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SPELLNG IZ IMPORTINT. IF YOO CANNUT SPEL RITE, PEEPLE WILL KNOT TAYKE YOOR RITING TWO SERIUSLY.

How can you improve your proofreading and spelling skills?

1) PERFECT PROOFREADING

READ ITEMS OUT LOUD.

Reading silently, we may zip quickly over entire lines, missing errors. If we read aloud, we are forced to slow down and pay better attention. We may catch run-on sentences, fragments, misplaced words, and other mistakes this way.

ZOOM IN FOR PROOFING.

When we write a piece on our computers, we can increase our chances of locating any mistakes by increasing the size of what we have written. Using the ZOOM IN feature (usually found under the VIEW pull-down menu), we can change our whole editing perspective.

PROOFREAD ON THE SCREEN AND ON PAPER.

Most of us compose on our computers. We can do a significant amount of editing right on the screen. However, printing items out allows us the opportunity to view a written piece in a different medium. We may look at it a bit differently, and we often will spot typographical errors or other issues.

DON'T TRUST SPELL-CHECKERS.

Not only are they not infallible, but computer spell-checkers will not catch homonyms. Remember elementary school? Homonyms are words that sound the same, but are spelled differently. (Examples: nun and none, lone and loan, yore and your and you're, etc.)

Also, if you type the wrong word, but it is still a real word, your spell-checker will miss it.

EVERYONE NEEDS ANOTHER PAIR OF EYES.

I've been an editor and proofreader for decades. I've made my living at it. Still, I rely on others to proofread my writing. You see, the human brain takes shortcuts. When we write, we tend to see what we meant to write, instead of what actually appears on the screen or page.

Plus, if we have worked with the material enough, we will subconsciously skim. Thus, we may miss our misspellings and typos.

2) SHARPEN YOUR SPELLING SKILLS.

READ! READ! READ!

Reading boosts your vocabulary and sharpens your spelling skills. The more you read, the more you will recognize correct words.

WORK CROSSWORD PUZZLES.

Daily newspapers offer these. The Sunday crosswords are the most challenging (especially the NEW YORK TIMES variety). Basically, you cannot complete these criss-cross puzzles, unless you spell words correctly. They simply won't match up.

PLAY WORD-RELATED BOARD GAMES.

Enlist your friends and family, and increase everyone's word power by playing SCRABBLE, BOGGLE, and other word games. Get out the dictionary to check unknown words. Watch everyone's

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