Why you shouldn't proofread your own writing … even if you're a proofreader!

I spend my days poring over other people’s words – spotting inconsistencies, fixing typos, and making sure each piece of writing reads clearly and professionally. But here’s a little confession: I’ve missed typos in my own work. More than once. And yes, sometimes those typos have only come to light after something’s gone to print.

There’s nothing quite like the stomach-dropping moment when you spot an error in a final document with your name on it. Even if no one else notices, you know it’s there – and as someone who prides themselves on accuracy, it stings.

No matter how experienced, detail-oriented, or linguistically gifted we are, proofreading our own work is fraught with danger.

Our Brains Play Tricks on Us

When you've written something yourself, your brain already knows what it's trying to say. And that’s exactly the problem. You read what you expect to see, not what’s actually there. Your mind fills in the blanks, skips over doubled-up words, and auto-corrects spelling errors in real time without you even realising. You’re not reading like a proofreader – you’re reading like the person who wrote it.

This isn’t laziness or carelessness. It’s just how the brain works. Familiarity creates blind spots. And unfortunately, spellcheck won’t catch everything either (especially when the wrong word is spelled correctly).

The Cost of a Missed Error

A small typo might seem harmless, but depending on the context, it can undermine your credibility, cause confusion, or even change the meaning of a sentence entirely. Think about:

• A misplaced decimal point in a financial report

• A misspelled name in a funding application

• A wrong word in a press release

• A homophone slip in a client-facing proposal

In high-stakes or high-visibility documents, mistakes like these don’t just look unprofessional – they can be costly, both in reputation and outcome.

Yes, I’ve Been There Too

I’ve proofread everything from academic dissertations to Westminster speeches. And yet, I’ve still had that gut-punch moment of discovering a typo in my own writing after it’s too late to fix it. That’s why I always recommend a second pair of eyes – especially for important, high-impact work. As I've

learned to my cost, even professional proofreaders need proofreaders!

How to Minimise the Risk

If you absolutely have to proofread your own writing, here are a few tips to help catch those sneaky mistakes:

• Step away from the document for a few hours (or ideally, a day). Fresh eyes see more.

• Read it out loud. This forces your brain to slow down and hear what’s actually on the page.

• Print it out. Typos can hide in plain sight on a screen.

• Change the font or background colour. Making the document look unfamiliar helps you read it differently.

• Use tech tools wisely. Grammarly, PerfectIt, and built-in spellcheckers are useful, but not infallible. Don’t rely on them entirely.

• Ask someone else to read it. Ideally someone who doesn’t already know the content inside out.

  
  

When Accuracy Matters, Don’t Go It Alone

If it’s going in front of your boss, your client, your funder, or your audience – get a professional on board. Someone who can look at the work objectively, spot the things you missed, and give you confidence that it’s polished and ready.

That’s exactly what I do at Platinum Proofreading. I bring clarity, precision, and attention to detail to every project – because I know how much is riding on getting it right.

Don’t let avoidable mistakes creep into your important documents. If you're too close to the text, or under pressure to meet a deadline, let me be your second pair of eyes.