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Eliminate Typos With This Easy Self-Editing Technique
It might stop you from looking stupid
Do you want a reliable way to proof-read your writing without having to give it to someone else to read?
I’m usually in a race to get my newsletter written, then find a graphic and get it posted on either Substack or Medium. Using the spelling and grammar check picks up some mistakes but not the really stupid ones.
I’ve recently discovered the Read Aloud feature in Microsoft Word and use it to read articles back to myself. Yes, you can read your work aloud yourself but it is still possible to misread what you actually wrote with what you think you wrote!
The voice on Word, though automated, was not devoid of humanity and had reasonable cadence and intonation regarding punctuation. As I listen to it and follow along with the prompt, it is easier to notice clumsy wording and also pick up silly mistakes such as writing “to” instead of “do”.
Even if you’re not a seasoned writer you can still use this technique to proof-read an email, a letter of complaint to the local council or the minutes of your local neighbourhood watch.
In Word, it is very simple to switch this feature on. In the menu bar at the top you will see a lightbulb and then Tell me what you want to do
