when proofreading a document be concerned with quizlet

Encyclopedia

Writing with artificial intelligence.

Proofreading

• © 2023 by Joseph M. Moxley - Professor of English - USF

Proofreading refers to a step in  the writing process --the act of critically reading a document with the goal of identifying errors at the word and sentence-level. Proofreading  is crucial to establishing a professional tone in school and workplace contexts . Learn how to edit documents so that your works meet the needs and expectations of your readers.

What is Proofreading

Proofreading refers to a step in the writing process–the process of rereading a document with the goal of identifying word and sentence-level errors .

Synonymous Terms

The terms proofreading , editing , and revision , and may be used interchangeably by some people. However, subject matter experts in writing studies make distinctions between these intellectual strategies by noting their different foci:

a focus on the big picture – the global perspective.

• Content Development
• Organization
• Rhetorical Stance

a focus on line-by-line editing – the local perspective

a focus on a last chance to catch any errors

• Final check for errors

Proofreading may also be referred to as correcting or copy editing.

Related Concepts: Global Perspective ; Local Perspective ; Proofreading ; Revision ; Structured Revision; Styles of Writing

Why Does Proofreading Matter?

As noted for editing , proofreading is critical to establishing a professional tone in academic writing and workplace writing.

Have you ever sent off an email message or submitted a school paper only to later discover that it was full of typographical errors?  How could you have missed all of these errors?

The answer seems to have something to do with how our brains work. Our brains recognize patterns.  This is part of the reason why people who read frequently tend to read faster than infrequent readers: their brains more speedily recognize and process patterns of words on the page.

Texts that we write ourselves are the texts that we can read fastest of all, because our brains are already deeply familiar with the patterns of our words.

But what helps us as readers can hurt us as writers.  When we read our own work, our brains tend to quickly see the patterns that we put on the page rather than the individual words.  We see what we meant to write, and not necessarily what we actually wrote. 

To our readers, however, who are not as familiar with our words, the errors are more apparent—and they detract from our credibility as authors.

To proofread effectively, we need to distance ourselves from the text and see it as our readers will see it.

How to Proofread

The little changes that you make during editing and proofreading can have a profound and disproportionate effect on your target reader’s experience interpretation of your document.

The following techniques can help you critically evaluate your document at the sentence level:

• After working hard to develop the substance of a message, you may be weary of it and eager to turn it over to your instructor. If possible, however, you are wise to set the draft aside and work on another task before trying to edit it. For example, try editing after you first wake up, then after lunch, and then before dinner. Are you surprised that you can keep finding ways to improve the document?
• It has become commonplace for postsecondary writing instructors in the U.S. to suggest that writers not worry about proofreading during the early stages of a writing project. This can be sound advice because time spent proofreading could be wasted if what you’re editing doesn’t respond to the demands of the school assignment or isn’t rhetorically sensitive. Plus, why edit a freewrite when the goal during freewriting is to develop ideas?
• Try reading your document backwards: Begin with the last sentence and move upward toward the introduction
• Place sheets of paper above and below each sentence in the document as you read through it
• Place slashes between each sentence and then evaluate each one separately
• If you are using a personal computer, try printing the document with a different font, such as size 14 or size 10 point instead of the normal size 12.
• Look for mistakes to cluster. When you find one error in paragraph seven, for example, carefully examine the surrounding sentences to see if you had a lapse of concentration when you wrote and copyedited that section.
• Look for errors that you often make, such as sentence fragments or subject-verb agreement.

Brevity - Say More with Less

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Flow - How to Create Flow in Writing

Inclusivity - Inclusive Language

The Elements of Style - The DNA of Powerful Writing

Recommended

Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community

Structured Revision – How to Revise Your Work

Professional Writing – How to Write for the Professional World

Credibility & Authority – How to Be Credible & Authoritative in Research, Speech & Writing

Citation Guide – Learn How to Cite Sources in Academic and Professional Writing

Page Design – How to Design Messages for Maximum Impact

Suggested edits.

• Please select the purpose of your message. * - Corrections, Typos, or Edits Technical Support/Problems using the site Advertising with Writing Commons Copyright Issues I am contacting you about something else
• Your full name
• Your email address *
• Page URL needing edits *
• Name This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Other Topics:

Citation - Definition - Introduction to Citation in Academic & Professional Writing

• Joseph M. Moxley

Explore the different ways to cite sources in academic and professional writing, including in-text (Parenthetical), numerical, and note citations.

Collaboration - What is the Role of Collaboration in Academic & Professional Writing?

Collaboration refers to the act of working with others or AI to solve problems, coauthor texts, and develop products and services. Collaboration is a highly prized workplace competency in academic...

Genre may reference a type of writing, art, or musical composition; socially-agreed upon expectations about how writers and speakers should respond to particular rhetorical situations; the cultural values; the epistemological assumptions...

Grammar refers to the rules that inform how people and discourse communities use language (e.g., written or spoken English, body language, or visual language) to communicate. Learn about the rhetorical...

Information Literacy - Discerning Quality Information from Noise

Information Literacy refers to the competencies associated with locating, evaluating, using, and archiving information. In order to thrive, much less survive in a global information economy — an economy where information functions as a...

Mindset refers to a person or community’s way of feeling, thinking, and acting about a topic. The mindsets you hold, consciously or subconsciously, shape how you feel, think, and act–and...

Rhetoric: Exploring Its Definition and Impact on Modern Communication

Learn about rhetoric and rhetorical practices (e.g., rhetorical analysis, rhetorical reasoning,  rhetorical situation, and rhetorical stance) so that you can strategically manage how you compose and subsequently produce a text...

Style, most simply, refers to how you say something as opposed to what you say. The style of your writing matters because audiences are unlikely to read your work or...

The Writing Process - Research on Composing

The writing process refers to everything you do in order to complete a writing project. Over the last six decades, researchers have studied and theorized about how writers go about...

Writing Studies

Writing studies refers to an interdisciplinary community of scholars and researchers who study writing. Writing studies also refers to an academic, interdisciplinary discipline – a subject of study. Students in...

Featured Articles

• Walden University
• Faculty Portal

Writing a Paper: Proofreading

Introduction.

Proofreading involves reading your document to correct the smaller typographical, grammatical, and spelling errors. Proofreading is usually the very last step you take before sending off the final draft of your work for evaluation or publication. It comes after you have addressed larger matters such as style, content, citations, and organization during revising. Like revising, proofreading demands a close and careful reading of the text. Although quite tedious, it is a necessary and worthwhile exercise that ensures that your reader is not distracted by careless mistakes.

Tips for Proofreading

• Set aside the document for a few hours or even a few days before proofreading. Taking a bit of time off enables you to see the document anew. A document that might have seemed well written one day may not look the same when you review it a few days later. Taking a step back provides you with a fresh (and possibly more constructive) perspective.
• Make a conscious effort to proofread at a specific time of day (or night!) when you are most alert to spotting errors. If you are a morning person, try proofreading then. If you are a night owl, try proofreading at this time.
• Reviewing the document in a different format and having the ability to manually circle and underline errors can help you take the perspective of the reader, identifying issues that you might ordinarily miss. Additionally, a hard copy gives you a different visual format (away from your computer screen) to see the words anew.
• Although useful, programs like Word's spell-checker and Grammarly can misidentify or not catch errors. Although grammar checkers give relevant tips and recommendations, they are only helpful if you know how to apply the feedback they provide. Similarly, MS Word's spell checker may not catch words that are spelled correctly but used in the wrong context (e.g., differentiating between their, they're , and there ). Beyond that, sometimes a spell checker may mark a correct word as wrong simply because the word is not found in the spell checker's dictionary. To supplement tools such as these, be sure to use dictionaries and other grammar resources to check your work. You can also make appointments with our writing instructors for feedback concerning grammar and word choice, as well as other areas of your writing!
• Reading a text aloud allows you to identify errors that you might gloss over when reading silently. This technique is particularly useful for identifying run-on and other types of awkward sentences. If you can, read for an audience. Ask a friend or family member to listen to your work and provide feedback, checking for comprehension, organization, and flow.
• Hearing someone else read your work allows you to simply listen without having to focus on the written words yourself. You can be a more critical listener when you are engaged in only the audible words.
• By reading the document backwards, sentence by sentence, you are able to focus only on the words and sentences without paying attention to the context or content.
• Placing a ruler or a blank sheet of paper under each line as you read it will give your eyes a manageable amount of text to read.
• If you can identify one type of error that you struggle with (perhaps something that a faculty member has commented on in your previous work), go through the document and look specifically for these types of errors. Learn from your mistakes, too, by mastering the problem concept so that it does not appear in subsequent drafts.
• Related to the previous strategy of checking for familiar errors, you can proofread by focusing on one error at a time. For instance, if commas are your most frequent problem, go through the paper checking just that one problem. Then proofread again for the next most frequent problem.
• After you have finished making corrections, have someone else scan the document for errors. A different set of eyes and a mind that is detached from the writing can identify errors that you may have overlooked.
• Remember that proofreading is not just about errors. You want to polish your sentences, making them smooth, interesting, and clear. Watch for very long sentences, since they may be less clear than shorter, more direct sentences. Pay attention to the rhythm of your writing; try to use sentences of varying lengths and patterns. Look for unnecessary phrases, repetition, and awkward spots.

Download and print a copy of our proofreading bookmark to use as a reference as you write!

• Proofreading Bookmark Printable bookmark with tips on proofreading a document.

Proofreading for Grammar Video

Note that this video was created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines.

• Mastering the Mechanics: Proofreading for Grammar (video transcript)

Related Webinar

• Previous Page: Revising for Writing Goals
• Next Page: Reflecting & Improving
• Office of Student Disability Services

Walden Resources

Departments.

• Academic Residencies
• Academic Skills
• Career Planning and Development
• Customer Care Team
• Field Experience
• Military Services
• Student Success Advising
• Writing Skills

Centers and Offices

• Center for Social Change
• Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services
• Office of Degree Acceleration
• Office of Research and Doctoral Services
• Office of Student Affairs

Student Resources

• Doctoral Writing Assessment
• Form & Style Review
• Quick Answers
• ScholarWorks
• SKIL Courses and Workshops
• Walden Bookstore
• Walden Catalog & Student Handbook
• Student Safety/Title IX
• Legal & Consumer Information
• Website Terms and Conditions
• Cookie Policy
• Accessibility
• Accreditation
• State Authorization
• Net Price Calculator
• Contact Walden

Walden University is a member of Adtalem Global Education, Inc. www.adtalem.com Walden University is certified to operate by SCHEV © 2024 Walden University LLC. All rights reserved.

