The best free AI proofreading tools

In today’s content-driven world, getting your words right matters more than ever. This blog explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can help you achieve this to a consistently high standard. It examines essential factors to consider when assessing AI proofreading tools, such as accuracy, speed and customisation options, and provides an overview of a broad range of services and generative AI models currently available.

Can AI be used for proofreading?

Let’s break this stage of the writing process down: what is the difference between proofreading, spell-checking and copy-editing? Spell-checking catches typos, while proofreading goes deeper, fixing grammar and making sure everything makes sense. Copy-editing takes it even further, polishing your writing to make it shine.

That’s where knowing how to proofread with AI comes in. AI offers a versatile toolkit for proofreading, with capabilities ranging from basic spell-checking to advanced contextual analysis. Rule-based algorithms swiftly identify and rectify errors in the writing.

The short answer: Which is the best AI for proofreading?

Grammarly

This AI-driven grammar tool is capable of proofreading diverse forms of writing to produce coherent, reader-friendly content. By evaluating text a whole sentence at a time, it offers tailored suggestions based on established grammar rules and best-practice guidelines, making your content shine with clarity.

Five key takeaways from this article

1. AI proofreading tools offer a spectrum of capabilities, from basic spell-checking to advanced contextual analysis, ensuring swift and accurate corrections.
2. AI excels in detecting grammatical errors and enhancing text quickly, yet may overlook nuances and contextual understanding without some human involvement.
3. Various AI proofreading services and generative AI models exist, each offering unique features and benefits.
4. Effective proofreading prompts are crucial in maximising AI proofreading capabilities, guiding the technology to focus on specific areas.
5. Customising a GPT assistant for specific purposes, such as aligning with your style guide, is achievable through OpenAI’s ChatGPT Plus subscription, offering tailored assistance for content checking and proofreading.

Evaluating the best AI for proofreading

Here are the key factors to consider when assessing the effectiveness of AI for proofreading:

1. Accuracy – How accurately does the AI identify and correct errors in the text, including grammar, punctuation, spelling and style errors?
2. Speed – How quickly does the AI proofread a given amount of text? This is a key consideration for time-sensitive tasks.
3. Context sensitivity – Can the AI understand the context of the text and provide appropriate corrections based on the intended meaning?
4. Customisation – Can the AI be adapted for different writing styles, industries, or personal preferences?
5. Integration – How well does the AI integrate with existing workflows, file formats and platforms?
6. Feedback quality – Does the AI explain its corrections, helping users understand their mistakes and learn from them?
7. Supported languages – What languages does the AI support? This is an essential concern for users who work with multilingual content.
8. Reliability – How consistent and reliable are the proofreading corrections provided by the AI? Consistency is important where a house style is required.
9. Privacy and security – What measures are in place to protect user’s data and maintain confidentiality?
10. Cost – What are the costs associated with using the AI proofreading tool? Cost considerations can include subscription fees, usage-based pricing, or one-time licensing fees.
11. Web-browsing capabilities – Can the AI browse online content to absorb new information?

By considering these criteria, users can evaluate different AI proofreading solutions to find the one that best meets their needs and preferences.

A list of generative AI and proofreading services using AI

There are several services and generative AI models that can be used for proofreading. Some of the most easily accessible proofreading and copy-editing services can be found in the table below.

In addition, here are some of the best services that utilise AI proofreading to a lesser extent than the above to provide their services.

How to proofread and copy-edit with generative AI

To ensure your document gets the very best out of AI proofreading, follow these tailored steps:

1. Understand your audience – Knowing who will be reading your document guides the AI to adapt its checks to their language style and level of comprehension.
2. Set the tone – Decide if your document should sound formal, friendly, or something else. This helps the AI maintain consistency of tone across your text.
3. Prepare the format – AI tools often work best with plain text, but you can also copy and paste your content into the tool. Check if your document’s format is compatible with the AI proofreader you’re using.
4. Define your goals – Be clear about what you want from the AI proofreading. Do you need just a spell-check, or are you looking for adjustments in tone or even a complete rewrite? Setting specific goals helps the AI tool cater to your exact needs.

