Why I'm using the “read aloud” trick to catch errors

[Simona]

I thought I was a good proofreader. I'd read my paper silently, slowly, carefully. Then I'd submit it, and my professor would find typos. Every time.

A writing coach told me: “Read your paper aloud. Your ears catch things your eyes miss.” I tried it. It felt ridiculous. But it worked.

When I read aloud, I noticed:

• Sentences that ran on too long (I'd run out of breath)
• Words I'd repeated without realizing it
• Clunky phrases that sounded wrong when spoken
• Missing words my brain had filled in silently

Now I do this before every submission. I read to my roommate, my cat, myself. It catches mistakes I'd never see otherwise.

For other writers, what's your proofreading process? I'm still not perfect, but I'm getting better.