• About the Writing Fellows
• How to Make an Appointment
• Revising Based on the Fellows’ Feedback
• Common Writing Questions
• How to read a SafeAssign report
• APA Handouts & Tutorials
• Critically Reading and Annotating a Text
• From Reading to Writing: Double Entry Notebook
• From Reading to Writing: Quotation-Comment-Question (Q-C-Q)
• Choosing Appropriate Quotes
• Integrating Quotes into Your Writing
• Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
• Decoding Your Assignment, Part 1
• Decoding Your Assignment, Part 2
• Understanding Assignments Worksheet
• Creating an Outline
• Using An Outline to Write A Paper

Proofreading and Revising

• Drafts: Respond, Redraft, Revise
• Paragraph Construction and Topic Sentences
• Essay Structure
• What are thesis and organizational statements?
• Generating a Thesis
• Thesis Statements: Working Backwards
• Five Strategies for Writing More Clearly
• About the Library
• Webinars on Finding, Using and Citing Sources
• How to use the WCOnline scheduler
• Bring and Cite Workshops

You’ve written a draft of your paper.  Now your work is done, so you should just turn it in, right?  No, WAIT!  Step away from the computer, take a deep breath, and don’t submit that assignment just yet.

You should always proofread and revise your paper.  A first draft is usually a very rough draft.  It takes time and at least two (or more!) additional passes through to really make sure your argument is strong, your writing is polished, and there are no typos or grammatical errors.  Proofreading will always give you a better paper in the end.

After you finish writing the first draft, your process should be something like this:

• Take a break! Try to wait a day or two before looking back over your paper.  If you are on a tight deadline, then take a walk, grab a snack, drink some coffee, or do something else to clear your head so you can read through your paper with fresh eyes.  The longer you wait, the more likely it is you will see what is actually on the page and not what you meant to write.
• Print out your paper, read through it, and mark it up using some brightly colored pen (so you won’t miss any corrections later on).  See below for suggestions on what to look for when you are doing this step.
• Take another break.
• Open your computer file and make changes to your paper based on your marked-up copy.  These changes could be major (for example, reordering your ideas, cutting sections, or adding more information) or they could be more minor (fixing subject-verb agreement or other grammatical issues, adding in missing words, correcting typos, etc.).

Make sure you leave yourself enough time to complete your draft and proofread it as many times as is necessary (for major assignments, you will want to go through the process described above at least twice).   It can help to give yourself smaller deadlines leading up to a major deadline (and some teachers even build this in for you).  For example, if your paper is due in four weeks, make a deadline to complete your research by the end of week 1, write your thesis statement and create an outline by the end of week 2, finish a first draft by the end of week 3, and spend the last week making multiple passes at proofreading and revising your paper.

What to Look for in the First Proofreading Pass(es): Higher-Order Concerns

Typically, early proofreading passes a paper should focus on the larger issues, which are known as higher-order concerns. Higher-order concerns relate to the strength of your ideas, the support for your argument, and the logic of how your points are presented. Some important higher-order concerns are listed below, along with some questions you can ask yourself while proofreading to see if your paper needs work in any of these areas:

• The Thesis Statement : Does your paper have a clear thesis statement? If so, where is it? Does the introduction lead up to that thesis statement? Does each paragraph directly relate back to your thesis statement?
• The Argument : Is your thesis statement supported by enough evidence? Do you need to add any explanations or examples to better make your case? Is there any unnecessary or irrelevant information that should be removed?
• Large-Scale Organization : Could your paper be easily outlined or tree diagrammed? Are your paragraphs presented in a logical order? Are similar ideas grouped together?  Are there clear transitions (either verbal or logical) that link each paragraph to what came before?
• Organization within Paragraphs : Is each paragraph centered around one main idea? Is there a clear topic sentence for each paragraph? Are any of your paragraphs too short or too long? Do all the sentences in each paragraph relate back to their respective topic sentences? Are the sentences presented in a logical order, so each grows out of what came before?
• The Assignment Instructions : Does your paper answer all aspects of the writing prompt?  Have you completed all of the tasks required by the instructor? Did you include all necessary sections (for example, an abstract or reference list)?  Are you following the required style for formatting the paper as a whole, the reference list, and/or your citations? (That last question is technically a lower-order concern, but it falls under the assignment instructions and is something where you could easily lose points if you don’t follow instructions.)

When reading through your early draft(s) of your paper, mark up your paper with those concerns in mind first.  Keep proofreading and revising until you have fixed all of these larger-scale issues.  Your paper may change a lot as you do this – that’s completely normal! You might have to add more material; cut sentences, paragraphs, or even whole sections; or rewrite significant portions of the paper to fix any problems related to these higher-order concerns.  This is why you should be careful not to get too bogged down with small-scale problems early on: there is no point in spending a lot of time fixing sentences that you end up cutting because they don’t actually fit in with your topic!

What to Look for in the Later Proofreading Pass(es): Lower-Order Concerns

Once you have fully addressed the higher-order concerns, you can focus on more local fixes or lower-order concerns in your subsequent proofreading passes. Lower-order concerns include writing style, wording, typos, and grammar issues.  Yes, it’s true: grammar is a lower-order concern! Even though students are often very concerned that their grammar needs to be fixed, it is actually more important to focus on the quality of your ideas and the logic of how they are presented first.  That’s not to say you shouldn’t worry about grammar; it’s just that you shouldn’t make it a main focus until closer to the end of the writing process.  Some typical lower-order concerns are listed below, along with some questions that can help you recognize aspects in need of revision:

• Style: Are you using an appropriate tone? Are you following the conventions that are typical of your discipline?   Are you using the required style for formatting?
• Wording: Are you always picking the word that has the precise meaning you want? Are there any places where your wording is confusing or where your sentences are long and hard to follow? Are there any awkward phrases? Are you writing as simply and concisely as possible? Are there any redundant words or sentences that should be removed?
• Grammar: Do you have any sentence fragments or run-on sentences? Are your subjects and verbs in agreement?  Are you handling your plurals and possessives correctly? Are there any punctuation errors?
• Typos: Are there missing words?  Are any words misspelled (be especially careful to watch out for words that spell-check won’t catch, for example typing “can” when you meant “van”)? Are there any extra spaces that need to be removed?

Cleaning up these local issues is the final stage in the writing process.  Think of this as polishing up your writing, so that the quality of your prose matches the quality of your ideas.

Other Tips for Proofreading

• Always read slowly and carefully when proofreading.  Don’t rush! If you try to go too fast, you will probably miss errors you would otherwise catch.
• Read your paper out loud. This can be very helpful for catching typos, missing words, awkward phrasings, and overly long or confusing sentences.
• Pretend you are the reader, not the author of the paper.  Try to look at what you wrote from the perspective of someone who does not know all the things you know.  Would a reasonably intelligent audience be able to understand your prose and be convinced by your argument?
• Keep track of any errors you consistently make (within a single paper or in multiple papers).  Check out our   Common Writing Questions  page for explanations of common errors and suggestions for how to fix them.  Detailed information about addressing various higher-order concerns can be found in our Writing Guides .  You can also  contact our Writing Fellows to request help with any writing issues or more information about any writing-related topic.
• Get feedback on your paper from your teacher, a classmate or friend, a Writing Fellow , or all of the above.  For more information about how to revise your paper based on such feedback, visit this page .

Need help with the Commons?

Email us at [email protected] so we can respond to your questions and requests. Please email from your CUNY email address if possible. Or visit our help site for more information:

• Terms of Service
• Accessibility
• Creative Commons (CC) license unless otherwise noted

What Is Proofreading? Everything You Need to Know about Having Your Work Proofread

#scribendiinc

Your boss or professor may have told you in the past that you need to proofread your work before submitting it. Although you didn't admit it at the time, it's possible that you asked yourself the following questions: What is proofreading anyway? What is involved in the proofreading process? Why should I even bother?

You might know that proofreading does not involve in-depth changes or fact checking and that  proofreading is not the same as editing . It seems that, when we're talking about proofreading, the matter of what proofreading is  not  comes up a lot more than what proofreading  is .

While that information is helpful, it still doesn't answer your original question: what is proofreading?

Here's the simplest definition, which the rest of this article will explain in greater detail:

Proofreading is the process of reviewing the final draft of a piece of writing to ensure consistency and accuracy in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting.

What is traditional proofreading?

One of the things clouding people's understanding of what proofreading entails is the fact that the word is used differently in different fields. Asking "What is proofreading?" to someone in the publishing profession, for example, will likely garner a very different reply than asking someone at a university.

Someone in the publishing industry would view proofreading as the last possible opportunity to revise a manuscript before it is printed and published. The proofreader compares the proofs—printed versions of the manuscript, which include all the formatting, page numbers, headers, etc. that will be included in the final edition—with the edited copy to make sure that no errors have been introduced by the formatting or printing.

But wait—I thought proofreading was about fixing spelling mistakes?

The word  proofreading  has taken on a definition separate from the role it plays in the publication of manuscripts.

What most people are referring to when they use the word  proofreading  is the process of checking a document for any kind of grammatical, typographical, or formatting errors. Proofreading should always be the last step taken before a document is published online, handed in to a professor, submitted for a job application, or otherwise shared with its intended audience.

What kinds of errors are identified and fixed during proofreading?

By the time a document is ready to be proofread, it should have been edited already. This means its content should already be well organized, well written, and easy to understand. Editing also involves removing errors, but it focuses more on making sure the document makes sense as a whole.

Proofreading, on the other hand, is about finding errors both small and large that were either missed or introduced during editing. Proofreaders ensure that the document's final draft is completely free of grammatical errors (e.g., subject–verb agreement problems, incorrect word choices, improper punctuation usage, and incorrect spelling) as well as formatting and typographical errors. They also make sure the document adheres to the chosen style guide.

