Copy Editing vs. Proofreading: The Importance of Being Human
Written by Rachael Lammie, February 27, 2022. Edited March 18, 2025.
Copy editing and proofreading are critical steps in the publishing process. What is the main difference? Why is proofreading important in business? This blog explores these questions and describes why you should never rely solely on a computer to edit your most essential documents. Let me convince you that another pair of human eyes is always necessary!
Copy Editing vs. Proofreading: The Main Difference
Copy editing involves correcting mistakes in content, clarity of meaning, syntax, and sentence structure (using concise language, active voice, etc.). In contrast, proofreading is performed after copy editing and is the process of checking grammar, punctuation, and spelling. While copy editing and proofreading are related, proofreading is typically the final step toward completion. It often occurs after a round or two of copy editing. While proofreading is inherently part of the copy editing process (editors cannot help themselves), a “final proof” should always be given once all content and copy editing revisions are made.
Why is Proofreading Important?
Proofreading is essential in any type of writing because it ensures your documents are error free. After ensuring that your intended meaning is clear and suitable for the target audience (i.e., copy editing), writers must proofread. It makes you look more professional and trustworthy to your clients. If you submit a document with errors, it can reflect poorly and may even cost you the contract. Any important communication should go through much more than spellcheck before being sent to a client. Copy editing and proofreading is a skillset. Editors are thrilled to take on the challenge of perfecting your document so that you can focus on your own set of skills and abilities.
What is the Main Purpose of Proofreading a Paper?
I will say it again. The primary purpose of proofreading a paper is to correct mistakes so that the text is error free. This allows the reader to understand the content without being distracted by errors. The writing process is often a vehicle for creativity and developing ideas. During the writing process, authors, academics, and business professionals generate new thoughts as words flow. While the creative process shouldn't be interrupted, copy editing and a final proofread is essential when getting ready for publication or distribution. Academic research and business writing are high-stakes; documents get rejected due to residual grammatical errors or if the meaning is unclear.
What is the Main Action a Writer Takes When Proofreading?
When proofreading, a writer's main action is to read through the text carefully and identify grammatical mistakes (content mistakes should have been addressed by this point). They correct these mistakes using the appropriate tools (i.e., grammar check and spellcheck). Often this is performed by writers themselves (read more about AI in another blog post). However, hiring a professional proofreader and copy editor will ensure your final product is error free and appropriately communicates your intended message. The type of editing you need will depend on the type of document. Hiring a professional for copyediting and proofreading is a critical step that should not be skipped.
Are Online Plagiarism Checkers Trustworthy?
Online plagiarism checkers are not trustworthy for being 100% responsible for your content. This is because they can produce false positives or “hallucinate.” This means they can over or underreport plagiarism even when it is or is not present in a text. Examples are common sentences or clauses used frequently but not specific to a given text. Since plagiarism checkers are not 100% accurate, it is best to proofread your documents and ensure the content is original and error free. Online tools are just that: tools, not replacements for human writing and editing.
Another reason to be wary of online plagiarism checkers is that they only look for semantically identical phrases and structures. Artificial intelligence software programs can take an entire document and change exactly enough words to pass a plagiarism checker with only the click of a button. However, this would still be content that has been copied and duplicated; it's just different enough to pass a computer algorithm.
Do Artificial Intelligence Programs Proofread as Well as a Human?
That’s a solid no. Artificial intelligence programs do not proofread as well as a human because they cannot identify nuances or all types of errors. For example, AI may miss small grammar mistakes or typos. They cannot provide the same level of feedback and guidance as a human. Using a simple spellcheck for emails and other lower-importance documents can be sufficient at times. But if your document has more context, culture, and nuance, or if it is a high-stakes piece of writing that could affect your future or your business, then you need a human brain to consider its entirety.
This is why it is always best to have your documents edited and proofread by a professional copy editor or proofreader.
Reasons Not to Rely Soley on a Computer to Edit Your Most Important Documents
The takeaway:
Computers cannot identify all errors.
They can produce false positives, which means they will report plagiarism even when it is not present in a text.
Artificial intelligence programs are getting better at copying and duplicating texts. However, they still do not proofread as well as a human.
If you need a document to be contextualized or nuanced, then a computer will not be able to do this for you.
A computer cannot provide the same level of feedback and guidance as a human.
How Do You Know When Your Document is Proofed and Ready?
While there is overlap in the editorial process, copy editing vs. proofreading is an important distinction to make when polishing your writing or when seeking an editor’s assistance. It is important to know what stage of the writing process you are in so that you know how to move forward. Computers should only be used as supplements to human judgement, never substitutes!
So how do you know when your document is ready?
It is a deliberate and intuitive process regarding the flow of syntax during the final read-through. It is much easier to determine when my clients' writing is successful in comparison to my own. The second pair of eyes is crucial to the writing process. Clarity, context, and voice are important aspects of writing that can be overlooked when relying solely on AI technology for editing purposes.