Spelling errors and typos damage credibility instantly. Readers who spot mistakes question your accuracy on facts they cannot verify themselves. Spellcheck catches obvious misspellings but misses homophone errors, autocorrect substitutions, and proper noun mistakes—the most damaging types. Human review remains essential.
6 Error Types Spellcheck Misses
What Automation Can't Catch
| # | Error Type | Example | Why Spellcheck Misses It |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Homophones | "The counsel voted" (should be council) | Both are valid words |
| 2 | Autocorrect substitutions | "Public corruption" → "Public construction" | Substituted word is spelled correctly |
| 3 | Proper nouns | "John Smith" vs "Jon Smyth" | No dictionary reference |
| 4 | Wrong real words | "form" instead of "from" | Both are valid spellings |
| 5 | Missing words | "The committee will the proposal" | Remaining words are spelled correctly |
| 6 | Number transpositions | "370%" instead of "37%" | Numbers aren't words |
Common Homophone Errors
Most Frequent Mistakes
| Confused Pair | Rule | Test |
|---|---|---|
| its / it's | it's = it is or it has | Substitute "it is"—if it works, use it's |
| their / there / they're | they're = they are; their = possessive | Substitute "they are"—if it works, use they're |
| your / you're | you're = you are | Substitute "you are" |
| affect / effect | affect = verb; effect = noun (usually) | "The policy will [verb] residents" |
| council / counsel | council = governing body; counsel = advice/advisor | Who/what is being referenced? |
| principal / principle | principal = main or school head; principle = rule | Is it a person or concept? |
Proofreading Techniques
6 Methods That Catch Errors
| Technique | How It Works | What It Catches |
|---|---|---|
| Read backward | Start with last sentence, work to first | Breaks expectation bias; catches wrong words |
| Read aloud | Speak every word slowly | Missing words, awkward phrasing |
| Verify proper nouns | Check names against source documents | Misspelled names, titles, organizations |
| Double-check numbers | Compare to source materials | Transposed digits, wrong units |
| Fresh eyes review | Have colleague read before publishing | Errors you've become blind to |
| Time delay | Wait 30+ minutes before final review | Errors you skipped when drafting |
Proofreading Workflow
- Run spellcheck first—catch obvious errors to free attention
- Verify all proper nouns—names, organizations, places against sources
- Check all numbers—dates, statistics, addresses against source documents
- Read backward—sentence by sentence from end to beginning
- Read aloud—catch missing words and awkward phrasing
- Fresh eyes—have someone else review before publishing
Personal Error Log Template
**My Frequent Errors:** ☐ "form" vs "from" ☐ "it's" vs "its" ☐ [Add your patterns] **Check every time:** ☐ All names spelled correctly ☐ All numbers match sources ☐ All titles/organizations verified
Frequently Asked Questions About Proofreading
Why doesn't Grammarly catch all errors?
AI tools rely on patterns and context—they can't verify facts. Grammarly won't know if "John Smith" should be "Jon Smyth" or if "37%" should be "73%." Only you can verify proper nouns and numbers against source materials. Use AI for first-pass cleanup, then do manual verification.
How do I catch errors I make repeatedly?
Keep a personal error log and search for your patterns. If you consistently type "form" for "from," add it to your checklist and search for it in every draft. Track patterns over time—self-awareness improves accuracy.
What's the best way to proofread under deadline?
Prioritize high-risk elements: names, numbers, headlines. If time is limited, verify proper nouns and statistics first—these errors are most damaging to credibility. Save stylistic polish for when deadlines allow.
Should I read the whole piece backward?
Sentence by sentence, not word by word. Start with the last sentence, read it fully, then move to the second-to-last. This breaks your brain's tendency to fill in expected words while maintaining enough context to catch errors.
Can AI help with proofreading?
Yes, AI tools like River's Proofreading Assistant flag potential errors including homophones. It identifies words often confused (affect/effect), highlights proper nouns for manual verification, and catches patterns spellcheck misses. Always verify AI suggestions—context matters.
Systematic proofreading protects credibility. Use River's Proofreading Assistant for first-pass error detection, then apply human techniques for what software can't catch.