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Standard Proofreading Marks and What They Mean

Proofreading marks were designed to let an editor mark up a printed page precisely and compactly, long before track changes existed. Many writers and editors still learn them.

A caret (^) marks an insertion

A small caret placed below the line, with the missing text written above it, shows exactly where a word, letter, or punctuation mark needs to be added.

A looped strike-through marks a deletion

A single line or looped mark through a word or character, often paired with a small delete symbol in the margin, indicates that text should be removed entirely.

A tilde-like squiggle marks a transposition

This symbol, drawn over or between two letters or words, means to swap their order rather than deleting and re-inserting them separately.

Curved connecting lines mean "close up this space"

Two small curved lines pulling a gap together indicate that an unwanted space, such as inside a single word split by accident, should be removed.

A "#" symbol requests an inserted space

This mark tells an editor or typesetter to add space where two elements have run together without one — the opposite instruction from "close up."

"Stet" means "let it stand"

Written in the margin next to text that had a correction marked but should actually be kept as originally written, "stet" (Latin for "let it stand") cancels a previously marked edit.

A pilcrow-style mark starts a new paragraph

A backward "P"-like symbol placed before a word signals that a new paragraph should begin at that point, splitting the existing paragraph in two.

Why these marks still matter in a digital age

Word processors now handle insertions and deletions with tracked changes, but printed proofs, legal documents, and some publishing workflows still rely on hand-marked proofreading symbols, and understanding them helps when reviewing a physical galley or a scanned manuscript.

Where the system comes from

Standardized proofreading marks trace back to the print shop, where compositors needed a compact, unambiguous way for editors to communicate corrections on a physical page without lengthy written instructions. Style guides such as the Chicago Manual of Style still document a fairly standard version of this symbol set.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are proofreading marks the same in every country?

The core concepts (insert, delete, transpose) are broadly shared, but the exact symbols and conventions can vary somewhat between style guides and languages, so it is worth checking the specific standard a publisher or institution expects.

Do professional editors still use these by hand?

Many now work primarily in digital tracked-changes tools, but hand marks are still common for marking up printed proofs, and knowing the traditional symbols remains a standard part of editorial training.