What is proofreading if not the art of precision and clarity? This linguistic task is an inseparable complement to translation and multilingual content creation. It’s not just about catching errors; it’s about refining content to its most culturally relevant and linguistically appropriate version. In this blog post, we’ll explore some tips for mastering proofreading.

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What is Proofreading?

Proofreading is a linguistic task in which a native-level proficient speaker of the target language focuses their attention on finding grammatical errors, omissions, or repetitions to avoid spelling mistakes and potential inconsistencies; i.e, incorrect use of accents, punctuation, quotation marks, umlauts, cedillas, etc. To do so correctly, they must not only master the language, but they will also need to be familiarized with the glossary, the style guides, and any other specific requirements the client may have.

Sort Out a Proofreading Routine That Works For You

Effective proofreading is not a hasty glance but a systematic process. You’ll need to organize yourself when it comes to assessing different types of errors. Here, we suggest some steps you may want to consider when faced with a text to proofread:

1. Create a checklist and keep it at hand

You may want to keep a list of all the grammar, punctuation, spelling, formatting, and consistency aspects you’ll have to check throughout the document. Some common errors to watch for include:

• Grammar and Syntax nuances, such as subject-verb agreement, verb tense consistency, and sentence structure issues.
• Punctuation mistakes, such as misplaced commas, missing periods, and incorrect apostrophe usage.
• Spelling mistakes
• Incoherence in style, formatting, and terminology throughout the document

If pertinent, remember to highlight errors commonly made and keep an eye out for them.

2. Divide the text into manageable parts

Even if this may not be useful advice to assess consistency aspects of the complete text, it does prove useful for addressing other types of errors, like grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. It can also help to focus your attention on one line at a time and read each word slowly and carefully to avoid glancing too quickly.

3. Proofread for only one type of error at a time

If you attempt to identify and correct all errors at one time, you risk losing focus and missing serious mistakes. Rather, resort to your checklist and address each type of mistake separately. You can find useful techniques for each kind.

Although spell checkers are a great first step to identifying high-level errors, you should not blindly rely on them for a more thorough analysis.

4. Read the text out loud

Reading a text out loud can prove useful to quickly identify repetitions, omissions, and other inconsistencies, both at a sentence and at a discourse level. It can also provide a clearer impression of consistency aspects, tone, and clarity. And after you’ve read it out loud, proofread it once more!

Why you shouldn’t skip proofreading your text

It all comes down to delivering quality translations. Put simply, the translation process entails three main stages: translation, editing, and proofreading. All three stages of the translation process are fundamental when it comes to creating quality content.

What a Translation Quality Manager will be assessing is the accuracy, good use of spelling, grammar, syntax, and use of terminology appropriate to the glossary or style guide; and that it all meets the client’s requirements and expectations.

At Win y Winnow, we make sure that all stages of the translation process are carried out efficiently to provide our clients with quality translations. If you are interested in learning more about our services, get in touch!