Proofreading tips and tricks can help you write more readable, clear, and concise material.
Proofreading is the final step in the editing process and focuses mainly on the small details that can ruin the flow of your writing if not corrected. Problems with spelling, grammar, and other various conventions can interrupt your readers’ ability to understand your message, but applying the steps of proofreading can help create easy-to-read material.
Proofreading differs from the overall editing process since editing looks at the whole of a work, including organization, structure, and style. Proofreading is only a small, final step in the editing procedure that helps polish the end results.
This article focuses on proofreading tips to help you review and finalize your written material so that you can be confident upon submission. Keep reading to help hone your skills and improve your work.
General Tips

Since proofreading is the last step of the editing process, you want to take your time with it. This is when you perfect and polish your materials and make sure all the small, often overlooked details are nice and neat for your reader. To get started, take advantage of the following tips:
1. Take a Break

After finishing your writing, take a break before starting the proofreading process. This will help you approach the text with fresh eyes. Sometimes, waiting a day or two can help you better analyze what you wrote and consider the text through the eyes of a reader rather than an author.
2. Understand Your Common Mistakes
Common writing mistakes include spelling, grammar, conventions, and tense errors. These issues will typically stand out to a reader and may interrupt the reading process. It’s likely that the editing steps that come before proofreading will catch the majority of these, but it’s not uncommon to overlook small issues that your eyes might be glossing over.
3. Read Aloud

Reading aloud to yourself is one of the best ways to determine if your work is error-free. Writers commonly commit basic mistakes due to already knowing what it was that they wanted to say within their work, allowing their brain to fill in the gaps. When you read aloud, you catch the small nuances and issues that may still be hidden in the material.
4. Print It Out
Nowadays, we are generally comfortable working on a computer, but did you know our brains process the written word on a page differently than on a screen? It’s true, and if you print your work out to proofread, chances are you might catch some mistakes you missed during your first few read-throughs.
5. Change the Layout
Changing how your material is specially formatted on a page can help you spot simple mistakes as well. Although not as popular a technique, sometimes waiting until you are done writing to format your paragraphs into headings and subheadings can help you better organize your thoughts and sentence structures.
6. Use Spell Check Wisely
Spell check programs are an excellent tool, but it does come without a few problems. Namely, programs that change the word for you are not 100% accurate. Always be careful to check that the correction is the original word you wanted and that it makes sense in context. Some spell checkers don’t recognize certain words either. Use these programs, but use them wisely.
7. Check One Type of Error at a Time
One of the best ways to review your final draft for proofreading is to check one type of error at a time. For example, check for spelling errors before you check for convention errors. Once you have those taken care of, check for tone and sentence structure one last time. This practice helps you from being overwhelmed.
8. Work in Short Blocks

Ever start to get used to something and then simply begin to no longer notice it? The same thing can happen with your writing. When editing and proofreading, the best practice is to take it little by little. Depending on the length of the word, you might want to break your proofreading into the sections found under each header or even paragraph by paragraph. And remember to take short breaks to come back with fresh eyes.
9. Create a Proofreading Checklist

Similar to checking one error at a time, make a checklist of what errors you prefer to focus on in the order you want to focus on them. That way, you can mark off what you finish as you complete it.
Techniques to Enhance Focus
One of the greatest problems with editing and proofreading is the author’s familiarity with their work. It’s not uncommon for an author to miss obvious mistakes. Sometimes, this is simply because they are already aware of what they wanted their text to portray, and how their brain processes the information may be different than the fresh eyes of a new reader. Consider these tips to help enhance your focus:
10. Read Backwards
When looking for spelling errors in particular, skimming back through the material in reverse can help you see the words individually, removed from their sentence context. Often, we miss spelling due to how a word is placed in the sentence.
11. Highlight Different Elements
One practice you can take advantage of is physically highlighting certain elements, such as spelling or conventions, on printed copies. This allows you to take note of your errors and easily transfer them onto digital copies.
12. Use a Ruler or Pointer

