oikolukutyö

Oikolukutyö refers to the process of proofreading Finnish texts to detect and correct surface errors before publication. It is a final linguistic check aimed at ensuring accuracy, readability, and a professional presentation.

Typical tasks include correcting spelling, punctuation, hyphenation, capitalization, and typographic conventions; ensuring consistency in names, dates, numbers, abbreviations, and references; and verifying that the text adheres to a house style or standard Finnish norms. Proofreaders also examine layout details such as line breaks and pagination, and they may check citations and bibliographic entries.

Oikolukutyö is distinct from copy editing or language editing, which can involve substantive rewriting, style refinement, and clarification of unclear passages. The proofreading stage concentrates on correcting errors and ensuring consistency, with limited or no rewriting.

In practice, oikolukutyö is performed by professional proofreaders in publishing houses or by freelancers. The work may occur after typesetting or as a final pass on proofs or digital files. Practitioners use checklists, dictionaries, and style guides to apply orthographic rules, punctuation conventions, and house standards.

The practice supports quality control across books, magazines, newspapers, and online content, contributing to credibility and reader comfort in Finnish texts, where hyphenation, capitalization, and numeral conventions are particularly nuanced.

See also: Oikoluku; Kielenhuolto; Finnish orthography; Kotimaisten kielten keskus.