammad, "Moving Walkyways" or Travelator or Travellator... PS: After writing this, I noticed that I wrote "occasionally I have problem" which did not seem right. So, I decided to check it by searching for the following in quotation mark: "Occasionally I have" "I have occasionally"

Agree! An online dictionary is one of the best tools. It helps with spelling and ensuring the correct word is used (i.e., avoiding a misspelling of a similar word that might be in the text). A good style guide (make your own) can also help.

One time while proofreading, I was unable to remove the red underline from a common racial equity term that the dictionary hadn't added yet. The free tool in use was helpful but not perfect. Don't rely on automated resources, which may not be fully updated, might not catch the difference between "their" and "there," or might not have sound grammar advice for the style you are using. Always triple check your work even when using these online tools, including an out loud proof.

An online dictionary or thesaurus can be really useful and a quick reference tool. Other online tools such Grammarly etc can be helpful but I find not accurate enough to rely on exclusively. I find they are most useful if I get stuck on something and need a 'second opinion' as they help get the thought process going.

I agree that online tools like Grammarly are there for assistance and should never be relied on completely. By doing so, I don't believe you are actually proofreading the text, a machine is. Proofreading by yourself is at the core of the process.

Proofreading is an important final step in the larger editorial process because it helps you understand what your reader will look at once the final approved text is published. Thus, as a proofreader, it is important to highlight any textual inconsistencies that you believe would disrupt the reader experience.

Proofreading while writing is challenging, especially under tight deadlines. To minimize errors, pause before proofreading, read aloud, and try reverse reading. Be cautious with spell checkers; print for a fresh view. Focus on punctuation, homonyms, and consistency. Check numbers, facts, and grammar. Seek a second opinion, and use online tools. Practice improves skills over time.

This is where non-native English speakers have an advantage: we can translate the text into our own mother tongue, so we can quickly spot mistakes that might otherwise have slipped past us in the rush (birds of pray, for example). Of course, this tactic is not practical when you have dozens of pages to proofread.

I agree with all the examples here. For pure proofreading, read the sentences from the bottom up. (Read the last sentence first and the first sentence last.) That way you won’t get hung up on storytelling and flow, and will focus on spelling, syntax and grammar. Suggest you do this out loud.

Get a style guide! You can make your own, or you can use one of the many that are already available. And be sure to mark it up for any areas you're having problems with. Proofreading isn’t just about being right; you’ve got to be consistent.