Using a ruler or other straight edge allows you to work through each line of text independently from the rest of the materials. This can help you more quickly notice spelling and convention errors.
13. Cover Adjacent Text
Along with the above suggestion, consider covering the rest of the text while you do this so you are specifically focused on each word, line, or sentence at a time.
14. Change Your Environment
This may sound simple, but often the simplest techniques are the best: instead of proofreading in the same place you write, try rereading in a new environment or on a different screen (i.e. a computer screen vs. a tablet or cell phone.) This allows you to process things differently.
Grammar, Punctuation, and Style
If you still are not confident in what you’re looking for when proofreading, remember it is the last step of the entire editing process. Before proofreading, your organization, formatting, and style will have already been addressed. Sentence structure, context, and citations will also have been corrected. You might find some minor, overlooked errors related to this, but the proofreading process is to simply polish up what is left. Use the following tips to remember what to focus on:
15. Check for Comma Splices and Run-on Sentences
Proper sentence structure is usually corrected through the earlier editing, but doing a final read-through for these mistakes is important. This is when reading aloud truly comes in handy.
16. Verify Subject-Verb Agreement
Again, double check word choice through various techniques such as read aloud or line-by-line reviews. Enduring your subject and verb are the same tense is an easy correction and quick to spot with these techniques.
17. Look for Consistent Tense
Other issues with tense should be double-checked. Keep your present, past, and future uses consistent and within the guidelines of proper grammar.
18. Use Active Voice
Your subject and focus can be kept consistent through the use of active voice. Depending on what you are writing, the active voice is more than likely the choice you will have. It is for non-scientific and technical pieces and makes your work more understandable to the common reader.
19. Ensure Parallel Structure
Keep your sentences grammatically consistent through the use of parallel structure. This balances your writing, making it more readable and easy to understand and process.
20. Apostrophe Use
Even the most advanced writers can get ahead of themselves and place an apostrophe in the wrong place. Remember the rules of apostrophes and ensure you use them correctly in your writing to show possession, plurals (of single letters, numbers, and symbols), omissions, and contractions.
21. Sentence Variety
While reading back through your work, you may be content with the overall structure and readability, but double check for sentence variety. If you find that your sentences are all structured the same, you may want to change some things up to make it more interesting to read.
22. Check for Overused Words
Overusing similar words is often a common problem, especially in work that is technical in its approach. Look for overuse of words and ideas and replace them using a thesaurus or new anecdotes to make your writing more appealing.
23. Ensure Consistent Formatting
Although formatting should be checked and corrected in earlier editing steps, it doesn’t hurt to look them over one more time to ensure consistency. Small issues with spacing or font sizes are often caught in the proofreading process.
Spelling and Word Use
Spelling and individual word usage are likely the most commonly corrected errors in the proofreading process. This is because the editing steps that come before proofreading deal with larger aspects of text, such as organization, style, and formatting. Plus, you can’t always count on spell-check software to catch these mistakes.
24. Watch for Homophones
Homophones are words that have the same sounds and sometimes spellings but different meanings. They are commonly misused, especially when a spell check misconstrues the word’s use or spelling in context. Double-check these when proofreading to avoid confusing mistakes.
25. Correct Typos
Carefully read through your text and identify the word or phrase that contains any typos. Pay particular attention to spelling, missing or extra letters, transposed letters, or incorrect word usage.
26. Check Proper Names
The misuse of capitalization in reference to proper names is a common mistake. Read through your material carefully to watch for this simple error.
27. Use the Right Word
Just like the overuse of certain words, you want to avoid using words that don’t quite explain what it is you are trying to convey. Take advantage of tools such as thesaurus to help ensure you are getting your message across appropriately and in a readable manner.
28. Avoid Redundancies
Redundancy refers to repeated words, phrases, and ideas that are unnecessary to the overall meaning of a text. They can lead to confusion and make your writing more difficult to understand. By eliminating unnecessary repetitions, you can ensure that your message is conveyed clearly and directly.
Consistency Checks
Consistency in formatting, organization, and word choice is important when writing material that needs to be considered credible and understandable. When proofreading, be sure to closely review the following to ensure basic standardization of the details found within your text:
29. Maintain Voice and Tone
A consistent voice and tone throughout the text ensures the writing style remains cohesive and coherent. Avoid using overly technical or jargon-filled language in a casual or conversational piece, and vice versa.
30. Check for Serial Commas
Also known as Oxford commas, use serial commas consistently to separate list items of three or more. Some people leave the last comma before the and out, but doing so can create confusion depending on the context of the text.
