Tips for better proofreading

We know of them. The printing errors that hit the headlines. Last year a Porsche dealer in China advertised a brand new Panamera online for Yuan 124,000 (US$ 18,300), which included an unplanned discount of around US$ 130,000¹⁾.

Some errors can put a smile on your face. For example, the East Oregonian newspaper in the United States described the ambidextrous pitcher Venditte’s first Major League Baseball appearance as “Amphibious Pitcher Makes Debut”.

Others can cause scandal. In 1631, the King James Bible was produced with a word missing. The seventh commandment was changed to “Thou shalt commit adultery”. Not what the publishers intended.

So, could these mistakes have been avoided? Well, quite possibly, but we’ve all seen errors that have slipped through to final versions of a document. We can only do our best and, with this in mind, here are ten tips to help improve the proofreading process.

1. You will make mistakes

The first point to remember is that you are not infallible. You will make mistakes, both in the original copy and in later proofreading. Always expect the original document to contain errors and do not expect to find them all at once. You should look through it again and again, especially when the content is in layout form.

2. Know your weaknesses

You can also make a checklist of your known language weaknesses. It’s surprising how history returns to haunt you. Just because you’ve made the same mistake a couple of times and vowed never again to repeat it, doesn’t mean you never will. It’s one of life’s mysteries.

4. Leave enough quality time

Accept that you need ‘quiet time’ to do a good job. It’s hard to effectively proofread for a whole day, or proofread while covering other things at the same time, and expect top results. Break a large assignment up into digestible parts. Stop. Do something entirely different; come back to it; don’t rush.

5. Expect to proofread the material again

After the first pass, return to the document the next day. Try starting at a different point or points. Mix it up and you’ll be surprised at what you find.

6. Don’t forget to use the tools available

It may be obvious, but don’t forget to use spellcheck, Google or the search function. The latter is to catch easily confused or unusual words, including lesser-known proper nouns.

7. Read backwards

Now this is a test of willpower, but if time and document length allow, read the material backwards. This forces you to focus and stops you reading what you expect to see and, instead, read what is actually on the page.

9. Look out for language variations, but be consistent

Many languages have different versions. Spanish, French, Norwegian and English, for instance, all have their varieties and dialects. To take an example – which is more correct: “they stopped the station wagon on the sidewalk by the intersection and got the tire out of the trunk” or “they stopped the estate car on the pavement by the crossroads and got the tyre out of the boot”? Well, that depends on which side of the pond you come from, or Atlantic for that matter. The point is, neither is incorrect. But whatever style you choose, stick to it and be consistent.

10. Check the style guide and older materials

It’s one thing to be consistent in one document, but to follow language style and tone of voice across multiple documents over time is another matter. A good language style guide goes a long way, as does a common style sheet for the organisation, but it is also valuable to look back over older similar documents for the sake of consistency.

Naturally, proofreading can be completed in-house, but sometimes it pays to get fresh eyes on the material. For information on our writing, editing and proofreading services, please read more or get in touch.

Reference
1. Miller, Monica (2023, February 3). New Porsche mistakenly put on sale at bargain price in China. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64507453 .