In my last blog, I confessed that after all my years working in marketing, I’d never really understood the roles of copy editors and proofreaders. However, everything became clear when I completed a copy editing and proofreading course. Now I understand the skills involved in these roles and why it pays to hire a professional copywriter, copy editor and proofreader to polish your copy.

Poorly written copy, full of grammatical and spelling mistakes, typos, confusing messaging, inconsistent formatting, and different writing styles, won’t do your brand or authority any good. And it will probably lose you customers.
But, I appreciate that sometimes your marketing budget won’t stretch to these professional services. So here are a few proofreading tips to help you improve your writing and spot those pesky errors before they slip through the cracks and tarnish your credibility.
How to proofread like a pro
1. Take a break before you start
It can be tempting to dive straight into proofreading after finishing a draft. Don’t. You need to step away from it and take a break. Leave the copy for a few hours, or even better, overnight.
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Coming back to it with fresh eyes will help you see mistakes you may have missed when you were still absorbed in the writing process.
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Taking a break can make a world of difference in spotting everything from awkward phrasing to simple typos.

2. Read the copy out loud
Reading your text aloud forces you to slow down and engage with each word, sentence and paragraph.
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When we read silently in our heads, our minds autocorrect mistakes or fill in gaps. But reading something out loud helps highlight awkward sentences, missing words, typos or incomplete punctuation. If something doesn’t sound right when you read it aloud, it isn’t right and needs tweaking.
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Tip: Once I’ve read something out loud, I then use the Read Aloud under the Review tab function in Word. Just in case I’ve read something as it should be, not as it’s written.
3. Focus on one type of error at a time
Proofreading everything at once can be overwhelming and risks you missing errors. To keep your focus sharp, go through the text several times, each time looking for a specific type of error. For example:
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First read: Check for spelling and typos.
Second read: Look for punctuation and grammatical issues.
Third read: Ensure consistent style and formatting (like headings, bullet points, and indents).
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This does take time. But if you’re going to do something well, it’s worth doing it properly and having a clear process in mind. Breaking it down like this helps ensure you spot those slippery mistakes.
4. Watch out for common pitfalls
Some errors tend to show up more than others. Keep an eye out for these common mistakes:
Homophones: Words that sound the same but have different meanings (e.g. their vs there vs they’re).
Subject-verb agreement: Make sure singular subjects match singular verbs and plural subjects match plural verbs (remember, subjects like team and company are singular).
Inconsistent formatting: Watch out for different font sizes, heading styles (capital first letters mixed with lowercase first letters), and bullet points. Inconsistent formatting like this can make your work look sloppy.
Haphazard styles: Mixing UK and US conventions (recognise vs recognize, or authorise vs authorize), different time formats (10am, 10 a.m or 10 o’clock) and dates (18/10/24 or 18 May 2024) show a lack of attention to detail.
5. Use digital tools - but don't rely on them
Spellcheckers and grammar tools like Grammarly or Word’s built-in checker can save time. They’ll pick up obvious errors but won’t catch everything – especially more subtle issues like tone or clarity.
Always review what the tool suggests, and don’t be afraid to overrule it when the writing style demands it.
Bonus tip: Two must-have resources for effective proofreading
These two resources are invaluable and great references if you're unsure about anything. They will help take your content writing and proofreading to the next level.
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Collins dictionary: A trusted source for checking spelling, definitions and word usage, especially when unsure if a word is being used correctly. It’s particularly useful for British English, which is essential if you’re writing for a UK audience. Remember, no ‘z’ in ‘specialise!’
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The Guardian Style Guide: This free online guide ensures your writing follows consistent style rules from grammar to punctuation and even tone. If you don’t have a company style guide, this is a great reference to check how you should write things. It’s also an excellent resource for consistency and following UK English conventions.

Producing error-free content
Proofreading can seem tedious, but it’s worth doing. There’s no point in writing great content if it’s full of errors. If there’s a typo in the first sentence or even the main heading, or the formatting is all over the place, it smacks of unprofessionalism. It looks sloppy, and this can lose your audience’s trust.
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Perfect proofreading does take practice. But these tips and resources can help you produce polished copy that builds authority and does not make the reader doubt your professionalism. Â
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And remember, if you need a professional touch, I’m here to help with all your proofreading, copywriting and copy editing needs. So get in touch, and let's have a chat.
