Copyediting and Proofreading Checklists
Word-level checks for cleaner drafts, fewer errors, and faster QA passes.
Use this topic to operationalize your final-pass review process before publishing.
Search Intent Coverage
Three-pass editing model
Separate content edits from line edits and mechanical edits to reduce cognitive load.
- Pass 1: structure and meaning.
- Pass 2: sentence clarity and tone.
- Pass 3: grammar, punctuation, and formatting.
High-risk zones
Most avoidable errors occur in headings, CTAs, dates, and legal references.
- Check headline claims.
- Verify links and labels.
- Confirm names, numbers, and deadlines.
Core Vocabulary In This Topic
The state or measure of being clear, either in appearance, thought or style; lucidity.
Also: ease, finish, flow, care
The act, practice, ability, or subject of forming words with letters, or of reading the letters of words; orthography.
Also: phonetics
A set of symbols and marks which are used to clarify meaning in text by separating strings of words into clauses, phrases and sentences; examples include commas, hyphens, and stops (periods).
Also: point, stop, dash, period
Movement in people or things characterized with a continuous motion, involving either a non solid mass or a multitude.
Also: run, set, pass, go
The state of being accurate; being free from error; exactness; correctness
Also: right, resolution, delicacy, detail
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Fewer vs Less: The Practical Rule (and When to Bend It)
Use fewer and less correctly in everyday writing without sounding stiff.
Which vs That: Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses
Use which and that with confidence in formal and everyday writing.
Active vs Passive Voice: When Each Works
Write clearer sentences by choosing active voice by default and passive voice intentionally.