9 Need-to-Know Tips to Proofread Emails Like a Professional

This article was last updated on August 26, 2020

Ask any writer, and they’ll all tell you that they’re least favourite part of writing is proofreading. After all, you’re only going over the content you’ve already written with the aim of criticising the mistakes that you’ve made.

However, when it comes to writing emails, clear and precise communication is essential which is why proofreading is a necessity. Here’s everything you need to know about proofreading like a pro.

1. Read Emails Backwards

One of the best ways to highlight errors in your emails is to read your sentences backwards word for word. This gives you a fresh pair of eyes when it comes to reading, and you’ll be far more likely to find mistakes that you would have otherwise missed.

2. Proofread After Writing

When you’ve finished writing your emails, it’s tempting to jump straight into the proofreading stage to get it over and done with. However, you’re only going to be reading what you think you’ve just written, rather than what you’ve actually written.

Be sure to take a break and return to your work at a later stage, whether it’s an hour or even a few days.

3. Change Your Formatting

One of the best ways to spot errors is to change your email’s formatting temporarily, so it looks different, making it easier to spot mistakes.

“You could make the content bold, make the font size larger, change the colour of the page and words or whatever works best for you” shares Max Johnson, a proofreader for AustralianHelp.

4. Learn About Your Habits

If you’ve been writing emails for some time, the chances are that you’ve developed some bad habits and make the same mistakes over and over again.

To avoid this becoming a problem, learn what these common mistakes are so you can quickly look out for them during your proofreading processes.

5. Proofread Emails Without Distractions

To accurately proofread emails, you need to be able to concentrate. Make sure that you’re proofreading in a distraction-free environment for maximum efficiency.

6. Use Tools for Perfect Emails

When it comes to proofreading and perfecting your emails, you’ve got to remember that you’re not alone and there is a wealth of tools available to help you. Here are some to get you started.

• Via Writing – This is a free online blog that’s full of tips and guides to help you improve your knowledge of grammar.
• Essayroo – Essayroo is an online writing agency that can help guide you through the email writing and proofreading process.
• State of Writing – An online blog is full of articles and posts on how to improve your overall writing skills.
• Boomessays – As featured by the Huffington Post, Boomessays is an online writing service full of guides on how to write professional emails.
• Word Counter – This is a free online tool you can use for tracking the word count of your emails to keep them precise.
• UKWritings – An online writing agency that can write your emails to order.
• Cite It In – A free online tool for adding citations, references and quotes to your emails professionally.
• My Writing Way – This is a free online writing blog that can help you with all things related to writing emails.

7. Double Check Important Info

When it comes to emails, you want to make sure all your facts and figures are correct, including names, dates and any information you include. You don’t want to send the wrong message.

8. Don’t Forget Links

Whether you’ve copied or typed links into your email, be sure to check that they go to the right places before you click ‘Send’.

9. Give Yourself Time

Proofreading is one of those processes that can’t be rushed. Be sure that you set aside an ample amount of time to proofread your content properly.

About the author:

Mary Walton is an editor at Academized, where she helps with content management and proofreading. Also, she has a blog that’s called Simple Grad, there she writes about education and college tips. Mary also conducts online researches for some companies. She tutors at Essay Roo, service for Australian students.