31. Standardize Numbers and Dates
Standardizing numbers and dates involves following consistent formatting rules to ensure clarity and uniformity in written communication. Tips for this include using numerals for most numbers, separating thousands with commas, using a decimal point followed by numerals for numbers less than one, and following established conventions and abbreviations for units of measurement.
32. Uniform Headings and Subheadings
Keep your font type, size, and style consistent from one heading and subheading to the next. This allows for a visual flow as well as improved readability.
33. Consistent Capitalization
Capitalization is important because it helps distinguish proper nouns, indicates the beginning of sentences, conveys meaning, and maintains readability. Staying consistent with its use is a basic conventional rule and builds your credibility.
Formatting and Layout
How you format your material is one of the first things that your readers notice.The visual layout of the written word can offer a preview of whether the material is concise and organized for comprehension. Consider these fast and easy tips to help keep your material well organized:
34. Verify Margins and Spacing
Although most word processing documents have a pre-set margin and spacing formatting, you may need to change some of these based on certain style guides. The important thing is to be consistent in how you place your spacing for visual aesthetics and readability.
35. Check Pagination
To check pagination refers to the process of reviewing and verifying the arrangement and numbering of pages in a document or publication. It involves ensuring that the pages are organized correctly, sequentially numbered, and that any necessary elements such as headers, footers, or page breaks are appropriately placed.
36. Inspect Tables and Figures
Any visual tables, figures, or other data should be inspected multiple times to ensure accuracy as well as consistency in placement. This is especially true if you have physically moved any paragraphs, spacing, or margins.
37. Review Footnotes and Endnotes
If you are using a style guide that requires footnotes and endnotes, it is important to review whether all your numerical citations are accurate and your information is properly placed. Inconsistencies and errors with this can, at best, cause confusion and at worst may bring accusations of data falsification or plagiarism.
38. Uniform Font Use
The font of your typed texts should always be consistent. Keep it simple and legible, avoid scrolling type fonts, and use a uniform size that is not too small or large.
Final Checks
As you wrap up the editing processes, you should take the time to move through some final checks. Final reviews often include proofreading processes through the eyes of separate readers to help check for any small missed inconsistencies. Use these quick tips to ensure your work is the best it can be:
39. Double-Check Opening and Closing Sections
Your introduction and conclusion are the first and last things your readers will see, and they need to help respectfully guide your reader toward an understanding of your message and confirm that message in their mind. Review each of these carefully for simplicity and readability.
40. Verify References and Citations
Although a major part of earlier editing processes, take a quick look back over your references and citations to ensure they follow the proper style guide and are accurate.
41. Check the Table of Contents
If you have included a table of contents, make sure the headings, subheadings, and page numbers are all accurate and matching.
42. Final Read Through
Take one final read-through for flow and consistency.
43. Ask for Feedback
Having fresh eyes read through and review your work is one of the best things you can take advantage of. Choose a person who will provide constructive criticism where needed and who has a good sense of grammar, conventions, and formatting.
44. Check Accessibility
Accessibility refers to how easily a person can understand your material. One way to check this is to have a good proofreading partner who can offer suggestions to make sure your work is easy to comprehend.
45. Review on Different Devices
As mentioned earlier was taking into consideration how you view your work. Take advantage of how you view your work, such as through print and on different screen sizes, to help catch minor mistakes.
46. Use Professional Proofreading Tools
Online tools and AI grammar options are good ways to review your materials. Keep in mind that they might not always be accurate but can highlight areas that might need your attention.
47. Mind the Gap
Keep spacing between paragraphs and lines accurate and consistent. Generally, no extra space is needed between paragraphs as an indentation of the paragraph is considered adequate.
48. Ensure Logical Flow
In your final read-through, be sure to read it with an eye towards logical organization and how fresh eyes will perceive the information.
49. Rest Before Final Submission
Once you have finished the editing process, take your time submitting it. It was mentioned earlier that stepping away from your work could benefit your proofreading, and taking a break before a quick once-over can help you be confident in what you created.
Conclusion
The proofreading process is the final and last step of the editing process. It is a way to polish your material before submission. Although it overlaps with some of the more generalized editing steps that occur early in our first reviews of your work, it is focused more on small, missed mistakes that can undermine your message and the material’s overall readability.
The above tips are excellent ways to take this step seriously, practice viewing your material through fresh eyes, and embrace a true proofreading process as part of a writing process as a whole. This is a crucial last step to ensure your audience understands your message.