How to use ChatGPT for proofreading and copy-editing

ChatGPT is a quick, efficient and smart tool for sharpening your writing. It offers AI proofreading for free, as well as a premium subscription service. To maximise the benefits you get from it, follow these steps:

1. Start simple – Give ChatGPT your text with clear instructions. For instance, “Can you proofread this text for grammatical errors?”
2. Use GPT Tags – Tag a GPT Assistant trained in your style guide, or upload your own style guide.
3. Sequential prompting – Use sequential prompting for more in-depth work. If ChatGPT suggests a change, you might ask, “Why is this change needed?” or “How does this improve the text?”
4. Context and tone – Provide context to help ChatGPT understand the style and tone you’re aiming for. Say, “This is a formal report, please keep the tone professional,” or “This is a blog post, make the language engaging and conversational.”
5. Feedback loop – Use the feedback loop. Review ChatGPT’s corrections and ask for more refinements if needed. For example, “Can you make this sentence more concise but keep its meaning?”
6. Specific requirements – For copy-editing, you might have specific needs like adjusting the tone or enhancing sentence flow. Use prompts like, “Can you make this paragraph sound more confident?” or “Please simplify the language for a wider audience.”
7. Final review – Once you’re happy with the changes, do a final check. Ask ChatGPT, “Can you do a final check for any missed errors?”
8. Adapt and learn – ChatGPT learns from interactions. Giving feedback on its suggestions helps it better understand your style preferences.
9. Combine with a manual review – While ChatGPT is powerful, combining its suggestions with a manual review is advisable, especially for more nuanced or creative content.

By following this approach, you can use ChatGPT’s capabilities for effective proofreading and copy-editing, ensuring your content is polished and consistent with your intended style and tone.

AI proofreading prompts

There is a skill to getting the best out of AI proofreading services, such as Chat GPT, and that involves well-crafted prompts. The technology can only base its response on the prompt you supply it with.

Here are some examples of how an effective proofreading prompt could look.

• “Proofread the following text to suggest revisions that will improve its spelling, grammar and clarity: [insert text].”
• “Copy-edit the following text to make it concise and logical, using an ‘active voice’ wherever appropriate: [insert text].”
• “Correct any errors in the following text’s grammar, word usage, punctuation, capitalisation and sentence structure, while maintaining the original meaning and structure: [insert text].”
• “Analyse the following text like a professional editor, providing your feedback in bullet-point form and then rewriting the text with your suggestions implemented: [insert text here].”

AI proofreading prompts to identify errors

Asking the AI for feedback on your proofread or copy-edited content can be a good way of getting ideas on how to improve your prompts or source content. Consider asking ChatGPT to “include a summary of the following types of error” in its response:

• Spelling
• Grammar
• Punctuation
• Capitalisation
• Formatting
• Style
• Typographical
• Content
• Syntax
• Diction
• Redundancy
• Inconsistency
• Logic
• Cultural
• Citation
• Jargon
• Colloquialism
• Ambiguity
• Tautology
• Parallelism
• Transcription
• Clarity
• Tense
• Voice
• Pronoun
• Homonym
• Homophone
• Misplaced modifier
• Dangling modifier

Let the AI do the heavy lifting for basic grammar, spelling, and readability but try to be the final decision maker for subtle aspects like voice, word connotations and text cohesion. The combination of AI speed and human judgment results in clean, high-quality copy.

AI proofreading prompts to set the style

A detailed style guide is key to getting the best possible results when using AI proofreading or copy-editing. Including stylistic descriptors in your prompts can be a good way of aligning with your desired tone of voice. Consider asking Chat GPT to “rephrase the text in a style that is…”:

Build a Custom GPT with OpenAI

A Custom GPT is a feature of ChatGPT Plus. A Custom GPT allows some basic fine tuning of a GPT assistant for a specific purpose – such as ensuring that content aligns with your house style. Here is a step-by-step guide on setting up a Custom GPT.

1. Subscription and setup

• Join ChatGPT Plus (paid version)
• GPT-4 access
• GPT creation and exploration

2. Initiating your Custom GPT

• Go to “Explore” on your dashboard at chat.openai.com
• Click “Create a GPT”

3. Entering basic information

• In the “GPT Builder”, put in essential details like function description (e.g., content checking, proofreading, aligning with your style guide)
• Name your GPT, for example, Company Style Guide Assistant

4. Customising your GPT

• OpenAI’s ChatGPT tutorial
• Answer prompts in the GPT Builder to fine-tune your assistant
• Upload your style guide
• Test your GPT in the right-side panel
• Keep refining your GPT with the Builder on the left panel
• Adjust settings and give feedback
• Check the GPT for functionality and add more instructions
• Set sharing settings for public or restricted access
• Save your customisations with the top right “save” button

5. Using your Custom GPT

• Engage with the Custom GPT by using the @mention feature in the regular chat box. This also gives you the added benefit of being able to communicate with several Custom GPTs at the same time.

Translating and proofreading your AI generated content with Semantix

At Semantix, we offer a comprehensive range of services to enhance your AI-generated content. Whether it’s translation, editing, fact-checking or adaptation, we ensure your message will resonate effectively across multiple languages.

Leveraging your brand’s style guide and terminology lists, we tailor your content to reflect your organisation’s distinctive voice. With our meticulous translation, fact-checking and proofreading services, you can trust Semantix to ensure your message reaches a global audience precisely as intended.

Click this link to learn more about trouble-free AI proofreading, or Gget in touch to improve and translate all your AI generated content.