Spelling mistakes can be embarrassing and unprofessional. They can distract the user and reduce the credibility of your content. We don’t want users losing interest, leaving our site with more questions than first imagined. The best way to tackle spelling mistakes is proofreading and we have some tips for you.

Why should I proofread?

Proofreading limits the number of errors that appear in content. Our CMS doesn’t have a built-in spell checker but, most browsers do.  A browser spell check is excellent for a quick review before but it may only pickup common errors. Most of the time this is insufficient for new content.

When writing new content we recommend the following tools to help you write great content.

To reduce the risk of errors we recommend to:

  • write content in a word processor e.g. Microsoft Word
  • use a third-party tool e.g. Grammarly, Hemingway app, screen reader to check your content.

Word Processors

We recommend to write new content in a word processor before publishing on the web. Microsoft Word, the most popular word processor is available to all University staff.

Word processors have built-in tools which can help with spelling and grammatical errors. Word also includes an accessibility checker which can identify accessibility issues. Learn more about Word’s Accessibility Checker <include link>.

Third-party writing tools

Third-party tools are becoming increasingly intelligent and some use AI (artificial intelligence) to identify complex errors.

Grammarly

Grammarly is an online writing tool that checks spelling and grammar. This app provides suggestions to improve writing, punctuation and grammar. Grammarly is available as a browser plugin but also with Microsoft Office applications.

Note: Grammarly offers a free and premium service. You will need to register for a free account.

Hemingway app

The Hemingway app is a simple to use web application. Inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s writing style this app helps create clear and accessible content. It’s as easy as pasting your content into the tool.

The Hemingway app highlight’s text and provides suggestions from word selection, sentence structure to fluency. The app will include a word count and readability statistics, (we aim for grade 7 readability.)

So what do I use?

A combination of the above tools can help improve your writing. A spell checker can improve accuracy, but stay alert not every tool will pick up errors, some suggestions may be incorrect.

Try a few tools to see what works best for your needs. Give a screen reader a try, it will provide a different perspective of your content. Revisit your writing after a draft it will help iron out some issues with fresh eyes.

Have questions about your web editing?

Remember, we’re always here to help! To reach out, please: