As writers, we’re told to edit, edit, edit. But we’ve probably all experienced the invisible error that suddenly jumps out right after the contest entry or article is submitted. One reason they’re so hard to catch is because we know what we want it to say, and our brain reads it correctly in spite of what we actually typed.
One way to catch those pesky errors is to add a final listen to your editing procedures. That’s right, a listen.
If you use a recent version of Microsoft Word, you have the ability to have your document read to you at the press of a button. This allows you to hear your story or article being read aloud to you. And it will read exactly what you typed, so you can easily catch skipped or incorrect words. It will also help you catch overused words and sentences that are just awkward.
The Read Aloud window that opens up allows you to pause the reading to make changes, jump back to the previous paragraph, or forward to the next, with simple, easy to use arrow buttons. You can select a male or female voice, and adjust the reading speed to what is most comfortable for you.
Give it a try. I think you’ll find that it makes a difference in your final draft.
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