Proofreading Marks: Symbols, Meanings, and How to Use Them

Proofreading marks are the standard symbols proofreaders use to mark corrections on a printed page. If a professor, editor, or publisher has ever returned your work covered in red ink, these symbols are what you were looking at. This guide shows each common mark as it looks on a proof and explains what it means. It also covers how to mark up a proof yourself and how the same corrections work in Track Changes and PDF proofs.

Quick Answer: What Are Proofreading Marks?

The definition.
Proofreading marks are a shared shorthand for corrections. Each correction has two parts: a mark in the text at the error, and a matching note in the margin.

The three groups.
Punctuation marks insert commas, periods, apostrophes, and hyphens. Operational marks delete, insert, transpose, close up, add space, start a paragraph, or restore text (stet). Typography marks change case and style, such as capitals, italics, and bold.

The digital version.
Most editing now happens in Track Changes in Microsoft Word or in PDF comment tools. They do the same job, marking every correction for the author to accept or reject.

Proofreading Marks Chart: Symbols and Meanings

This chart shows the most common proofreading marks as they appear on a proof. In each drawing, red marks are the proofreader's. The dashed line is the edge of the text, and anything to its right goes in the margin.

Mark	Category	What it means
Insert comma	Punctuation	Add a comma at the caret.
Insert period	Punctuation	Add a period at the caret. The dot is circled so it isn't missed.
Insert apostrophe	Punctuation	Add an apostrophe at the caret, as in "Anna's book."
Insert hyphen	Punctuation	Add a hyphen, as in "well-known." The equals sign stands for a hyphen.
Delete	Operational	Remove the struck-through text.
Delete and close up	Operational	Remove a character and close the gap, so "harrass" becomes "harass."
Insert text	Operational	Add the word written in the margin at the caret.
Transpose (tr)	Operational	Swap the order of the marked letters or words, so "teh" becomes "the."
Close up space	Operational	Remove the space and join the parts, so "proof read" becomes "proofread."
Insert space (#)	Operational	Add a space where words have run together.
New paragraph	Operational	Start a new paragraph at the bracket.
Stet (let it stand)	Operational	Ignore the earlier correction and keep the original text.
Capitalize (cap)	Typography	Change the marked letter to a capital, so "london" becomes "London."
Lowercase (lc)	Typography	Change the marked capital to lowercase.
Italic (ital)	Typography	Set the underlined text in italics.
Bold (bf)	Typography	Set the text with the wavy underline in bold.
Spell out (sp)	Typography	Write the circled numeral or abbreviation in full, so "3" becomes "three."

Notice that some margin notes are circled. A circle tells the typesetter that the note is an instruction, not text to add.

What Are Proofreading Marks?

Proofreading marks are standardized symbols and abbreviations that show corrections on a printed proof. Instead of writing out each instruction, a proofreader uses a shorthand that any editor or typesetter can read. Marks are usually written in red or another color that stands out from the printed text.

Every correction uses two marks. The first goes in the text, at the exact point of the error. The second goes in the margin and says what to do. By convention, notes for the left half of a line go in the left margin. Notes for the right half go in the right margin. When one line has several corrections, the margin notes run in order and are separated by slashes.

Proofreading itself is the last stage of editing. It catches surface errors that survived earlier rounds, not problems with structure or argument. For how it differs from other stages, see proofreading vs. editing and this overview of types of editing.

Punctuation Proofreading Marks

Punctuation marks show where a punctuation mark should be added. Most use a caret (^) in the text and the punctuation mark itself in the margin.

Insert comma. A caret in the text and a comma in the margin. It's one of the most common marks, since commas are often left out of drafts. For the rules behind it, see how to use commas correctly.
Insert period. A caret in the text and a circled dot in the margin. The circle keeps the small dot from being missed.
Insert apostrophe. A caret in the text and an apostrophe set inside an inverted caret (V) in the margin. The inverted caret shows the mark sits above the line.
Insert colon or semicolon. A caret in the text and the colon or semicolon in the margin. Our guide to colons vs. semicolons explains when each is correct.
Insert question mark or exclamation point. A caret in the text and the mark in the margin, sometimes with "set" circled beside it.
Insert hyphen. A caret in the text and an equals sign (=) in the margin. The double line keeps the hyphen from being read as a dash or a stray stroke.
Insert en dash. Written in the margin as "1/n," meaning one en. En dashes mark ranges, such as pages 10 to 20 or the years 1990 to 1995.
Insert em dash. Written in the margin as "1/m," meaning one em. Em dashes set off a sharp break or an aside within a sentence.
Insert quotation marks. A caret in the text and quotation marks inside an inverted caret in the margin. They're used where a quotation or a short title is missing its marks.

For every punctuation mark and its rules, see the complete punctuation guide.