Unlike traditional proofreaders in the publishing industry, document proofreaders are not limited in the number of revisions they can make to a document, as there is generally no elevated proofreading cost associated with making more changes. However, if proofreaders find that most of the document still requires extensive changes, they may recommend that it undergo another round of editing.

Though a proofread is less extensive than an edit, it is an important step when preparing a piece of writing to be read by other people, as errors can cause confusion or be seen as unprofessional. Scribendi's proofreading services will help you polish your writing and ensure it is ready for your readers.

Image sources: Unsplash.com, Hans/Pixabay.com

Achieve Perfect Writing with High-Quality Proofreading

Try our personal proofreading service , or get a free sample.

Have You Read?

"The Complete Beginner's Guide to Academic Writing"

Related Posts

Copy Editing and Why You Need It

Editing Sites: 6 Ways to Determine Credibility Before You Buy

Value Proofreading: How Much Does Proofreading Cost in 2024?

Upload your file(s) so we can calculate your word count, or enter your word count manually.

We will also recommend a service based on the file(s) you upload.

English is not my first language. I need English editing and proofreading so that I sound like a native speaker.

I need to have my journal article, dissertation, or term paper edited and proofread, or I need help with an admissions essay or proposal.

I have a novel, manuscript, play, or ebook. I need editing, copy editing, proofreading, a critique of my work, or a query package.

I need editing and proofreading for my white papers, reports, manuals, press releases, marketing materials, and other business documents.

I need to have my essay, project, assignment, or term paper edited and proofread.

I want to sound professional and to get hired. I have a resume, letter, email, or personal document that I need to have edited and proofread.

 Prices include your personal % discount.

 Prices include % sales tax ( ).

Strategies to Proofread Effectively

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

Acclaimed author Mark Twain had much to say on the topics of writing and language during his life, and his words are still quoted regularly today. The quote, "The difference between the almost right word and the right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug," for example, is one of Twain's most well-known observations. Ironically, however, it is often misquoted and lightning is misspelled twice as lightening .

Twain himself had little patience for such errors and vehemently advocated for proofreading . As once an old newspaper reporter himself, Twain knew full well how hard it is to proofread your own work, but he also knew that proofreaders can't always catch all of your mistakes. As he said in a letter to Sir Walter Bessant in February 1898:

"[W]hen you think you are reading proof, ... you are merely reading your own mind; your statement of the thing is full of holes and vacancies but you don't know it, because you are filling them from your mind as you go along. Sometimes—but not often enough—the printer's proof-reader saves you—and offends you ... and [you] find that the insulter is right."

So how does one proofread one's own work effectively, catching all of the mistakes without having to rely on someone else to do so? Here are ten strategies for doing just that.

Tips for Proofreading Effectively

There's no foolproof formula for perfect proofreading every time—as Twain realized, it's just too tempting to see what we meant to write rather than the words that actually appear on the page or screen. But these 10 tips should help you see (or hear) your errors before anybody else does.

• Give it a rest. If time allows, set your text aside for a few hours (or days) after you've finished composing it, then proofread it with fresh eyes. Rather than remembering the perfect paper you meant to write and projecting this onto your work, you're more likely to see what you've actually written and be able to improve it.
• Look for one type of problem at a time. Read through your text several times, concentrating first on sentence structures , then word choice , then spelling , and finally punctuation . As the saying goes, if you look for trouble, you're bound to find it.
• Double-check facts, figures, and proper names. In addition to reviewing for correct spelling and usage , make sure that all the information in your text is accurate and up to date.
• Review a hard copy. Print out your text and review it line by line. Rereading your work in a different format may help you catch errors that you previously missed.
• Read your text aloud. Or better yet, ask a friend or colleague to read it aloud. You may hear a problem (a faulty verb ending or missing word, for example) that you haven't been able to see.
• Use a spellchecker. A reliable spellchecker can help you catch repeated words, reversed letters, and many other common slip-ups—these tools are certainly not goof-proof, but they can weed out simple mistakes.
• Trust your dictionary. Your spellchecker or autocorrect can help you make sure that the words you've written are written correctly, but they can't help you choose the right word. Use a dictionary when you're not sure what word to use. If you're not sure whether sand is in a desert or a dessert , for example, crack open a dictionary.
• Read your text backward. Another way to catch spelling errors is to read backward, from right to left, starting with the last word in your text. Doing this will help you focus on individual words rather than on sentences so that you can't use context as a crutch.
• Create your own proofreading checklist. Keep a list of the types of mistakes you commonly make and refer to this the next time you proofread. Hopefully, this will help you stop making the same mistakes.
• Ask for help. Invite someone else to proofread your text after you have reviewed it. A new set of eyes may immediately spot errors that you've overlooked, but if you've followed the rest of these steps closely, your proofreader shouldn't find much at all.
• How to Write a Letter of Complaint
• Explore and Evaluate Your Writing Process
• What Is Communication?
• The Basic Elements of Communication
• Pragmatic Competence
• What Is an Adjustment Letter?
• Effective Rhetorical Strategies of Repetition
• Heuristics in Rhetoric and Composition
• What Is Multilingualism?
• Writer-Based Prose
• personal statement (essay)
• 5 Ways to Cut the Clutter in Writing
• Correcting Run-On Sentences and Comma Splices
• A Critical Analysis of George Orwell's 'A Hanging'
• Exercises in Proofreading for Errors in Subject-Verb Agreement
• Editing and Proofreading Marks in Composition

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Language rules

Quick Guide to Proofreading | What, Why and How to Proofread

Published on June 21, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on December 11, 2023.

Proofreading means carefully checking for errors in a text before it is published or shared. It is the very last stage of the writing process , when you fix minor spelling and punctuation mistakes, typos, formatting issues and inconsistencies.

Proofreading is essential for any text that will be shared with an audience, whether it’s an academic paper, a job application, an online article, or a print flyer. Depending on your skills and budget, you can choose to proofread the text yourself, use an AI proofreader , or hire a professional.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

Proofreading example, proofreading vs editing, proofreading tips and tricks, choosing a proofreading service, recommended proofreading service, frequently asked questions about proofreading.

In the publishing industry, proofreaders usually check a printed “proof copy” of the text and mark corrections using specialized proofreading marks. In other fields, though, professional proofreaders often work with digital texts and make corrections directly using the track changes feature in Microsoft Word or Google Docs.

Check for common mistakes

Use the best grammar checker available to check for common mistakes in your text.

Fix mistakes for free

Editing and proofreading are different steps in the process of revising a text. Editing can involve major changes to content, structure and language, but proofreading focuses only on minor errors and inconsistencies.

Often a text will go through several stages of editing before it is proofread. The table below shows some common steps in the editing process.

The four stages of editing and proofreading

Do I need to go through every stage?

It depends on the type and length of text. You don’t need to strictly follow the division of tasks shown above, but a good piece of writing will nearly always go through a similar process of revising, editing and proofreading.

In the traditional publishing process, the stages are clearly divided, with different professionals responsible for each revision. A separate proofread of the final print version is necessary, especially because new typographical errors can be introduced during production.

However, in texts that don’t need to be formatted for mass printing, there is often more overlap between the steps. Some editorial services combine copy editing and proofreading into a single stage (sometimes called proof-editing), where grammar, syntax and style are addressed at the same time as minor spelling and punctuation errors (e.g., commas , quotation marks and parentheses ).

Basic proofreading skills are important for anyone who writes. For everyday texts, such as business reports, blogs, or college papers, there are some techniques you can use to proofread efficiently and effectively before sharing your work.

Edit your writing first

Before you get to the final stage of proofreading, make sure you’ve thoroughly revised and edited your work. There’s no point spending time fixing minor errors if you might later remove whole sections or rewrite paragraphs. Only proofread once you’ve got a completed final draft that you’re happy with.

Take a break from the text

When you’ve been reading and rereading the same words for hours or days, it becomes much harder to notice common mistakes . Before proofreading, set your work aside for a while so that you can look at it with fresh eyes.

Ideally you should wait at least a day or two before final proofreading, but if you’re on a tight deadline, even a half hour break can help.

Proofread a printout

Seeing your words on a printed page is another useful strategy for noticing things that might have escaped your attention on the screen. If the final version will be printed, this is also a good chance to check your formatting is correct and consistent on the page.

Use digital shortcuts

While reading from print can help you spot errors, an online proofreader can help you fix them efficiently. Most obviously, run a spell check—but don’t rely on the computer to catch every mistake.

If you notice that you’ve repeatedly misspelled a particular word, inconsistently capitalized a term, or switched between UK and US English , you can use the Find and Replace function to fix the same mistake throughout the document.

Be careful, though, and don’t use “replace all”. Click through and check every replacement to avoid accidentally adding more errors!

Learn from your mistakes

Pay attention to the errors that keep recurring in the text. This can help you avoid them in future.

Knowing what to look out for is the most challenging part of proofreading. You’ll probably notice obvious typos, but subtle mistakes in grammar and punctuation can be harder to recognize. The table below shows some of the most common errors to look out for.

What to watch out for when proofreading

If you lack confidence in your written English, or if you just want to ensure you haven’t missed anything in an important document, you might want to consider using a professional proofreading service.

There are two main options: you can hire a freelance proofreader, or you can send your document to a proofreading and editing company. There are various things to consider when choosing a service.

Do you only need proofreading or also editing?

It’s important to have a clear idea of how much work your text requires. People often think they only need proofreading when, in reality, the text would benefit from some level of editing as well.

If you send a proofreader a document full of grammar mistakes, confusing sentences, and difficult-to-follow paragraphs, they might decline the job or recommend a different service.

Many freelancers and companies offer both editing and proofreading, either separately (with separate pricing) or combined into one service. Make sure you understand exactly what kind of changes are included. Will the editor only correct minor errors, or will they also comment on awkward phrasings and structural issues?

Should the proofreader be specialized in your type of document?

Many different types of documents require proofreading: from literary novels to technical reports, from PhD dissertations to promotional flyers . The best choice of service is usually one that’s specialized in your type of document.

While proofreaders and copy editors generally don’t need expert knowledge of the text’s content, the process will be smoother if your proofreader is familiar with the rules and conventions of the genre you’re working in.

How much does proofreading cost?

