Spelling
We all make spellings errors from time to time! Nonetheless, it's important to avoid them as much as possible if you want your words to leave the right impression on your reader. In these posts we show you how to avoid, spot, and fix common spelling errors.
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Editing Tips: What to Do with Variant Spellings
Editing Tips: What to Do with Variant Spellings
Jul 08, 2021
If you want to pursue a career in proofreading, sooner or later you will encounter words that have variant spellings . In this post, then, we’re going to look at some common types of variant spellings and how to proofread them. Becoming A Proofreader If you would like to brush up on the basics of […]
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Proofreading Tips: What Is Oxford Spelling?
Proofreading Tips: What Is Oxford Spelling?
Apr 08, 2021
As a proofreader, you might come across the term Oxford spelling. But what does this mean? And how should you approach a document if your client specifies using it? In this post, we explain everything you need to know to proofread documents effectively. If you’re not sure which spelling to use for a term, check […]
A Proofreader’s Guide to Latin Plural Word Endings
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5 Errors New Proofreaders Often Miss
Jan 14, 2021
Proofreaders need to be careful not to overlook mistakes in text while they work. Here, for instance, we’re going to look at five errors that new proofreaders often miss in documents: Mix-ups involving unfamiliar homophones. Multiple independent clauses combined in a comma splice. Inconsistencies in a document that don’t involve explicit errors. Misplaced or missing […]
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Word Choice: Similar Words or Similar Meanings?
Mar 20, 2019
Our rich, annoying language has many words whose meanings are subtly distinct. It also has many words with similar spellings. Sometimes the two intersect and we get a double whammy of confusion. Today, we look at two pairs of words we suspect are trying to catch us out. The first is recur and reoccur, which […]
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Three Confusing Spellings Explained
Nov 13, 2018
We understand. You’ve been under a lot of strain recently. A proofreader’s job is not always easy. And sometimes the wrong spellings look so right. But don’t be fazed by or rack your brain over the constrictive straitjacket of spelling. Instead, join us for a look at the origins of these three confusing words, as […]
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How to Proofread Negative Prefixes in English
Aug 07, 2018
English is a magpie language. It picks up shiny words wherever it can, and it doesn’t care how disorganised its rules become in the process. Or should that be ‘unorganised’? Take prefixes, for instance. We have de-, dis-, un-, and in-, all of which signify that something isn’t the case. And they’re not the only […]
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All Together Or Altogether?
Feb 21, 2018
The classic movie Airplane! plays on the similarity between the terms all together and altogether. In that film, the protagonist discovers that pressing the autopilot button is counterproductive. But when he explains this and uses the word altogether to mean entirely, his companions respond by echoing his words all together. And, lo, we immediately see […]
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When Alright and Anymore Aren’t All Right Any More
Jan 16, 2018
Even as a proofreader, alright and anymore may not ring any alarm bells. In less formal English, both are common. But two things you may need to know about these words include: That alright technically isn’t a word. That anymore (as one word) has a very specific usage. So put on your editing hats and […]
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Word Choice: Historical vs. Historic
Word Choice: Historical vs. Historic
Nov 14, 2017
The invention of the computer was a historic event. Without it we would still be scribbling in the margins of galley proofs, unaided by word-processing software. The invention of the computer was also a historical event, hence our use of the past tense. Yet not every historical event is historic, and not every historic event […]
