List of proofreader's marks
{{Short description|none}}
This article is a list of standard proofreader's marks used to indicate and correct problems in a text. Marks come in two varieties, abbreviations and abstract symbols. These are usually handwritten on the paper containing the text. Symbols are interleaved in the text, while abbreviations may be placed in a margin with an arrow pointing to the problematic text. Different languages use different proofreading marks and sometimes publishers have their own in-house proofreading marks.{{cite web|title=Proof Correction Marks|url=http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~bstahl/CORRECTION_MARKS.pdf |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20171215031448/http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~bstahl/CORRECTION_MARKS.pdf |archivedate= 15 December 2017 |publisher=British Standards Institution|accessdate=13 May 2016}}
Abbreviations
These abbreviations are those prescribed by the Chicago Manual of Style.{{cite web |title=Proofreaders' Marks |url=https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/help-tools/proofreading-marks.html |website=The Chicago Manual of Style Online |access-date=12 February 2025}} Other conventions exist.
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Use |
|---|---|---|
| bf | Boldface | Set in boldface |
| caps | Capitalize | Set in capital letters |
| eq # | Equalize spacing | |
| fl | Flush left | Align text flush with left margin |
| fr | Flush right | Align text flush with right margin |
| hr # | Insert hair space | |
| ital | Italics | Set in italic type |
| lc | Lower case | Set in lowercase |
| ls | Letterspace | Adjust letterspacing |
| rom | Roman | Put in Roman (non-italic) font |
| sc | Small caps | Put text in small caps |
| set | Insert question mark | |
| sp | Spell out | Used to indicate that an abbreviation should be spelled out, such as in its first use |
| stet | Let it stand | Indicates that proofreading marks should be ignored and the copy unchanged |
| tr | transpose | Transpose the two words selected |
| wf | Wrong font | Put text in correct font |
| ww{{cite web |title=Proofreading Marks: What Do They Mean? |url=https://www.scribendi.com/academy/articles/decoding_traditional_proofreading_marks.en.html |website=Scribendi}} | Wrong word | Wrong word used (e.g. to/too) |
Symbols
{{unsourced section|date=August 2023}}
File:English proofreading marks example (ISO 5776).svg
| class="wikitable" | |||
| Symbol Name | Symbol(s) | Meaning | Example of Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dele | 30px | Delete | |
| Pilcrow (Unicode U+00B6) | ¶ | Begin new paragraph | |
| Pilcrow (Unicode U+00B6) | ¶ no | Remove paragraph break | |
| Caret{{efn|The circumflex character {{char|^}} and latin letter {{char|v}} are sometimes shown but these are not correct.}} (Unicode U+2038, 2041, 2380) | ‸ or ⁁ or ⎀ | Insert | |
| # | Insert space | ||
| Close up (Unicode U+2050) | ⁐ | Tie words together, eliminating a space | I was reading the news⁐paper this morning. |
| ] [ | Center text | ||
| ] | Move text right | ||
| [ | Move text left | ||
| M̲ | Insert em dash | ||
| N̲ | Insert en dash |
Manuscripts
Depending on local conventions, underscores (underlines) may be used on manuscripts (and historically on typescripts) to indicate the special typefaces to be used:{{cite web |url=https://www.graphic-design-employment.com/proofreading-marks-chart.html | title= Proofreading Marks Chart{{snd}} Some of the Most Common Proofreading Marks | website= graphic-design-employment.com | access-date= 9 October 2020}}{{cite book| title = Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2020 | date=5 September 2019 | isbn=9781472947512 | publisher = Bloomsbury}}
- single dashed underline for {{lang|la|stet}}, 'let it stand', proof-reading mark cancelled.
- single straight underline for italic type
- single wavy underline for bold type
- double straight underline for {{sc|small caps}}
- double underline of one straight line and one wavy line for bold italic
- triple underline for FULL CAPITAL LETTERS (used among small caps or to change text already typed as lower case).
See also
- {{Annotated link |ISO 5776}}
- {{Annotated link |Blue pencil (editing)}}
- {{Annotated link |Obelism}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{cite web |title=Proofreader's marks| publisher= Merriam-Webster |url=https://www.merriam-webster.com/mw/table/proofrea.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315081028/https://www.merriam-webster.com/mw/table/proofrea.htm |archive-date=15 March 2015}}
- [http://shop.bsigroup.com/ProductDetail/?pid=000000000030121989 British Standards Institution BS 5261C:2005] – Hardcopy for purchase
- {{cite web |url=http://www.lancingpress.co.uk/printing-information/factfile_proofmarks_apr14.pdf |title=PROOFMARKS - How to communicate your text changes without ambiguity |publisher=Lancing Press |date=April 2014}} (Online summary of BS5261, open access via [http://www.lancingpress.co.uk/printing-information/factsheet_proofmarks.shtml "Proofmarks"])
- [https://www.ciep.uk/asset/38BC9F8C-3A20-4C8F-9E5B1FB7EA329B6B/ BSI proof-correction marks (conforming to BS 5261C:2005)] as prepared by the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading
- The style guide for publications of the European Union is presented in 24 European languages and includes a section on proofreading. Each edition has a sheet of proofreader's marks that appears to be the same apart from the language used to describe the marks. The section cautions that "it should be realised that the typesetter may not understand the language in which the text is written".
- [https://style-guide.europa.eu/en/content/-/isg/topic?identifier=6.3-proof-correction-marks English]
- [https://style-guide.europa.eu/fr/content/-/isg/topic?identifier=6.3-proof-correction-marks French]
- [https://style-guide.europa.eu/de/content/-/isg/topic?identifier=6.3-proof-correction-marks German]
- [https://style-guide.europa.eu/it/content/-/isg/topic?identifier=6.3-proof-correction-marks Italian]
- etc.