Operational Proofreading Marks

Operational marks change the text itself: what's there, in what order, and how it's spaced. These are the marks you're most likely to see on a returned proof.

Delete. A line through the text and the delete symbol, a looped stroke called a dele, in the margin. The marked text is removed.
Delete and close up. The delete mark plus curves above and below, so no gap is left behind. It fixes doubled letters, such as "harrass" for "harass."
Insert. A caret in the text at the insertion point and the missing word or words in the margin.
Transpose. A curved line that swaps two letters or words, with "tr" circled in the margin. It fixes errors like "teh" for "the."
Close up space. Curves above and below an unwanted space show that the two parts should join, as in "proof read" to "proofread."
Insert space. A vertical line in the text where words run together and a hash sign (#) in the margin.
New paragraph. A bracket in the text where the new paragraph should start and the paragraph symbol (¶) in the margin.
Run in. A line connecting two paragraphs and "run in" circled in the margin. It removes a paragraph break so the text continues.
Move left, move right, or center. Square brackets show where text should sit. A left bracket ([) means move left, a right bracket (]) means move right, and facing brackets (] [) mean center.
Query to author. A circled question mark, often with "au" or "au?", flags something the proofreader can't settle alone. The author answers the question instead of the proofreader guessing.
Stet. Dots under text that was marked for change, with "stet" circled in the margin. Stet is Latin for "let it stand," and it cancels the earlier correction.

Typography Marks and Proofreading Abbreviations

Typography marks change the case, style, or typeface of text without changing the words. Most pair an underline or slash in the text with a circled abbreviation in the margin.

Capitalize (cap or uc). Three short lines under a letter and "cap" or "uc" (uppercase) in the margin.
Lowercase (lc). A slash through a capital letter and "lc" in the margin.
Small capitals (sc). Two lines under the text and "sc" in the margin.
Italic (ital). One line under the text and "ital" in the margin. Titles of books and journals are common candidates.
Bold (bf). A wavy line under the text and "bf," for boldface, in the margin.
Roman (rom). "rom" in the margin means remove italic or bold and set the text in regular type.
Wrong font (wf). The character is circled and "wf" goes in the margin. It means a letter is set in the wrong typeface or size.
Spell out (sp). A circle around an abbreviation or numeral and "sp" in the margin, so "3" becomes "three." Our guide on when to spell out numbers covers the rules.

How to Mark Up a Proof: Step by Step

If you're asked to check your own page proofs, these steps keep your corrections clear and easy to apply.

Read for sense first. Read the whole proof once without marking it, so you know where every passage is going.
Read slowly, line by line. On the second pass, read word by word. Covering the lines below with a ruler helps you focus on one line at a time.
Mark the exact spot in the text. Put the in-text mark precisely where the error is, using a caret, a line, or a circle.
Write the matching note in the margin. Use the nearer margin. If a line has several corrections, write them in order and separate them with slashes.
Circle instructions. Circle anything in the margin that isn't text to be added, such as "tr," "cap," or "stet."
Use one clear color. Mark in a single color that contrasts with the print, and keep every mark legible.
Query instead of rewriting. At the proof stage, changes are costly and can shift page breaks. Fix real errors, and raise anything else as a query.
Check the next proof. When the corrected proof comes back, confirm that each change was made and nothing new went wrong.

Proofreading Marks Example: One Sentence, Five Corrections

Here's how a proofreader would mark a short sentence with five errors. The uncorrected proof reads:

Teh committees report was approved on monday, and it takes effect in 3 weeks

Error	Mark in the text	Note in the margin
"Teh" for "The"	Curved line swapping e and h	"tr," circled
"committees" missing its apostrophe	Caret between "committee" and "s"	Apostrophe inside an inverted caret
"monday" not capitalized	Three lines under the "m"	"cap," circled
"3" should be spelled out	Circle around the "3"	"sp," circled
Missing period at the end	Caret after "weeks"	Circled dot

After the corrections, the sentence reads:

The committee's report was approved on Monday, and it takes effect in three weeks.

Proofreading Marks vs. Track Changes and PDF Proofs

Most proofreading today happens on screen, but the corrections are the same. In Microsoft Word, Track Changes records each edit for the author to accept or reject. Publishers often send page proofs as PDFs and ask authors to use the comment tools in Adobe Acrobat or a similar reader. The table shows how the printed marks translate.