The cost of proofreading varies widely. The price depends partly on the proofreader’s location and level of experience, the type and length of text, and the turnaround time. Rates are usually calculated per word or per hour. If the service also focuses on formatting, it may be priced per page.

How long does proofreading take?

You should try to leave plenty of time for editing and proofreading, but if you have a hard deadline, it’s important to find a service that can deliver on time.

Most companies offer various choices of deadline, but it’s best to plan a minimum of 24 hours for proofreading. The price will generally be lower if you can wait longer to have your document returned.

For very long documents, it might not be possible to complete the job in 24 hours, especially if you also need editing services. For combined proofreading and copy editing, you can expect an experienced editor to complete around 10,000–15,000 words in a single day.

How can you check the quality and reliability of the service?

Like everything on the internet, the quality of proofreading services varies widely. Do your research before you choose one. There are a few things you can check:

• Online reviews : are they rated on independent review sites (e.g., Trustpilot ) or freelancer platforms (e.g., Upwork )?
• Qualifications : do they have professional training and experience? If you’re using a company, how do they select and train proofreaders?
• Customer service : are they easily contactable and responsive to inquiries?
• Complaints policy : what happens if you’re not happy with the job? Can you get a refund or a second edit?

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
• Style consistency

See an example

Scribbr offers proofreading services for students and academic editing services for all sorts of study-related documents, including essays, papers, theses, dissertations, reports, and proposals.

The basic service combines proofreading and copy editing at a rate of  $0.017 per word. You can choose between a 24-hour, 3-day, or 7-day turnaround time.

Scribbr is rated  4.6   on Trustpilot, with 13,500  reviews so far.

Editing and proofreading are different steps in the process of revising a text.

Editing comes first, and can involve major changes to content, structure and language. The first stages of editing are often done by authors themselves, while a professional editor makes the final improvements to grammar and style (for example, by improving sentence structure and word choice ).

Proofreading is the final stage of checking a text before it is published or shared. It focuses on correcting minor errors and inconsistencies (for example, in punctuation and capitalization ). Proofreaders often also check for formatting issues, especially in print publishing.

Whether you’re publishing a blog, submitting a research paper , or even just writing an important email, there are a few techniques you can use to make sure it’s error-free:

• Take a break : Set your work aside for at least a few hours so that you can look at it with fresh eyes.
• Proofread a printout : Staring at a screen for too long can cause fatigue – sit down with a pen and paper to check the final version.
• Use digital shortcuts : Take note of any recurring mistakes (for example, misspelling a particular word, switching between US and UK English , or inconsistently capitalizing a term), and use Find and Replace to fix it throughout the document.

If you want to be confident that an important text is error-free, it might be worth choosing a professional proofreading service instead.

The cost of proofreading depends on the type and length of text, the turnaround time, and the level of services required. Most proofreading companies charge per word or page, while freelancers sometimes charge an hourly rate.

For proofreading alone, which involves only basic corrections of typos and formatting mistakes, you might pay as little as $0.01 per word, but in many cases, your text will also require some level of editing , which costs slightly more.

It’s often possible to purchase combined proofreading and editing services and calculate the price in advance based on your requirements.

There are many different routes to becoming a professional proofreader or editor. The necessary qualifications depend on the field – to be an academic or scientific proofreader, for example, you will need at least a university degree in a relevant subject.

For most proofreading jobs, experience and demonstrated skills are more important than specific qualifications. Often your skills will be tested as part of the application process.

To learn practical proofreading skills, you can choose to take a course with a professional organization such as the Society for Editors and Proofreaders . Alternatively, you can apply to companies that offer specialized on-the-job training programmes, such as the Scribbr Academy .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, December 11). Quick Guide to Proofreading | What, Why and How to Proofread. Scribbr. Retrieved August 5, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/language-rules/what-is-proofreading/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, punctuation in academic writing: common errors | examples, how to revise your college admissions essay | examples, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”

What Is Proofreading? (+ Its Role in the Editing Process)

This article may contain affiliate links. Please see our affiliate disclaimer in the footer menu for more information. Thank you for your support!

What is proofreading? This seemingly simple question often receives a variety of answers. As a trained proofreader with experience in the field, I can help you understand what constitutes proofreading.

Proofreading is the process of carefully reviewing the final draft of a text to find and fix errors and inconsistencies in grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and formatting. Proofreaders also correct problems with word usage and repeated or omitted words.

Nowadays, proofreading has taken on a different meaning from what it means in the publishing industry alone. To add to the confusion, the term proofreading often gets mixed up with other terms like copyediting and editing .

Let’s get to the bottom of the confusion so we can understand what proofreading entails and where it fits into the editorial process.

Table of Contents

What Is Proofreading?

To get a solid definition for proofreading, let’s turn to one of the most authoritative sources: The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS).

CMOS is the go-to style guide in the publishing industry.

“Proofreading is the process of reading a text and scrutinizing all of its components to find errors and mark them for correction.” – The Chicago Manual of Style

And here’s a more concise definition:

“to read and mark corrections in (something, such as a  proof )” – Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary

Although this last definition couldn’t be more straightforward, we have differing opinions about how to define the word proofreading .

It’s time to find out how this conundrum originated.

Why the Term Proofreading Is So Darn Confusing

People get confused about what proofreading entails because we sometimes use the terms proofreading and editing synonymously. But they aren’t synonymous!

Another reason for the puzzlement is that some people think of proofreading in a more traditional sense. They consider it to be the process that takes place in the publishing industry, where proofreaders work with typeset documents.

However, others think about proofreading in fields where typeset pages don’t come into play.

Proofreading in the Publishing Industry

Let’s discuss a proofreader’s role in the publishing industry.

Proofreaders in publishing companies compare the proof (the typeset document) to the copyedited document to verify that all the copy editor’s corrections are appropriately implemented.

They also check the proof against the copyedited version to ensure no errors were introduced during formatting and printing and that all design specifications are followed.

Fun fact : The term proofreader came about because the eagle-eyed folks in publishing houses would essentially “read” the “proofs.” 😊

Greater Focus on Formatting Fumbles

Catching formatting issues is a primary concern for proofreaders in the publishing industry.

They also look for spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar errors that slipped through the cracks during previous editing stages.

They used to mark these mistakes on a hard copy with a red pen, using standard proofreaders’ marks .

Today it’s much more common for proofreaders to work on-screen with electronic documents and use PDF markup tools to pinpoint errors.

Here’s an excellent video from Editors Canada that explains the traditional proofreading process:

What Are Proofreaders’ Marks?

Proofreaders’ marks (aka proofreading marks) are unique abbreviations and symbols used to show how to fix minor errors in a typeset text.

In US English, the primary proofreading marks are divided into three categories:

• operational signs (mainly to show formatting problems)
• typographical signs (primarily to indicate proper font)
• punctuation marks (to locate missing punctuation)

I wrote an article about the extent to which proofreading marks are still used , in case you’re curious. It includes a video featuring some of the most common proofreading symbols.

Proofreading When Proofs Aren’t Involved

Outside of the publishing industry, proofreaders typically work directly with the author of a text. The author sends the proofreader a Microsoft Word document or a Google Doc. In this scenario, no proofs are invovled.

Less Focus on Formatting Faux Pas

Proofreaders have fewer formatting fumbles to fix with content that isn’t typeset.

Widows and Orphans Are No Longer a Concern

Without a typeset text, widows and orphans are no longer considerations.

Widows and orphans are short lines of text that have been separated from the paragraphs they belong to.

They make the writing on a page look unbalanced.

When you see a page that begins with the last part of a sentence from the previous page’s paragraph, that’s a widow.

And when you see a page that ends with the first little part of a new paragraph—that’s an orphan.

Widows and orphans are little lines that have strayed from the paragraph they belong to like lost lambs that have strayed from their flock.

Other Formatting Issues That Fall Away

Proofreaders no longer need to worry about bad word breaks.

And they don’t need to look out for blurry type that’s hard to read or sections of text that appear darker or lighter than surrounding parts.

Nor do they need to be concerned that facing pages are in alignment.

Looking at an open book, the page on the left is known as the verso, and the page on the right is called the recto.

Wouldn’t it feel weird if you were reading a book and the text ended at a different place on each page?

However, even if proofreaders aren’t working with typeset pages, they still have to ensure that content is well formatted so it’s visually appealing and easy to read.

For example, they ensure that the correct amount of space appears between words, sentences, and paragraphs and that indentations are properly aligned.

Working with Track Changes and the Suggesting Feature

When a proofreader corrects an MS Word document, they use Track Changes. And when working in Google Docs, they utilize the Suggesting feature.

Track Changes and the Suggesting feature allow proofreaders to show the precise location of mistakes and how to fix them.

They can also make suggestions or ask a question (known as an author query) in the document’s margins.

When using MS Word and Google Docs, the proofreader’s client can see all the suggested changes and accept or reject them with one click.

Here’s what it looks like to proofread a document using Track Changes in MS Word.

This is how it looks if you proof someone’s prose using the Suggesting feature in Google Docs.

However, many clients don’t want to bother accepting or rejecting changes. They want a “clean copy” of their writing with all the recommendations approved and integrated. I often get this request when I proofread someone’s work.

Now that we’ve learned what proofreading is and why this term causes confusion, let’s discover when proofreading takes place in the traditional four-stage editorial process.

Then, we’ll learn about the errors proofreaders are trained to find and correct.

Where Proofreading Fits into the Editorial Process

Since proofreading often gets confused with other editorial stages, it’s helpful to know where proofreading fits into the editing process.

The traditional editorial process consists of four stages: developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, and proofreading.

The process starts with developmental editing and ends with proofreading.

Let’s briefly look at each stage. You’ll notice some overlap from one step to the next.

1) Developmental Editing

Developmental editors (aka structural editors or substantive editors) work on the document as a whole , focusing on the following:

• Adding/deleting/reorganizing entire sections of text to improve the overall structure and content
• Ensuring the writing makes sense
• Checking that the writer has addressed all the main points

Note: For works of fiction, a developmental editor would consider several other factors, including character development, setting, plot, and pacing.

