After every piece of writing has been completed, it is always a good idea to check it for errors in grammar, punctuation, vocabulary and spelling. This is also what happens after translation work has been done.

We are all humans, and make mistakes when we are tired and when we are pressed to meet a deadline. Therefore, the proofreader’s job is to check, modify and revise the translation to ensure that it is error free.

One of the key things that the proofreader checks for is spelling. It is quite unprofessional for a translation to contain spelling errors, and it is easy to mistake words like hear and here, its and it’s, etc. These mistakes may not be picked up by online spellchecks, since these are all legitimate English words.

Another area that a proofreader checks for is consistency. There are two main ways of spelling English words, which are British and American spelling.

While it is usually ok to use either form of spelling, since this choice does not affect the meaning of words, problems may occur when the same word is spelled inconsistently.

For example, if both hemoglobin and haemoglobin are used interchangeably when translating a medical report, it may cause some confusion as to whether these two words are referring to the same thing.

At the very least, it creates the impression that the translator was careless with his spelling and did not check his work.

In order to cut cost or to save time, some translation agencies may require the translator to proofread his own work. That means that the translator and proofreader are the same person.

This is unwise and discouraged. We all have our own blind spots and may be oblivious to our own mistakes, and thus it is optimal for a ‘fresh pair of eyes’ to check our work.

If you do need translation services or proofreading services for your website, marketing collateral, etc, do contact us at +65 6600 3798 or email to sales@whizwordz.com.

Our friendly staff would be most glad to assist you in your enquiries and provide a non-obligation quotation.  Our company website is www.whizwordz.com.sg .