The Sacred Art of Proofreading
Imagine you just spent hours crafting the perfect presentation or report. You proudly attach the document to your email and send the work to your client. Reveling in its completion, you take one last look at your pièce de résistance before signing off for the evening.
To your horror, there on the second line is a typo glaring back at you. Your pulse quickens, your skin flushes. You sink deeper into the abyss of shame, wondering how you could have overlooked such an obvious error.
We’ve all been there.
To err is human, to proofread is divine. Making typos is in our nature, on a scientific and structural level. Our brains automatically fill in information to accelerate comprehension due to top-down processing, according to VeryWell. “In top-down processing, perceptions begin with the most general and move toward the more specific. These perceptions are heavily influenced by our expectations and prior knowledge. Put simply, your brain applies what it knows to fill in the blanks and anticipate what's next.”
This is particularly relevant when it comes to writing and accuracy. “Because writing is such a high-level task, your brain tricks you into reading what you think you should see on the page. It fills in missing details and corrects errors without you even noticing. This allows you to focus on the more complex task of turning sentences into complex ideas.”
All it takes is a glance at the digital landscape to see that we are swimming in a sea of inaccuracies. The “your” verses “you’re” debate remains fierce on social media, and email threads are a graveyard of less-than-perfect communications.
Today’s fast-paced environment calls for constant vigilance. It’s never been so easy to publish content with a few strokes of the keyboard. Whether a 30 second tweet or a two minute reply all, what may be speedy does not always equate accuracy. And accuracy matters. It conveys our effort, standards, professionalism, discipline, and rigor to our audiences.
We must strive for self-mastery, no matter our brain structure or our endless quest for efficiency. All it takes is a few extra minutes, intention, focus, and these tried-and-true tips for thwarting typos.
1. Silence all distractions. Now is the time for a laser focus. Turn off notifications and anything else that will distract your eyes from the page. All that matters is the present.
2. Question everything. Ask, “is that really how that word is spelled?” Google and online dictionaries are your friends here. Adopt the mindset of Sherlock Holmes, sleuthing out typos and exposing them for what they truly are.
3. Scan the page. Before diving into content, spelling, and grammar, scan the page for spacing and formatting edits. Are there extra spaces present? Is all content aligned correctly? Tackling formatting errors first will allow you to give your full attention to other edits later.
4. Read out loud. It’s incredible how many missing or extra words you’ll find when you hear the sound of your text. It also gives you a fresh perspective on whether the copy is logical and comprehensive. You don’t need to shout from the rooftops, even just whispering to yourself and sounding out the words will reveal the sneakiest typos.
5. Read backwards. When you read backwards, it forces your eyes to examine every single letter and detail. Again, this counters your brain’s natural tendency to fill in words based on prior knowledge.
6. Focus on punctation. Do one scan where the only thing you’re focusing on is punctation. You’d be surprised how many apostrophe errors are hiding in plain site.
7. Search for common errors. Use search functions to double check for mistakes. “They’re,” “you’re,” and “it’s" are all ripe with potential for being used incorrectly.
8. Rely on fresh eyes. There is only so much editing you can do in one session. Give yourself a break, and come back hours or even a day later with fresh eyes. Also having a trusted fellow reader is helpful for editing and giving feedback on whether the text makes sense.
Despite your best efforts, you will overlook typos. You’re human, after all. But with a couple extra minutes of review, you will ensure your work is crisp, clean, and professional. As the old saying goes, leave no stone unturned and the rewards will be yours. Good luck out there.