2) Line Editing

Line editors (aka content editors or stylistic editors) work on issues at the paragraph level as well as major issues at the sentence level , focusing on the following:

• Refining the language to improve clarity, flow, and consistency in tone and style
• Rearranging sentences within paragraphs if necessary
• Making sure the level of language is suitable for the target audience

3) Copyediting

Copy editors work in-depth at the sentence level on the following:

• Making writing correct, comprehensive, consistent, clear, and concise (the five c’s of copyediting)
• Correcting errors with syntax (sentence structure)
• Fixing mistakes with grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and formatting

4) Proofreading

Proofreaders work thoroughly at the word level on the following:

• Fixing errors with grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and formatting
• Correcting improper word choices ( affect vs. effect )
• Checking for repeated or omitted words

Proofreaders work with documents that have already been edited; these texts should be structurally sound, well written, and easy to follow.

The Difference between Proofreading and Editing

As we can see, proofreading and editing are two different processes.

While editing focuses on the big picture, proofreading deals with the details (e.g., spelling, grammar, punctuation).

Editing enhances a document’s organization and content, which can involve moving or deleting large chunks of text. Editors notify the author if any ideas or arguments need further development.

We can see why editing comes before proofreading . You would derive minimal benefit from hiring a proofreader before an editor since the editor would likely make substantial changes.

A proofreader can start working only after all the rewriting and tweaking have been completed.  

Now let’s dive deeper into a proofreader’s job description.

What a Proofreader Does (Their Role on Error Patrol)

As mentioned, a proofreader’s job is to use their eagle eyes to find and correct errors that were missed during previous editing stages.

Proofreaders don’t improve the flow of writing or make it more concise.

And although they’re not responsible for fact-checking, they’ll alert the author to any egregious errors.

Proofreading is a crucial step in the editing process because it serves as the final review of a document before it’s shared with readers.

The Main Kinds of Errors Proofreaders Look For

Let’s see specific slipups proofreaders strive to spot.

Proofreaders Guard against Grammar Gaffes

Grammar deals with the parts of speech and how they come together to form sentences. We have eight parts of speech in English: nouns , pronouns , verbs , adjectives , adverbs , prepositions , conjunctions , and interjections .

As you can imagine, we make a multitude of mistakes related to each of these parts of speech.

Here are a few examples of grammatical errors proofreaders look out for:

• faulty subject/verb agreement
• incorrect use of pronoun cases
• misuse of verb tenses
• using an adjective where an adverb is needed (and vice versa)
• wrong preposition choice
• mispairing of correlative conjunctions (e.g., pairing either with nor instead of or )
• inaccuracies with interjections

They Correct Capitalization Catastrophes

This category of errors is fairly straightforward. Proofreaders correct oversights dealing with the improper capitalization of nouns.

Some authors fall into what Rebecca Elliott calls the “cap trap” in her book Painless Grammar . This is when authors mistakenly capitalize words they deem important.

Proofreaders Pluck Out Punctuation Pitfalls

The most common mistakes here result from misusing periods, commas, semicolons , colons, question marks, exclamation points, hyphens, dashes, parentheses, quotation marks, and apostrophes.

Proofreaders also need to look for errors related to the treatment of numbers and abbreviations.

They Snuff Out Spelling Snafus

Proofreaders are responsible for finding misspelled words, including those overlooked by spellcheckers. Of course, a spellchecker can tell you if the author misspelled a word. But it can’t tell you if they used a correctly spelled word in the wrong context (e.g., discreet vs. discrete ).

Another problem with spellcheckers is that they’re not always up to date with industry-specific terminology.

They Fix Formatting Fumbles

In this category, proofreaders keep their eyes peeled for improper spacing between elements in a text (words, sentences, paragraphs, headers, etc.).

They must also ensure that headings, subheadings, paragraphs, and lists are properly aligned.

Inconsistencies in font size or type are another common mistake to look for.

As mentioned, proofing a typeset text involves checking for many more formatting flubs.

Proofreaders Wipe Out Witless Word Choices

Word choice blunders tend to happen with homophones —words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings (and usually different spellings).

Here are a few examples:

• bear vs. bare
• principal vs. principle
• to vs. too vs. two
• there vs. they’re vs. their

Of course, an author may simply choose a word whose meaning doesn’t make sense in a given context.

A common mistake for those who speak English as a second language is the misuse of prepositions. Proofreaders have to pick up on prepositions that pair poorly with other words.

They Remedy Repeated or Omitted Words

This category couldn’t be more self-explanatory. Sometimes writers repeat words, and and sometimes they leave out. 😉

Proofreaders Ensure Style Guide Rules Are Respected

We have style guides that govern writing in various fields.

Proofreaders are responsible for checking that writing adheres to the standards in the appropriate guide.

A style guide lays out standards for numerous components of writing, including the following:

• capitalization
• punctuation
• treatment of abbreviations and numbers

Here are four of the major style guides for content written in US English:

• The Chicago Manual of Style   (used in book publishing)
• The Associated Press Stylebook (used in journalism)
• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (used in social sciences)
• MLA (Modern Language Association) Handbook (used in the humanities)

I use The Chicago Manual of Style for most of my proofreading work and as the guide for the content on this website.

New Hart’s Rules: The Oxford Style Guide is a popular guide for proofing UK English.

Following a style guide lets proofreaders know precisely how to correct a document and ensures they make corrections consistently.

Example: Consistency with Em Dashes

Regarding em dashes, The Chicago Manual of Style dictates that no space appears to the left or right of the em dash.

Here’s a sentence from earlier in this blog post that contains an em dash: “And when you see a page that ends with the first little part of a new paragraph—that’s an orphan.”

However, The Associated Press Stylebook calls for one space on either side of an em dash.

Therefore, a proofreader using The Chicago Manual of Style would delete any space they found on either side of em dashes throughout an entire document. However, if they followed The Associated Press Stylebook , they would ensure that all em dashes in a text had one space on each side.

Om Proofreading discusses style guides and how to use them if you’re interested.

They Detect Dialect Disturbances

We have several English dialects: US, UK, Canadian, and Australian.

Differences in spelling, vocabulary, punctuation, and grammar exist between these styles of English.

Therefore, any deviations in dialect need to be detected and marked as errors.

I published an article that gives specific examples of the mistakes proofreaders look for if you’d like to explore this topic further.

The Different Types of Proofreading

We can divide the types of proofreading into four categories: print media, academic, business, and translation.

Print Media Proofreading

Proofreaders of print media work for publishers or self-publishing authors.

Here are some examples of print media documents:

• books and e-books (fiction and nonfiction)
• screenplays

Academic Proofreading

Academic proofreading involves polishing the writing of college students, researchers, and professors in academia.

Some examples of academic texts include the following:

• research papers
• journal articles
• personal statements

Business Proofreading

This sort of proofreading deals with tidying up the texts of business owners. We can also include job applicants here.

The following are examples of business writing:

• white papers
• PowerPoint presentations
• website copy
• cover letters

Translation Proofreading

Translation proofreading means proofing any text someone translated from one language to another.

Many documents fall under this category since we can translate practically any text into another language.

We can split translation proofreading into two categories: monolingual and bilingual.

Monolingual proofreaders know the language of the final document (target language) but not the language of the original text (source language).

Bilingual proofreaders understand both the target and source language.

The Skills Needed to Be a Proofreader

So what skills does a professional proofreader need?

A firm grasp of English grammar and mechanics is at the top of the list. But it doesn’t end there.

Proofreaders need to be familiar with at least one major style guide.

We have style guides for specific genres of writing. These guides provide rules to ensure the language and formatting of a text are clear and consistent, resulting in professional-looking content.  

In addition to being familiar with style guides, proofreaders should know how to research using Google, the appropriate dictionary, and other relevant resources.  

They’ll also need to know how to proofread in MS Word, Google Docs, and possibly Adobe Acrobat.

Of course, proofreaders must be patient and attentive to detail as they review writing with a fine-tooth comb.

The ability to stay focused for long blocks of time is also essential.

These eagle-eye workers need to have the self-discipline to stay organized and meet deadlines. They’ll also have to manage their time well and solve problems independently.

Finally, a robust general knowledge base and a willingness to keep up with changes to style guides, dictionaries, culturally acceptable language, and industry-specific terminology will serve them well.  

Why Proofreading Is Important

Proofreading is essential for many reasons!

Our written word reflects us and often serves as the first point of contact with other people.

For example, you’ve probably never met me, but the writing on this website represents me in my absence.

What if my writing was riddled with errors?

At the very least, you’d probably be annoyed. Worse yet, it could make you bounce from my website in search of someone who cared enough to polish their prose.

Of course, I’m far from perfect, and I make plenty of mistakes!

But I dedicate substantial time trying to make my content error-free—especially since this website focuses on proofreading!

Whether we like it or not, people evaluate us based on the quality of our writing.

Overlooked mistakes can muddle our message, make us look careless and unprofessional, and even call our credibility into question.

And just like people have little patience for slow websites (or slow anything these days 😉), they have a limited capacity for reading writing that causes them to trip over typos and stumble over sentences that are grammatically unsound or poorly punctuated.

Proofreading is crucial for job seekers to land work, businesses to attract clients, and students to get good grades.

I authored an article about reasons why proofreading is crucial that I think you may find interesting. The post contains a video about five of the worst typos in history.

Effective Proofreading Strategies

Certain tactics can help us find errors with increased accuracy and efficiency.

Let’s talk about three top-notch tips for proofreading.

1) Have the computer read the text to you out loud.

We need to use our eyes and ears for proofreading. When we listen to a piece of writing, it’s easier to catch omitted or repeated words. We can also get a sense of whether something sounds a bit off.

Our ears can sometimes catch what our eyes miss!

2) Read the writing backward, one line at a time.

If you’re proofreading a short text, a tried-and-true strategy is to read it backward.

Starting with the last sentence of the document, go sentence by sentence—reading each sentence from left to right as usual—until you reach the first sentence.

Reading this way stops our brain from anticipating what will come next, forcing us to slow down and focus all our attention on one sentence at a time.

Just like we use mindfulness to stay in the present moment in life, we can use backward proofreading to keep our full attention on the sentence we’re reading.

3) Change the appearance of the document.

Altering the text’s appearance can convince our brain that we’re having a novel reading experience.

