List of proofreader's marks
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This article is a list of standard proofreader's marks used to indicate and correct problems in a text. The marks may be abstract symbols, abbreviations, or (in some cases) entire spelled-out words. These are usually handwritten on the paper containing the text. These indicators are interleaved in the text or placed in margins.[1] Different languages use different proofreading marks and sometimes publishers have their own in-house proofreading marks.
Lists of these marks can often be found in relevant standards like ISO 5776 or BS 5261, style guides such as The Chicago Manual of Style,[2] encyclopedias such as the Encyclopædia Britannica,[3] dictionaries such as the OED,[citation needed] and instructive materials for editors and proofreaders.
Abbreviations
These abbreviations are those prescribed by the Chicago Manual of Style.[2] Other conventions exist.
| 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[4] | Wrong word | Wrong word used (e.g. to/too) |
Symbols
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Most, but not all, of these symbols can be found in The Chicago Manual of Style.[2] If Unicode contains a character that can be confidently identified with the symbol, its codepoint will be listed; otherwise the symbol in the symbol column is either an image, an html creation, or a typographical approximation using a similar unicode symbol.
| Symbol Name | Symbol(s) | Meaning | Example of Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dele |
|
Delete | |
| Pilcrow (Unicode U+00B6) | ¶[a] | Begin new paragraph | |
| Pilcrow (Unicode U+00B6) | ¶ no[citation needed] | Remove paragraph break | |
| Caret (Unicode U+2038, 2041, 2380[b]) | ‸ or ⁁ or ⎀[c] | Insert | |
| (Unicode U+0023) | #[d] | 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 | ||
| ☉ | Insert full stop | ||
| ⚪︎ | Insert punctuation (the punctuation mark wanted is shown inside the circle.) |
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Manuscripts
Depending on local conventions, selected text may be underscored (underlined) to indicate any special formatting or typeface to be used, with an explanatory abbreviation written in the margin.[8][9]
The more common conventions are these:
- single dashed underline for stet, 'let it stand', proof-reading mark cancelled. The margin note
stet /may be added. - single straight underline for italic type
- single wavy underline for bold type
- double straight underline for 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
- ISO 5776 – Standard symbols for proofreading
- Blue pencil (editing) – Pencil used to show corrections to written copies
- Obelism – Editors' marks on manuscripts
Notes
- Typically with a hollow head, being handwritten.
- U+2380 ⎀ INSERTION SYMBOL is the ISO 9995-7 character for the Insert key[6][7]; it is included here for visual reference.
- The circumflex character ^ and latin letter v are sometimes shown but these are not correct.
- There is considerable individual variation in the angle at which this mark is written.