Once you have written a memo, email, report, proposal, or letter it is necessary to edit the document and look for errors.

The last step in the writing process is checking the spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Look up the spelling of words you habitually misspell. Be alert to possible problems in agreement or the placement of modifiers; be sure every pronoun has a clear reference. See that your punctuation is both correct and appropriate.

Remember that you can spoil an otherwise good piece of writing by a blatant, distracting error. Since it is very difficult to see your own errors, do not be afraid to have someone else read the piece over, looking specifically for errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Spelling Tips

Here are some tips for making your documents the best that they can be:

• Use a dictionary. Keep in mind that many online dictionaries use American spelling. It does not matter whether you use American or British spelling, but it is important that you be consistent.
• Use spell check on your computer, but do not rely on it totally since homonyms are often missed.
• Use the internet or a telephone book to check spelling of names and addresses. However, there are sometimes errors in these sources, too. If you are not sure, simply call the office of the person you are contacting and ask.
• Proofread your work, and when possible have someone else proofread your work.
• Learn some little tricks to help you remember words that you use frequently but still spell incorrectly, like “i before e, except after c.”
• Make a list of your most common spelling errors and learn how to spell those words correctly. Keep that list posted so you can refer to it when you need to.