Printed proofreading mark	Track Changes in Word	PDF proof comment tools
Delete (dele)	Deleted text shows as struck through or in a balloon	Strikethrough tool
Insert (caret)	Inserted text shows underlined in color	Insert text tool at the cursor
Replace (delete plus insert)	A deletion followed by an insertion	Replace text tool
Transpose (tr)	The words are deleted and retyped in order	Replace text tool with the corrected order
Capitalize, italic, or bold	A formatting change noted in the margin balloon	A note describing the change, such as "set in italic"
New paragraph (¶)	A new paragraph mark, visible with Show/Hide ¶	Insert text tool with a note reading "new paragraph"
Stet	Reject the change	Delete the earlier comment or add a note reading "stet"
Query to author	A comment	A sticky note

Whatever the format, follow your publisher's instructions for returning corrections. Some still prefer marked paper proofs, while others accept only annotated PDFs.

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US and UK Proofreading Marks: Are They the Same?

Not quite. The marks in this guide follow the American system shown in The Chicago Manual of Style (18th edition, figure 2.6), which most US publishers recognize. British publishers usually follow the British Standards Institution marks, published as BS 5261C:2005. The two systems agree on many corrections but use different symbols for others.

If a proof comes back with marks you don't recognize, ask which system the editor used. Many publishers send a key with their proofs, and that key always takes priority over any general chart.

Who Uses Proofreading Marks Today?

Printed marks are less common than they once were, but several groups still meet them regularly:

Authors with traditional publishers often review page proofs on paper or as PDFs before a book goes to print.
Academic authors check journal proofs, also called galleys, before an article is published.
Students get handwritten feedback from teachers who use the same symbols on essays and papers.
Editors and proofreaders use the marks to communicate with typesetters and designers in print production.

For the checks proofreaders make beyond the marks themselves, see our guide to proofreading. To catch errors in your own draft before anyone marks it, try this self-editing checklist.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are proofreading marks?

Proofreading marks are standard symbols that proofreaders use to show corrections on a printed proof. Each correction has two parts: a mark in the text at the error, and a matching note in the margin that says what to change. The marks let editors, authors, and typesetters share corrections quickly without writing out every instruction.

What are the three main types of proofreading marks?

Proofreading marks fall into three groups. Punctuation marks add commas, periods, apostrophes, hyphens, and dashes. Operational marks change the text itself by deleting, inserting, transposing, closing up, adding space, starting a paragraph, or restoring text with stet. Typography marks change case or style, such as capitals, lowercase, italics, bold, and spelling out numerals.

What does stet mean in proofreading?

Stet is Latin for let it stand. A proofreader places dots under text that was marked for a change and writes stet, circled, in the margin. It cancels the earlier correction and keeps the original wording. Stet is common when an author or proofreader reconsiders an edit during a later round of proofs.

What does the caret symbol mean in proofreading?

The caret, which looks like an upside-down V, is an insertion mark. The proofreader places it in the text at the exact point where something is missing. The margin shows what to add, such as a word, a comma, a period, or an apostrophe. A caret never appears alone without a matching note in the margin.

What does # mean in proofreading?

The hash sign (#) in the margin means insert a space. The proofreader draws a short vertical line where two words have run together, such as proofmarks. The hash sign goes in the margin. In some systems, the hash sign can also call for more space between lines.

What does tr mean in proofreading?

The abbreviation tr, circled in the margin, means transpose. In the text, a curved line loops around the letters or words that are out of order, and the typesetter swaps them. It fixes errors such as teh for the, or words placed in the wrong order within a sentence.

What is the difference between delete and delete and close up?

The delete mark removes text and leaves the surrounding spacing as it was. Delete and close up removes a character and then joins what remains, so no gap is left behind. It is used mainly for doubled letters. Correcting harrass to harass, for example, removes the extra r and closes the word.

Why are some proofreading notes circled?

A circle around a margin note tells the typesetter that the note is an instruction, not text to add. Abbreviations such as tr, cap, lc, ital, sp, and stet are circled for this reason. Text that should be inserted, such as a missing word, is written in the margin without a circle.

Are proofreading marks still used today?

Yes, though less often than before. Traditional publishers, journals, and teachers still use printed marks on paper proofs and handwritten feedback. Most professional proofreading now happens in Track Changes in Microsoft Word or in PDF comment tools. Both record the same corrections on screen for the author to accept or reject.

How do you mark corrections on a PDF proof?

Use the comment tools in Adobe Acrobat or a similar PDF reader. The strikethrough tool marks deletions, the insert text tool adds missing words, and the replace text tool swaps one word for another. Sticky notes work for queries and formatting changes. Always follow the instructions your publisher sends with the proofs.

Related Guides

The article on what proofreading is explains what a proofreader checks and when a document is ready for this final stage.

The proofreading vs. editing guide shows how proofreading differs from copy editing and line editing.

The manuscript preparation guide covers what to do before you send a document to an editor or proofreader.

Reviewed by the Editor World editorial team under the direction of Patti Fisher, PhD, founder. Editor World has provided 100% human editing by native English editors since 2010. About Editor World