Proofread vs. proof read vs. proof-read
No contest on this one.
The term is proofread. One word. No hyphen. The same goes for other forms of the word: proofreader, proofreading. Somehow, some way, the word gets split in two or includes a dreaded hyphen in lots of advertisements and employment requests — very uncool.
It's all in the details
Proofreading, by the way, dates back to the 1920s. And what does one of these rare breeds do all day? A proofreader reads and marks corrections on a typeset document. Note that the proofreader marks corrections, not makes corrections. That job is typically left to a typesetter or designer. What kind of corrections? If you want to be literal and stick to the official job description, the proofreader only looks for typos and formatting issues on one document compared with another. Sometimes a document has nothing with which to be compared; this is called a blind proof. Modern-day proofreading, however, has an extended job description, which includes checking grammar and consistencies, as well as looking over copy at several stages prior to its being typeset.
Fun stuff, eh?
Happy trails!
SAK
Tags: blind proof, proof read, proof reader, proof-reading, proofread, proofreader, proofreading
Do you have any references of support for this?
I agree with you, but would like something authoritative (other than your own work!) that supports this argument.
Thanks!
Good call — and yes, I do have support other than my own inclinations. For the vast majority of rules and regulations, I follow the AP Stylebook, which refers to “proofreader” as one word in its online “carat, caret, karat” entry: A caret is a writer’s and a proofreader’s mark. In addition, the AP Stylebook defers to Webster’s New World College DIctionary when it doesn’t have a particular stance on an issue; Webster’s lists the spellings as proofread, proofreading and proofreader. And for good measure, I sometimes double-check with Merriam-Webster as another giant in the spelling game; it, too, prefers the same spellings. Thanks for asking!