Perceiving the writing in a new way helps us spot errors we may have otherwise overlooked.

We can modify the writing by changing font size, style, or color. Making the font bigger is usually the best bet, especially for noticing problems with tiny punctuation marks.

We can also add space between lines or divide the text into two columns.

Just do what works best for you! 😊

I penned a post about valuable proofreading techniques if you’d like more tricks to kick those errors to the curb!

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does proofreading cost?

Proofreading typically costs 1–3 cents per word if you hire a freelance proofreader and 3–6 cents per word with an online proofreading service. This translates to $10–$60 per 1,000 words. (One page contains 250 words.)

However, expect to pay more if you have a tight turnaround time, a poorly written document, or a highly technical text.

I wrote a post that discusses proofreading fees and the pros and cons of choosing a freelancer versus a proofreading company if you’d benefit from that information.

What are the best proofreading services?

Several reputable proofreading services are available. However, Cambridge Proofreading, ProofreadNOW.com, Editage, and Scribbr are among the best online proofreading companies.

I composed a post about the top editing and proofreading services if you’d like to know about these companies’ Trustpilot ratings, prices, and areas of expertise.

How do I find a good proofreader?

You can find proofreaders via Google, freelance platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, and online groups for writers and authors.

One of the best ways to know you’ve found a good proofreader is to ask them for a sample edit.

You can also inquire about the style guide they use and pay close attention to their written communication.

I talk about these methods and many more in my article about choosing a dependable proofreader .

How do I become a proofreader?

To become a proofreader, you’ll want to determine what kind of proofreading you want to do. Most people choose to do general proofreading so they can work on a wide range of documents.

However, some individuals decide to do transcript proofreading, meaning they only proofread court transcripts. Becoming a transcript proofreader takes much more time than becoming a general proofreader.

Then, you’ll want to take a well-respected proofreading course to learn the skills you need to succeed.

The proper skill set will allow you to be competitive in the market, acquire clients, and establish a good reputation.

I published a piece about getting into proofreading if you’re interested in learning more.

What software do proofreaders use?

Freelance proofreaders primarily work with Track Changes in Microsoft Word and the Suggesting feature in Google Docs. Both programs are easy for the client and proofreader.

Proofreaders who work on PDFs typically use Adobe Acrobat to mark up documents.

Grammarly and PerfectIt are two popular software programs that enable proofreaders to do their work more efficiently. However, these are only used as backup tools after they have manually reviewed a text for mistakes.

Om Proofreading has a post about the software proofreaders use if you’d like more information.

I hope this article has helped you better understand what proofreading entails.

Best wishes to you!

“You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop.” – Rumi

Lindsay Babcock

Lindsay is the creator of Om Proofreading. She has a BA in psychology and earned a certificate in proofreading by passing the final exam in Proofread Anywhere’s general proofreading course. She shares what she’s learning in the field and through research to inform and inspire her readers.

Recent Posts

6 Reasons Why Punctuation Is Important (with Examples)

Punctuation is important because it enables us to communicate our message clearly and effectively. Without punctuation, we wouldn’t understand how units of a sentence relate to one another or how...

What Is a Sentence Adverb? (+ Examples and a Quiz)

Although you're probably somewhat familiar with adverbs, you may be unaware of sentence adverbs. As a trained proofreader who has studied the parts of speech, I can help you understand this unique...

Essay Composition

Editing and proofreading, what this handout is about.

This handout provides some tips and strategies for revising your writing. To give you a chance to practice proofreading, we have left seven errors (three spelling errors, two punctuation errors, and two grammatical errors) in the text of this handout. See if you can spot them!

Is editing the same thing as proofreading?

Not exactly. Although many people use the terms interchangeably, editing and proofreading are two different stages of the revision process. Both demand close and careful reading, but they focus on different aspects of the writing and employ different techniques.

Some tips that apply to both editing and proofreading

• Get some distance from the text!  It’s hard to edit or proofread a paper that you’ve just finished writing—it’s still to familiar, and you tend to skip over a lot of errors. Put the paper aside for a few hours, days, or weeks. Go for a run. Take a trip to the beach. Clear your head of what you’ve written so you can take a fresh look at the paper and see what is really on the page. Better yet, give the paper to a friend—you can’t get much more distance than that. Someone who is reading the paper for the first time, comes to it with completely fresh eyes.
• Decide what medium lets you proofread most carefully.  Some people like to work right at the computer, while others like to sit back with a printed copy that they can mark up as they read.
• Try changing the look of your document.  Altering the size, spacing, color, or style of the text may trick your brain into thinking it’s seeing an unfamiliar document, and that can help you get a different perspective on what you’ve written.
• Find a quiet place to work.  Don’t try to do your proofreading in front of the TV or while you’re chugging away on the treadmill. Find a place where you can concentrate and avoid distractions.
• If possible, do your editing and proofreading in several short blocks of time.  Your concentration may start to wane if you try to proofread the entire text at one time.
• If you’re short on time, you may wish to prioritize.  Make sure that you complete the most important editing and proofreading tasks.

Editing is what you begin doing as soon as you finish your first draft. You reread your draft to see, for example, whether the paper is well-organized, the transitions between paragraphs are smooth, and your evidence really backs up your argument. You can edit on several levels:

Have you done everything the assignment requires? Are the claims you make accurate? If it is required to do so, does your paper make an argument? Is the argument complete? Are all of your claims consistent? Have you supported each point with adequate evidence? Is all of the information in your paper relevant to the assignment and/or your overall writing goal? (For additional tips, see our  handouts on understanding assignments  and  developing an argument .)

Overall structure

Does your paper have an appropriate introduction and conclusion? Is your thesis clearly stated in your introduction? Is it clear how each paragraph in the body of your paper is related to your thesis? Are the paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence? Have you made clear transitions between paragraphs? One way to check the structure of your paper is to make a  reverse outline  of the paper after you have written the first draft. (See our  handouts on introductions ,  conclusions ,  thesis statements , and  transitions .)

Structure within paragraphs

Does each paragraph have a clear topic sentence? Does each paragraph stick to one main idea? Are there any extraneous or missing sentences in any of your paragraphs? (See our  handout on paragraph development .)

Have you defined any important terms that might be unclear to your reader? Is the meaning of each sentence clear? (One way to answer this question is to read your paper one sentence at a time, starting at the end and working backwards so that you will not unconsciously fill in content from previous sentences.) Is it clear what each pronoun (he, she, it, they, which, who, this, etc.) refers to? Have you chosen the proper words to express your ideas? Avoid using words you find in the thesaurus that aren’t part of your normal vocabulary; you may misuse them.

Have you used an appropriate tone (formal, informal, persuasive, etc.)? Is your use of gendered language (masculine and feminine pronouns like “he” or “she,” words like “fireman” that contain “man,” and words that some people incorrectly assume apply to only one gender—for example, some people assume “nurse” must refer to a woman) appropriate? Have you varied the length and structure of your sentences? Do you tends to use the passive voice too often? Does your writing contain a lot of unnecessary phrases like “there is,” “there are,” “due to the fact that,” etc.? Do you repeat a strong word (for example, a vivid main verb) unnecessarily? (For tips, see our  handouts on style  and  gender-inclusive language .)

Have you appropriately cited quotes, paraphrases, and ideas you got from sources? Are your citations in the correct format? (See the  UNC Libraries citation tutorial  for more information.)

As you edit at all of these levels, you will usually make significant revisions to the content and wording of your paper. Keep an eye out for patterns of error; knowing what kinds of problems you tend to have will be helpful, especially if you are editing a large document like a thesis or dissertation. Once you have identified a pattern, you can develop techniques for spotting and correcting future instances of that pattern. For example, if you notice that you often discuss several distinct topics in each paragraph, you can go through your paper and underline the key words in each paragraph, then break the paragraphs up so that each one focuses on just one main idea.

Proofreading

Proofreading is the final stage of the editing process, focusing on surface errors such as misspellings and mistakes in grammar and punctuation. You should proofread only after you have finished all of your other editing revisions.

Why proofread? It’s the content that really matters, right?

Content is important. But like it or not, the way a paper looks affects the way others judge it. When you’ve worked hard to develop and present your ideas, you don’t want careless errors distracting your reader from what you have to say. It’s worth paying attention to the details that help you to make a good impression.

Most people devote only a few minutes to proofreading, hoping to catch any glaring errors that jump out from the page. But a quick and cursory reading, especially after you’ve been working long and hard on a paper, usually misses a lot. It’s better to work with a definite plan that helps you to search systematically for specific kinds of errors.

Sure, this takes a little extra time, but it pays off in the end. If you know that you have an effective way to catch errors when the paper is almost finished, you can worry less about editing while you are writing your first drafts. This makes the entire writing proccess more efficient.

Try to keep the editing and proofreading processes separate. When you are editing an early draft, you don’t want to be bothered with thinking about punctuation, grammar, and spelling. If your worrying about the spelling of a word or the placement of a comma, you’re not focusing on the more important task of developing and connecting ideas.

The proofreading process

You probably already use some of the strategies discussed below. Experiment with different tactics until you find a system that works well for you. The important thing is to make the process systematic and focused so that you catch as many errors as possible in the least amount of time.

