As proofreaders, it’s our job to catch every error, big or small. Part of the challenge is the fact that you never know what you are going to find. There are, however, certain categories of errors that seem to rise to the top. These are the most common writing mistakes that I tend to see on a weekly, if not daily, basis.
If you are just getting into the field of proofreading, it’s a good idea to take special note of the following categories when you’re reviewing content for a client. You’re likely to find a higher number of mistakes in these areas, which necessitates taking a little more time and effort to ensure correctness.
Mistake #1: Personal names
People often have uniquely spelled names. It’s therefore always a good idea to double-check any name. If the person has an internet presence, google them. Or maybe they have a book on Amazon—that’s another good way to verify how to spell their name.
By the way, this even applies to names you are familiar with. Just because you’ve run across it (and even verified it) before, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth checking again. For any question you have, if you aren’t 100 percent sure, look it up—names included. We all have fallible memories (exhibit A: The Berenstain Bears).
Mistake #2: Hyphenated words
Hyphenation is tricky, even for professional wordsmiths. Thankfully, the solution is simple: use a good dictionary. My copy of Merriam-Webster has lists of words with prefixes (think anti-, non-, and pro-) and whether or not each entry should be hyphenated.
Style guides can be of help here too. The Chicago Manual of Style has a hyphenation guide (section 7.89) and helpful notes about when to hyphenate—and when not to—in the immediately preceding sections (7.81-88).
Be careful, though, because Chicago and The AP Stylebook don’t always agree (for example, it’s cofounder in Chicago style, but co-founder using AP conventions). When a conflict occurs, choose an option and stick with it, unless a client requires a specific format, in which case the decision has been made for you.
Mistake #3: Compound words
In the same vein, compound words—words created by combining multiple other words with no spaces or hyphens—can trip up authors and proofreaders alike. Again, consulting a good dictionary or a reputable style guide is your best option here. (The same sections in Chicago listed above deal with compound words.)
Some of the most common offenders in this category include the erroneous “lifespan,” which is actually two words (life span), timeline (one word), time frame (two words), and well-being (hyphenated, not compound), although this is just the tip of the iceberg (not ice berg!). Again, when in doubt, look it up.
Mistake #4: Homophones
You might think homophones, or words that sound alike when spoken, wouldn’t affect written content, but that is not the case. Authors often confuse word pairs like affect/effect, for example.
The most common writing mistake when it comes to homophones, especially in business writing, is for an author to use complimentary when they mean complementary. In a business setting, complimentary with an i means “free,” whereas complementary with an e means “fills out” or “pairs with.” Thus an advertisement promoting a “complimentary car wash” is promoting a free service, but you should expect to pay when clicking on an ad for “complementary waffle-maker accessories.”
Mistake #5: Company and brand names
Company and brand names can be quite creative, making them among the most common writing mistakes. The only way to be sure of how to spell them is to look them up online. Even then, some companies can’t even keep their own brands straight, having multiple variations of their name on their own website!
Key factors to be on the lookout for here include word spacing, creative spelling, and extra (or no) capital letters. A great example is Mailchimp, the automated email service, which authors will often misspell with a capital C. eBay is another company name (little e, big B) that is often written as Ebay.
If you deal with a client who frequently references a number of the same brands or companies, it can be a good idea to keep a running list of verified names to save yourself time.
Wrapping it up: Catching common writing mistakes
These are five of the most common writing mistakes I see day in and day out as a proofreader. Whenever you see any of the above in a document, the alarm bells should go off in your head indicating something to pay close attention to. Once you become aware of them, however, they are easy to navigate, provided you have the right knowledge, tools, and systems in place.
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