Writing Tip: Read Your Writing Aloud

Nov 2, 2011 | Better Writing

Most of us write silently and then read and revise silently. That will improve your writing, but if you really, really, really want to make it flow when others read it, read it aloud to yourself.

You’ll be amazed at what you hear. Sentences that looked fine laying there on the page will twist your tongue into tortured knots. Concepts that you just knew were explained with crystalline clarity will suddenly seem murky. Poorly chosen words and phrases will grate on your ear like they never did on your eye.

So, before you let that blog post or article or chapter go, read it aloud. Then, make the necessary changes and read it aloud again. Publish when your piece reads easily.