• Don’t rely entirely on spelling checkers.  These can be useful tools but they are far from foolproof. Spell checkers have a limited dictionary, so some words that show up as misspelled may really just not be in their memory. In addition, spell checkers will not catch misspellings that form another valid word. For example, if you type “your” instead of “you’re,” “to” instead of “too,” or “there” instead of “their,” the spell checker won’t catch the error.
• Grammar checkers can be even more problematic.  These programs work with a limited number of rules, so they can’t identify every error and often make mistakes. They also fail to give thorough explanations to help you understand why a sentence should be revised. You may want to use a grammar checker to help you identify potential run-on sentences or too-frequent use of the passive voice, but you need to be able to evaluate the feedback it provides.
• Proofread for only one kind of error at a time.  If you try to identify and revise too many things at once, you risk losing focus, and your proofreading will be less effective. It’s easier to catch grammar errors if you aren’t checking punctuation and spelling at the same time. In addition, some of the techniques that work well for spotting one kind of mistake won’t catch others.
• Read slow, and read every word.  Try  reading out loud , which forces you to say each word and also lets you hear how the words sound together. When you read silently or too quickly, you may skip over errors or make unconscious corrections.
• Separate the text into individual sentences.  This is another technique to help you to read every sentence carefully. Simply press the return key after every period so that every line begins a new sentence. Then read each sentence separately, looking for grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors. If you’re working with a printed copy, try using an opaque object like a ruler or a piece of paper to isolate the line you’re working on.
• Circle every punctuation mark.  This forces you to look at each one. As you circle, ask yourself if the punctuation is correct.
• Read the paper backwards.  This technique is helpful for checking spelling. Start with the last word on the last page and work your way back to the beginning, reading each word separately. Because content, punctuation, and grammar won’t make any sense, your focus will be entirely on the spelling of each word. You can also read backwards sentence by sentence to check grammar; this will help you avoid becoming distracted by content issues.
• Proofreading is a learning process.  You’re not just looking for errors that you recognize; you’re also learning to recognize and correct new errors. This is where handbooks and dictionaries come in. Keep the ones you find helpful close at hand as you proofread.
• Ignorance may be bliss, but it won’t make you a better proofreader.  You’ll often find things that don’t seem quite right to you, but you may not be quite sure what’s wrong either. A word looks like it might be misspelled, but the spell checker didn’t catch it. You think you need a comma between two words, but you’re not sure why. Should you use “that” instead of “which”? If you’re not sure about something, look it up.
• The proofreading process becomes more efficient as you develop and practice a systematic strategy.  You’ll learn to identify the specific areas of your own writing that need careful attention, and knowing that you have a sound method for finding errors will help you to focus more on developing your ideas while you are drafting the paper.

Think you’ve got it?

Then give it a try, if you haven’t already! This handout contains seven errors our proofreader should have caught: three spelling errors, two punctuation errors, and two grammatical errors. Try to find them, and then check  a version of this page with the errors marked in red  to see if you’re a proofreading star.

Additional resources

We consulted these works while writing the original version of this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find the latest publications on this topic. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the  UNC Libraries citation tutorial .

Especially for non-native speakers of English:

Ascher, Allen. Think about Editing: An ESL Guide for the Harbrace Handbooks. Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2006.

Lane, Janet, and Ellen Lange. Writing Clearly: Grammar for Editing. 3rd. ed. Boston: Heinle ELT, 2011.

For everyone:

Einsohn, Amy. The Copyeditor’s Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications. 3rd ed. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011.

Lanham, Richard A. Revising Prose. 5th ed. New York: Longman, 2006.

Tarshis, Barry. How to Be Your Own Best Editor: The Toolkit for Everyone Who Writes. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1998.

• Provided by : The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Located at : https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/ . License : CC BY-NC-ND: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives

Privacy Policy

• Link to facebook
• Link to linkedin
• Link to twitter
• Link to youtube
• Writing Tips

Why Proofreading Is Important

4-minute read

• 11th February 2023

Any type of writing can benefit from proofreading. In this article, we’ll explain what proofreading can help you achieve with your work and why it’s so important.

What Is Proofreading?

Proofreading is a type of editing . It’s the process of reviewing a piece of writing for errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and formatting. It takes place after the writing process is complete, and it’s the last type of editing you’ll do before publication.

While earlier stages of editing might make more significant changes to the structure and content of a document, proofreading focuses on catching surface-level errors that the writer has made or that previous edits have introduced.

What Is the History of Proofreading?

Proofreading gets its name from traditional printing presses, where “galley proofs” were mockups of a printed manuscript to test how the published document would look. These “proofs” were then checked for mistakes before being used in the expensive process of printing.

Historically, proofreading was done on paper using symbols called proofing marks . While proofing marks are still in use, these days, most modern proofreading is carried out on a computer using word processing software, such as Microsoft Word .

Why Is Proofreading Important?

Proofreading is crucial to ensuring that a piece of writing is clear, accurate, and easy to understand. These qualities are essential for any document that’s going to be published or shared in some way, from novels to dissertations.

Proofreading helps written work appear professional, reliable, and credible, which is especially important in the case of academic and business writing . It can also help maintain the “ suspension of disbelief ” in works of fiction.

In addition, proofreading saves time and money by catching mistakes before they’re published, submitted, or widely distributed.

What Impact Can Errors Have?

Even the smallest mistake can have a major impact on a piece of writing. In some cases, an error in grammar, punctuation, spelling, or formatting can cause confusion and lead to misinterpretation of what the author intended to say. A missing comma, for example, can completely change the meaning of a sentence:

And the same is true of typos that confuse similar words:

Errors in a text can also:

●  Distract readers from the point being made

●  Detract from the credibility of the work

●  Make the work difficult to read and understand

●  Negatively impact an author’s reputation

This can lead to significant consequences, such as poor grades, rejection from publishers, or missed career opportunities.

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

To summarize:

●  Proofreading is an essential step in the writing process that helps to ensure written work is clear, accurate, and easy to understand.

●  It’s particularly important for academic and professional writing, as errors can detract from the credibility of the work.

●  Errors can have serious consequences for an author and damage their professional reputation.

●  Proofreading can prevent confusion and save time by catching errors before they’re published.

Whether you choose to proofread your own work or use a professional, proofreading is essential to producing a good quality piece of writing.

1. What are the most common errors found during proofreading?

Some errors appear more often than others.

10 of the most common proofreading errors are:

• Incorrect apostrophe usage
• Missing commas
• Comma splices
• Sentence fragments
• Dangling and misplaced modifiers
• Confusing homophones, such as their/there/they’re, its/it’s, and to/too/two
• Faulty subject–verb agreement
• Misused sayings and idioms
• Inconsistent formatting
• General spelling errors

When proofreading your work, it’s a good idea to keep an eye out for these types of mistakes.

2. How can I proofread a large document efficiently?

It’s difficult to stay focused when looking through a long document, especially if you’ve already read it multiple times.

To help stay on track when proofreading large documents, try:

• Following a proofreading checklist
• Choosing one type of error to focus on at a time (e.g. first checking the entire document for spelling errors, then grammatical errors, and so on)
• Splitting the document into smaller, more manageable chunks
• Taking frequent breaks to rest your eyes (and your brain!)

3. How do I find a professional proofreader?

If you want a second pair of eyes on your writing, a professional proofreader can help.

Here at Proofed, we have a team of over 750 expert proofreaders ready to clean up your writing. 

Whether you’re writing an academic paper , job application , or novel manuscript , our proofreaders can help make sure your work is at its best. Try us out today with a free trial .

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Got content that needs a quick turnaround? Let us polish your work. Explore our editorial business services.

5-minute read

Free Email Newsletter Template (2024)

Promoting a brand means sharing valuable insights to connect more deeply with your audience, and...

6-minute read

How to Write a Nonprofit Grant Proposal

If you’re seeking funding to support your charitable endeavors as a nonprofit organization, you’ll need...

9-minute read

How to Use Infographics to Boost Your Presentation

Is your content getting noticed? Capturing and maintaining an audience’s attention is a challenge when...

8-minute read

Why Interactive PDFs Are Better for Engagement

Are you looking to enhance engagement and captivate your audience through your professional documents? Interactive...

7-minute read

Seven Key Strategies for Voice Search Optimization

Voice search optimization is rapidly shaping the digital landscape, requiring content professionals to adapt their...

Five Creative Ways to Showcase Your Digital Portfolio

Are you a creative freelancer looking to make a lasting impression on potential clients or...

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

Writing Help

• Writing Process
• Key Components of an Essay
• Paragraph Structure
• Paraphrase, Summarize, and Synthesize
• Writing Genres
• Sentence Structure
• Punctuation and Grammar
• Using Bias-Free Language

Editing, Revision, and Proofreading: What is the Difference?

Outlining as a revision step, editing and proofreading, proofreading suggestions.

• Mastering the Literature Review This link opens in a new window
• Annotated Bibliography
• Help This link opens in a new window

As student authors, we are typically asked to revise, edit, and proofread our writing assignments. Although these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there are some subtle differences. 

The resources on this page will help you understand the differences between these important stages in writing. 

1. Revising: In a sense, every time you open a document and continue working on it, you are in the process of revising it. Thus, there are several revisions made during every writing project (or at least there should be). We always want to leave ample time to make numerous revisions to our work.  Revisions should occur after you submit a project to a professor and/or peer advisor for review and receive feedback.  Revising includes changing the structure of an essay, adding more research when necessary, and even making cuts to a project when sections are off-topic. Revising includes large-scale changes to a project. 

2. Editing: An editor--whether a peer or someone working at a publication--typically suggests changes that an author should make. This stage is quite similar to revision, but whereas revision can occur during multiple stages of writing, you don't typically edit something until you have a full draft complete. Again, editing may include substantial changes to a project (not small typos, but large structural changes). 

3. Proofreading: The term proofreading suggests that a writer has fine-tuned the organization, structure, and major discussion present in the writing project and is now reviewing the essay for very small errors such as missing punctuation, incorrect spelling, or poor choices in punctuation. Proofreading is typically the final stage of the writing process and occurs before a project is submitted. This means the essay is essentially complete except for needing a few small changes.

PRO-TIP: Always allow ample time for proofreading. It is very helpful to finish a writing project, step away from it, and come back to review it the next day. Editors call this putting a fresh set of eyes on the project, and it helps. Beginning the proofreading process too close to when the project is submitted is never a good idea. 

