Typos: our top tips on how to avoid them
First published on Carnsight.com
Typos are those annoying typing mistakes we all make from time to time. Words that we know how to spell but somehow always get wrong!
There are few things more frustrating than an ugly typo, and they can look unprofessional. We’re all human and we can’t avoid them 100% of the time, but those grammatical mistakes are a lot easier to avoid than you may think.
Here at Carnsight Communications, we create practical and powerful PR that delivers tangible results. Through carefully crafted and managed content, we get companies and individuals known – for their skills, products, and expertise.
But to get these results, we work hard behind the scenes to make sure we deliver high-quality content. Content that has been proofread and checked over a number of times and always by another member of the team, before we send it anywhere.
Making sure your content is free from typos is something we pride ourselves on. By paying strong attention to detail and using some foolproof steps, we can help you to get typo-free content.
In this blog, we wanted to share our top tips on avoiding typos.
It may seem strange but reading your work aloud helps you to pick up on any grammatical errors or typos and helps with the rhythm and pace of your work.
The rhythm and pace are vital to any piece of writing, but our appreciation of them is so much stronger when we read aloud.
Alongside this, the art of reading aloud has a number of benefits for adults, from helping improve our memories and understand complex texts, to strengthening emotional bonds between people. Many of us intuitively use it as a convenient tool for making sense of the written word, and are just not aware of it.
When you read aloud, you allow your mind to slow down along with your mouth, which increases the chance that you will catch those hidden typos.
Most printed publications are vetted by a whole editorial team before they are published. That might not be the case with blog posts and other forms of online content, which may be written and published by the same person.
But everyone’s writing can benefit from another set of eyes.
Ask your colleagues to have a read over your work before you go any further. It’s often that fresh pair of eyes that can spot minor typos or any errors.
We have a great selection of tools available to use that will help us to ensure our content is typo-free!
Often, we just need to familiarise ourselves with the functionalities on offer with our technology or software packages.
Remember though, these are not foolproof techniques to rely on. There will be times that they auto-correct certain words or grammar when actually, it’s not needed.
Just like having someone else read your work, printing off your document can assist with a ‘clear’ proofread!
This in turn will catch those typos out.
Having a break from the screen can help you to pick out the errors.
Sometimes, it’s best to just take a break from your work and come back with a clear head having had some time away.
A fresh, recharged mind can make a huge difference in spotting any grammatical errors or typos.
Last but by no means least, remember to learn from those mistakes.
Don’t rush or be too hasty when trying to work with tight deadlines. Take a moment away from your work and come back with a fresh pair of eyes!
If you have enjoyed reading our top tips on how to avoid typos, then why not take a look at another of our recent blogs’ where account manager, Leigh-Ann Hewer takes us through the best pieces of writing advice she has ever received.
At Carnsight Communications we create strategies and campaigns to showcase our clients’ brilliant work through PR, content and social media. We help them get noticed by the right audience, at the right time. We specialise in creative agency PR.
