The worst typos are the ones in the biggest text. You proofread the body copy three times and miss the misspelled word in the 48-point headline, because your brain stopped reading it as words and started seeing it as a shape. A proofing checklist exists to force your attention back onto the things you have stopped noticing.
Check the big text first
Reverse your instinct. Headlines, titles, and callouts get the least scrutiny and cause the most public embarrassment, so check them first while your attention is fresh. Read every large piece of text letter by letter, not as a familiar shape. The bigger and bolder the text, the more people will see the mistake.
Verify the facts, names, and numbers
Spelling is the easy part; facts are where the damage lives. Confirm every name is spelled correctly, every price and date is right, every phone number and URL actually works, and every claim is true. A perfect sentence with the wrong phone number in it has failed at its only job.
Check consistency, not just correctness
A document can be error-free and still look sloppy if it is inconsistent. Pick one spelling of a word and use it throughout, keep capitalisation of key terms consistent, align your date and number formats, and make sure headings follow the same style. Consistency is what makes work read as considered.
Get a second set of eyes
You cannot reliably proof your own work, because you read what you meant to write, not what is on the page. The single most effective step is having someone else review it. A shared proofing tool makes this painless — send a link, let them comment on the exact spots, and see every catch in one place rather than a reply full of 'para 3, line 2'.
“The worst typos hide in the biggest text, because your brain reads a headline as a shape, not as words. Check the large text first, while your attention is still fresh.”
The proofing checklist
- Read the biggest text first, letter by letter
- Verify every name, price, date, phone number, and URL
- Confirm every factual claim is true
- Enforce consistent spelling, capitalisation, and formats
- Get a second person to review before it ships
Frequently asked questions
What should a proofing checklist include?
Check the largest text first, verify every name, price, date, phone number and URL, confirm factual claims, enforce consistency in spelling and formatting, and get a second person to review it. The biggest, boldest text is where the most damaging errors hide.
Why can’t I proofread my own work?
Because you read what you intended to write, not what is actually on the page. Your brain auto-corrects familiar text. A second reviewer sees the document fresh and catches what you have become blind to.
What is the most commonly missed error?
Typos in headlines and large display text. They get the least scrutiny because the eye reads them as a shape rather than words, yet they are the most visible errors once published.
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