Proofreading errors are different from punctuation or spelling or usage problems, and you fix them differently. Punctuation, spelling, and usage are knowledge problems, and you fix them by learning. Proofreading problems are usually a matter of seeing, and you fix them by learning to look.

Look at every word as it comes along. Here are some principles to guide you.

• Read through once and ignore content. As soon as you start paying attention to what the text is saying, you will start assuming what the words are, and stop looking for errors.
• Assume there is at least one error, so that you have something to find.
• Forget what you meant to say. Read the memo/letter as though you have never seen it before.
• Read backwards. This destroys comprehension, allowing you to see mistakes that you might unconsciously skip over. To read for clarity and grammar, read each sentence one at a time, starting at the end and working backwards. To check spelling, read each word separately starting with the last word. Doing this prevents being distracted by the content.
• Do not try to do something else when you proofread. Stop tinkering with it and rewriting sentences; look for errors.
• Take your time. When you hurry, you guess and skim, and that usually does not work.
• Proofread a second time, paying attention to content. This is where you find those things spell check and reading backwards did not catch, such as, “The little cap pulls off it you put enough effort into it.”
• Set aside the document for a few hours after you finish writing, so that when you read it again, you have fresh eyes to look at it.
• Read it aloud. It is more difficult for your eyes to skip over errors when you read aloud, because you will hear something out of whack.
• Try to have someone else proofread your work, particularly if the document is important or going to be released for the public.

Make proofreading a game. Score points for yourself when you find an error!