Ask the Expert
How to proofread business correspondence
by Quill Editing Supervisor Cameron Masiclat
So you’ve got an important letter and it has to be perfect. You’re not the greatest speller in the world, and you can’t tell a colon from a comma. What can you do? Here are a few tips on how to proofread business correspondence.
First, leave it alone! After you write the letter, let it sit for a day if it’s not needed immediately. Give yourself some time to “forget” what you wrote—that way when you do proofread it, your brain won’t automatically supply missing words, or overlook incomprehensible sentences because you already know what you meant to say.
Use spellcheck on your computer. HOWEVER, use with caution. While spellcheck will catch misspelled words, it will NOT catch words that are misused or incorrect in the context of a sentence. It will not tell you that “to” should have been spelled “too,” nor that “threw” should have been “through” or even “thorough.”
Use the grammar check on your word processing program. This is also extremely unreliable. It may, however, point out things you should think about.
Change the font and the point size of the letter. This will re-flow the text and it will look like a completely new document. Now you can read it with a fresh eye.
Print out the document. Editing on paper is easier and more reliable than editing on a computer screen, which may flicker, or have a low resolution, causing you to miss a period in the wrong place.
Read it out loud. By reading each word individually and using appropriate pauses for punctuation, you can find where you’ve accidentally left out a word or where you need to remove a comma.
Read it backwards to focus on the spelling of words. If you read forward, your brain knows what you meant to write and will tend to skip over errors.
Pay close attention to numbers. $10,000 is a lot different from $100,000! Also watch out for corporate jargon. You may know that an ICC is an Instant Coupon Code, but will your recipient know that as well? And for that matter, did you verify the recipient’s name and correct spelling and title?
Finally, get a second pair of eyes. Having someone else read your letter is the single best thing you can do. You know what you meant to say, but if your partner can’t make heads or tails of your words, perhaps it’s time to re-write. Consider hiring a freelance editing service for your most important documents or projects—just Google “editing services online.”