In life, there are times when you wish you could have "do-overs."  Writing provides that opportunity. Please keep the following ideas in mind:

• The first draft is not the final draft.
• Many view writing as a continual process--one that sometimes is recursive as opposed to linear.
• You may go back and change a sentence or a paragraph when you have written only a page. 
• You may find yourself deleting full paragraphs or pages once you have completed a draft and going back to change the content or organization. 
• You may discover you have written sections of your essay that are off-topic. If so, remove these from your essay and copy and paste them into a new document. You may be able to use this "off-topic" idea in the future for a different writing assignment. 
• Most professional writing projects include numerous rounds of editing and revision. Engaging in revision will prepare you for work in the professional world. 
• Revising for Cohesion
• Steps for Revising your Paper
• Revising for Concision

Outlining Basics:

Many will associate outlining with the planning/invention phase of writing, however, outlining also can prove to be an effective tool when revising your writing. You may consider preparing an outline of your draft by following these directions: 

• Include each topic sentence for each paragraph in the outline.
• As you review your paragraphs, think about whether you have introduced new topics within the paragraph.
• As you develop your outline, question your organization.
• View outlining post-writing as an opportunity to review your content and organization.
• Reverse Outlining
• Steps for Editing and Proofreading Here are some handy resources to lead you through editing and proofreading your essay.
• As the process of revising nears an end, and you are happy with the content, organization, and unity of your essay, you want to begin proofreading. 
• Read your writing closely, or possibly have others read your writing, to ensure that English usage issues including grammar, spelling, and punctuation are resolved.
• Many writers find it helpful to read their papers out loud. This helps to discover errors and mistakes. Microsoft Word and other word processing programs also feature a READ ALOUD function. This can be an incredibly helpful mode of reviewing your work.
• Print out a hard copy of your writing project so you can look for errors and make notations. 
• Share your project with a friend, classmate, or family member.
• Become familiar with the type of grammar errors you frequently make. Research what these errors are and how to remedy them.
• Some instructors suggest you re-read your essay from the last page to the first, arguing that reading the essay out of order will provide new insights. 
• As you proofread, review the assignment directions as well as the rubric to make sure you have not forgotten any important components. 
• Finding Common Errors
• << Previous: Using Bias-Free Language
• Next: Mastering the Literature Review >>
• Last Updated: Nov 30, 2023 1:00 PM
• URL: https://bethelu.libguides.com/writinghelp

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, automatically generate references for free.

• Knowledge Base

Quick Guide to Proofreading | What, Why and How to Proofread

Published on 19 September 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on 15 May 2023.

Proofreading means carefully checking for errors in a text before it is published or shared. It is the very last stage of the writing process , when you fix minor spelling and punctuation mistakes, typos, formatting issues and inconsistencies.

Proofreading is essential for any text that will be shared with an audience, whether it’s an academic paper, a job application, an online article, or a print flyer. Depending on your skills and budget, you can choose to proofread the text yourself or to hire a professional.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Be assured that you'll submit flawless writing. Upload your document to correct all your mistakes.

Table of contents

Proofreading example, proofreading vs editing, proofreading tips and tricks, choosing a proofreading service, recommended proofreading service, frequently asked questions about proofreading.

The only proofreading tool specialized in correcting academic writing

The academic proofreading tool has been trained on 1000s of academic texts and by native English editors. Making it the most accurate and reliable proofreading tool for students.

Correct my document today

Editing and proofreading are different steps in the process of revising a text. Editing can involve major changes to content, structure and language, but proofreading focuses only on minor errors and inconsistencies.

Often a text will go through several stages of editing before it is proofread. The table below shows some common steps in the editing process.

The four stages of editing and proofreading

Do I need to go through every stage?

It depends on the type and length of text. You don’t need to strictly follow the division of tasks shown above, but a good piece of writing will nearly always go through a similar process of revising, editing and proofreading.

In the traditional publishing process, the stages are clearly divided, with different professionals responsible for each revision. A separate proofread of the final print version is necessary, especially because new typographical errors can be introduced during production.

However, in texts that don’t need to be formatted for mass printing, there is often more overlap between the steps. Some editorial services combine copy editing and proofreading into a single stage (sometimes called proof-editing), where grammar, syntax and style are addressed at the same time as minor spelling and punctuation errors.

Basic proofreading skills are important for anyone who writes. For everyday texts, such as business reports, blogs, or college papers, there are some techniques you can use to proofread efficiently and effectively before sharing your work.

Edit your writing first

Before you get to the final stage of proofreading, make sure you’ve thoroughly revised and edited your work. There’s no point spending time fixing minor errors if you might later remove whole sections or rewrite paragraphs. Only proofread once you’ve got a completed final draft that you’re happy with.

Take a break from the text

When you’ve been reading and rereading the same words for hours or days, it becomes much harder to notice mistakes. Before proofreading, set your work aside for a while so that you can look at it with fresh eyes.

Ideally you should wait at least a day or two before final proofreading, but if you’re on a tight deadline, even a half hour break can help.

Proofread a printout

Seeing your words on a printed page is another useful strategy for noticing things that might have escaped your attention on the screen. If the final version will be printed, this is also a good chance to check your formatting is correct and consistent on the page.

Use digital shortcuts

While reading from print can help you spot errors, word processing software can help you fix them efficiently. Most obviously, run a spell check – but don’t rely on the computer to catch every mistake.

If you notice that you’ve repeatedly misspelled a particular word, inconsistently capitalised a term, or switched between UK and US English , you can use the Find and Replace function to fix the same mistake throughout the document.

Be careful, though, and don’t use ‘replace all’. Click through and check every replacement to avoid accidentally adding more errors!

Learn from your mistakes

Pay attention to the errors that keep recurring in the text. This can help you avoid them in future.

Knowing what to look out for is the most challenging part of proofreading. You’ll probably notice obvious typos, but subtle mistakes in grammar and punctuation can be harder to recognise. The table below shows some of the most common errors to look out for.

What to watch out for when proofreading

If you lack confidence in your written English, or if you just want to ensure you haven’t missed anything in an important document, you might want to consider using a professional proofreading service.

There are two main options: you can hire a freelance proofreader, or you can send your document to a proofreading and editing company. There are various things to consider when choosing a service.

Do you only need proofreading or also editing?

It’s important to have a clear idea of how much work your text requires. People often think they only need proofreading when, in reality, the text would benefit from some level of editing as well.

If you send a proofreader a document full of grammar mistakes, confusing sentences, and difficult-to-follow paragraphs, they might decline the job or recommend a different service.

Many freelancers and companies offer both editing and proofreading, either separately (with separate pricing) or combined into one service. Make sure you understand exactly what kind of changes are included. Will the editor only correct minor errors, or will they also comment on awkward phrasings and structural issues?

Should the proofreader be specialised in your type of document?

Many different types of documents require proofreading: from literary novels to technical reports, from PhD dissertations to promotional flyers. The best choice of service is usually one that’s specialised in your type of document.

While proofreaders and copy editors generally don’t need expert knowledge of the text’s content, the process will be smoother if your proofreader is familiar with the rules and conventions of the genre you’re working in.

How much does proofreading cost?

The cost of proofreading varies widely. The price depends partly on the proofreader’s location and level of experience, the type and length of text, and the turnaround time. Rates are usually calculated per word or per hour. If the service also focuses on formatting, it may be priced per page.

How long does proofreading take?

You should try to leave plenty of time for editing and proofreading, but if you have a hard deadline, it’s important to find a service that can deliver on time.

Most companies offer various choices of deadline, but it’s best to plan a minimum of 24 hours for proofreading. The price will generally be lower if you can wait longer to have your document returned.

For very long documents, it might not be possible to complete the job in 24 hours, especially if you also need editing services. For combined proofreading and copy editing, you can expect an experienced editor to complete around 10,000–15,000 words in a single day.

How can you check the quality and reliability of the service?

Like everything on the internet, the quality of proofreading services varies widely. Do your research before you choose one. There are a few things you can check:

• Online reviews : are they rated on independent review sites (e.g. Trustpilot ) or freelancer platforms (e.g. Upwork )?
• Qualifications : do they have professional training and experience? If you’re using a company, how do they select and train proofreaders?
• Customer service : are they easily contactable and responsive to inquiries?
• Complaints policy : what happens if you’re not happy with the job? Can you get a refund or a second edit?

Scribbr offers proofreading services for students and academic editing services for all sorts of study-related documents, including essays, papers, theses, dissertations, reports, and proposals.

The basic service combines proofreading and copy editing at a rate of  £0.013 per word. You can choose between a 24-hour, 3-day, or 7-day turnaround time.

Scribbr is rated  4.6   on Trustpilot, with 13,500  reviews so far.

Editing and proofreading are different steps in the process of revising a text.

Editing comes first, and can involve major changes to content, structure and language. The first stages of editing are often done by authors themselves, while a professional editor makes the final improvements to grammar and style (for example, by improving sentence structure and word choice ).

Proofreading is the final stage of checking a text before it is published or shared. It focuses on correcting minor errors and inconsistencies (for example, in punctuation and capitalization ). Proofreaders often also check for formatting issues, especially in print publishing.

Whether you’re publishing a blog, submitting a research paper , or even just writing an important email, there are a few techniques you can use to make sure it’s error-free:

• Take a break : Set your work aside for at least a few hours so that you can look at it with fresh eyes.
• Proofread a printout : Staring at a screen for too long can cause fatigue – sit down with a pen and paper to check the final version.
• Use digital shortcuts : Take note of any recurring mistakes (for example, misspelling a particular word, switching between US and UK English , or inconsistently capitalizing a term), and use Find and Replace to fix it throughout the document.

If you want to be confident that an important text is error-free, it might be worth choosing a professional proofreading service instead.

The cost of proofreading depends on the type and length of text, the turnaround time, and the level of services required. Most proofreading companies charge per word or page, while freelancers sometimes charge an hourly rate.

For proofreading alone, which involves only basic corrections of typos and formatting mistakes, you might pay as little as £0.01 per word, but in many cases, your text will also require some level of editing , which costs slightly more.

It’s often possible to purchase combined proofreading and editing services and calculate the price in advance based on your requirements.

There are many different routes to becoming a professional proofreader or editor. The necessary qualifications depend on the field – to be an academic or scientific proofreader, for example, you will need at least a university degree in a relevant subject.

For most proofreading jobs, experience and demonstrated skills are more important than specific qualifications. Often your skills will be tested as part of the application process.

To learn practical proofreading skills, you can choose to take a course with a professional organisation such as the Society for Editors and Proofreaders . Alternatively, you can apply to companies that offer specialised on-the-job training programmes, such as the Scribbr Academy .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

McCombes, S. (2023, May 15). Quick Guide to Proofreading | What, Why and How to Proofread. Scribbr. Retrieved 5 August 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/english-language/proofreading-guide/

Is this article helpful?

Shona McCombes

Other students also liked, what is a pronoun | definition, types & examples, english mistakes commonly made in a dissertation | examples, what are prepositions | list, examples & how to use.