Spellcheck Isn't Enough

I encourage everyone writing anything in business to use Spellcheck. Run letters, memos—and, yes, even e-mails—through an automatic check before sending them off.

But Spellcheck is a double-edged sword. It seems many writers think if it turns up no errors, or if they correct those that do appear, they are home free. But in fact, this is only the beginning. Here are some steps to help you perform a thorough check.

2. Spellcheck will tell you if you have made up a new word, but it won’t pick up too when it should be two, loose instead of lose or affect when you meant effect. You must understand the sense of a sentence to catch those errors, and the computer can’t do that for you. You must do it yourself by reading the material slowly and carefully.

3. Check for grammatical errors. Have you given your singular subjects singular verbs? Have you used I and me correctly? When you used the possessive form, did you put the apostrophe in the right place? (If you need help here, visit 101 Grammar Gaffes or Grammar.)

4. When we are very familiar with the material, a kind of Gestalt effect kicks in, and we see what we expect to see, instead of what is actually there. When dealing with something of great importance, you can avoid this by reading the piece backwards, one word at a time. Yes, it is time consuming. Yes, it is worth the effort.

5. Do check the spelling of people’s names as well as place names. Even though it may seem like a little thing, people’s names are very personal and spelling them incorrectly can seem like an insult, even though unintentional. (It’s also useful to remember that the correct way to pronounce a person’s name is the way that person wants it pronounced!)

6. When your letter contains calculations of any kind, make sure they are accurate. If you are copy-typing from someone else’s work, you will obviously check your typed figures against the original. But don’t assume the original was correct! Check all arithmetical calculations before you consider the work done.

7. If your memo contains a date that includes the day of the week, make sure it’s accurate. If you announce a meeting for Wednesday, June 19 and June 19 is actually a Tuesday, you will certainly look foolish when people call to ask which it is. Even worse, some people may book the wrong time in their calendars because of your mistake.

8. You can proofread more accurately on paper than on screen, so print your draft before the final check.

I’m just going to print this and check everything. Yes, it looks fine.

Feel free to use this or other articles on this site in your in-house publication or online newsletters, so long as you make no changes, use the entire article, and add the following attribution at the end:

Helen Wilkie speaks at conferences and conducts corporate training sessions on all aspects of business communication. She is the author of Message Received and Understood! and The Hidden Profit Center. Contact her by phone at 416-966-5023, by e-mail at hwilkie@mhwcom.com  or browse her main website at www.mhwcom.com