To proofread means to carefully read through something you've written to find and fix mistakes. When you proofread, you're looking for spelling errors, missing punctuation, words that got accidentally repeated or left out, and sentences that don't make sense.

Think of proofreading as giving your work one last inspection before you hand it in. You might write a great book report, but if you skip proofreading, you might turn in a paper that says “George Washington was the first president” or leaves out the period at the end of every sentence. Those small mistakes distract readers from your good ideas.

Professional writers, journalists, and publishers employ people called proofreaders whose entire job is catching these errors before a book gets printed or an article goes online. But you don't need to be a professional to proofread your own work. Reading your essay aloud helps you catch awkward phrases. Checking it the next day with fresh eyes helps you spot problems you missed. Some people even read their work backwards, sentence by sentence, to focus purely on spelling and punctuation rather than getting caught up in the ideas.

The extra few minutes spent proofreading can transform sloppy work into something you're proud to put your name on.