Meaning & use
proofreader
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Meaning
nouncountable
A person whose job is to read a text just before it is published and correct mistakes in spelling, punctuation and layout.
Grammar: Countable: hire a proofreader, two proofreaders.
Patterns
- a proofreader for something
- work as a proofreader
The publisher sent the manuscript to a proofreader before printing.
She works as a freelance proofreader for several magazines.
A good proofreader spotted three errors on the cover.
Word forms
| plural | proofreaders |
|---|
Common combinations
- hire a proofreader
- We hired a proofreader to check the report.
- freelance proofreader
- A freelance proofreader can work from home.
- professional proofreader
- A professional proofreader catches small mistakes.
- proofreader's marks
- The page was covered in proofreader's marks.
- work as a proofreader
- He works as a proofreader at a law firm.
Synonyms and how they differ
- copy editor
- A copy editor also improves wording and style, while a proofreader only corrects errors at the final stage.
- editor
- An editor shapes content and structure, whereas a proofreader checks only for errors.
- reviser
- A reviser changes text to improve it, which goes further than the correction work of a proofreader.
Word family
- proofread verb
- to read and correct a text
- proofreading noun
- the job of checking text for mistakes
- proof noun
- a printed version of text for checking
- reader noun
- a person who reads
Commonly confused: proofreader or editor?
proofreader vs editor
An editor works on the content, organization and style of a text, while a proofreader checks the finished text for small errors.
Practice
Which job mainly involves correcting spelling and punctuation in a finished text?
Choose one answer.
A proofreader checks finished text for small errors. An author writes it, an illustrator draws for it and a publisher produces and sells it.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “proofreader”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.