Catch Outlook email errors by PROOF LISTENING instead of reading

It’s easy to send out emails with mistakes even after proof reading them. The reason is that we tend to skim while proof reading and we see the words we think we have written….  instead of the actual words there. The solution… get Outlook to read the emails back to you (preferably with your headphones on).

Here’s what you need to do:

Create a new email.

• Right Click on a blank area of the Ribbon
• Click Customize Quick Access Tool Bar
• Choose Commands not in Ribbon in drop down
•  
• Scroll and select Speak (the list is in alphabetical order)
• Click Add and then click OK

Outlook will add a new button to your Quick Access Tool Bar as shown below.

How to use the button to get Outlook to read the email aloud to you

•  Create a new email
• Type some text
• Select the text that you want read out to you.
• Click the button that you added to the ribbon earlier.

Outlook will now read your email out to you.

My favourite error that this helped me catch… I had written “I look forward to jeering from you”… instead of “I look forward to hearing from you”… the j and h keys are right next to each other on the keyboard!

Hope this tip helps you avoid similar errors.