Proof-read or proofread?
proof-read is a verb meaning “Alternative spelling of proofread”; proofread is a verb meaning “To check a written text for errors in spelling, grammar, syntax, and punctuation”. Wiktionary gives them as spellings of the same word. proof-read is written with a hyphen and proofread as one word; they are used differently.
What is the difference between proof-read and proofread?
| proof-read | proofread | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | verb | verb, noun |
| Meaning | Alternative spelling of proofread | To check a written text for errors in spelling, grammar, syntax, and punctuation |
| Example | none recorded | none recorded |
| Forms | proof-reads, proof-reading | proofreads, proofreading |
| Pronunciation | not recorded | /ˈpɹuːfɹiːd/ /ˈpɹuːfɹɛd/ |
| In writing | not counted (the list counts single words) | about once in every 3 million words |
Sources: proof-read and proofread in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of proof-read and proofread
proof-read
- 1
Alternative spelling of proofread
proofread
- 1
To check a written text for errors in spelling, grammar, syntax, and punctuation
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, proof-read or proofread?
proof-read is a phrase, which the list of single words does not count; proofread about once in every 3 million words.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How many people search proof-read vs proofread?
“proof-read vs proofread” is searched about 20 times a month on Google and 10 on Bing in the United States. Google counts close variants of a query together (“proofread vs proof-read”, “proof-read or proofread”).
Sources: Google Ads keyword data through DataForSEO and Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, the average month from September 2025 to August 2026.