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German proofreading and editing — publication-ready text.

From a final proofread to full editing and subject-matter editing: native-speaker editors correct spelling, grammar and style — and bring your thesis, business report, website or application up to publication standard. Monolingual and bilingual review, including post-editing of machine translation (MTPE).

Get a fixed priceLevels of service Germany +49 30 2023 5227 0 Austria +43 1 3050 647 Switzerland +41 44 586 82 97

Proofreading covers spelling, grammar and punctuation · editing adds style and clarity · your text, only better – never rewritten · also available as post-editing of machine drafts

Native-speaker revieweditors matched to your field
from A$0.65proofreading per standard line
German ⇄ Englishby native speakers
DIN EN ISO 17100registered · Reg. 7U517

Short & clear

Proofread, edited or subject-checked: choosing the right depth.

Reviewed by specialists · termbase editorial team

Not every text needs the same treatment. Proofreading removes errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation and typography. Editing goes further and also improves style, sentence structure, consistency and clarity. Subject-matter editing adds a review by a specialist in the field, and post-editing (MTPE) brings machine-translated text up to publication standard.

At termbase, a native-speaker editor works on your text — not whoever happens to be free. After a brief look, we name the right level and a binding fixed price that you know before you commission the work.

Levels of service

Four levels, from a final proof to post-editing a German translation.

Rather than defaulting to the most expensive service, we assign the level your text actually needs. If in doubt, we review a sample and recommend one.

Proofreading: spelling, grammar, punctuation, typography

  • Spelling & grammar
  • Punctuation & hyphenation
  • Typography & consistency

Editing: style, word choice, sentence structure, clarity

  • Style, word choice, sentence structure
  • Clarity & flow
  • Fit for the target readership

Subject-matter editing: terminology and factual accuracy

  • Factual accuracy
  • Controlled terminology
  • Reviewed by a specialist in the field

Post-editing (MTPE), checked segment by segment against the source

  • Checked against the source text
  • Accuracy & terminology
  • Publication-ready result

Three types of text come up often enough that we treat them in depth elsewhere: academic writing under Research & Academia, web and marketing copy under Websites & E-Commerce, and official documents under Certified Translation.

Depth of review

What editing changes that a proofread deliberately leaves alone.

The two terms are often used interchangeably, but they mean different depths of work — and therefore different effort and price.

Proofreading works on the surface of the language: it removes errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation and typography, and leaves wording and structure untouched. That is the right choice for a text that already reads well and only needs to become error-free — a final proof before print, or a finished manuscript before typesetting.

Editing goes further: it also checks style, word choice, sentence structure, clarity, flow and fit for the target readership — and proposes concrete improvements without changing your voice. Subject-matter editing adds a further layer, where a specialist in the field checks terminology and factual accuracy — in law, medicine or technology, for example. Which level you need depends on the purpose.

Comparison of proofreading, editing and subject-matter editing
CheckedProofreadingEditingSubject-matter editing
Spelling, grammar, punctuation✓✓✓
Typography & consistency✓✓✓
Style, sentence structure, clarity–✓✓
Audience & register fit–✓✓
Subject terminology & factual accuracy–partly✓
Four-eyes revision (DIN EN ISO 17100)optional✓✓

Who it's for & what we proofread

Doctoral thesis, annual report, manuscript, CV, machine-translated page.

Every text type has its own pitfalls. That is why we match not only the language but also the field and the text type to the right person.

Academia and study: theses, papers, abstracts

Doctoral theses, habilitations, master's and bachelor's theses, papers and abstracts. We check language, style, citation style and formal consistency — your findings and argument remain your own academic work. See also Research & Academia.

Business and marketing: annual reports, websites, press releases

Annual reports, websites, brochures, press releases and white papers — error-free, consistent and on-brand. For web content we edit with SEO in mind. See Websites & E-Commerce.

Publishers and authors: manuscripts, novels, non-fiction, screenplays

Book manuscripts, novels, non-fiction and screenplays — from a straightforward proof of camera-ready copy to a full edit for style and flow. We smooth the text without changing your voice, and keep characters, tenses and terms consistent.

Applications and careers: cover letters, CVs, personal statements

Cover letters, CVs and personal statements often succeed or fail in the first paragraph. We correct errors, sharpen the tone and make sure your documents read as confident and error-free — in English too.

Post-editing (MTPE)

Machine or AI-translated drafts are brought to publication standard: checked against the source text, guided by terminology, with human responsibility for the result clearly assigned. Complements professional translation.

Finished translations, checked back against the source text

We also check finished translations: does the target text hold up linguistically and terminologically? If a document additionally needs a certified translation, we point you straight to that service.

Process & quality

How the job runs under DIN EN ISO 17100: assignment, revision, sign-off.

Reviewed by specialists · termbase editorial team

A good result is not a coincidence; it is a managed process. We work to DIN EN ISO 17100, with defined assignment, revision and terminology management. You upload your text; we review length, language, text type and purpose, and name the depth of review, a delivery date and a binding price. A native-speaker editor with the matching background then works on your text, and — in subject-matter editing — terminology is checked against a style guide and term base.

Under the four-eyes principle of DIN EN ISO 17100, a second qualified person checks the result against the source where relevant. You receive the corrected text, on request with tracked changes and comments for sign-off. Urgent texts go through a short feasibility check and our express service, with a clear date and price.

Why a native-speaker editor, and not just a spell-checker

Spell-checkers and AI catch typos, but not whether a sentence is actually true. Machine translation often reads fluently and is still wrong — with numbers, negatives and specialist terms, that goes unnoticed without a check against the source. A native speaker with subject knowledge sees where a formally correct sentence tips over. That is exactly the layer that turns a text with few errors into one that reads as assured.

One error in the wrong place — and the message tips over.

So: native-speaker editors, controlled terminology, and a final check under the four-eyes principle.

Use cases

Three editing jobs: a thesis, an annual report, machine-translated pages.

Text type, purpose and language decide the level and the process. Three common jobs — from the starting point to the result.

Academic proofreading

Doctoral thesis before submission, German or English

Starting point
A doctoral candidate needs a thesis proofread or edited before submission — content and argument are finished and must not change.
Process
An academic editor with a matching background checks language, style, citation style and formal consistency, and flags anything unclear with a comment rather than rewriting silently.
Result
A thesis that reads cleanly, with the argument and findings untouched and ready for submission.

Business & websites

Annual report and website copy, edited to one voice

Starting point
A company has an annual report and website text drafted in-house that needs to be error-free, consistent and on-brand before publication.
Process
An editor checks language and style, keeps terminology consistent across both documents, and edits web copy with search visibility in mind.
Result
Text that is ready to publish without a follow-up round of corrections.

Post-editing (MTPE)

Machine-translated product pages, English into German

Starting point
A retailer has machine-translated product descriptions that read roughly right but contain terminology slips and awkward phrasing.
Process
A native-speaker editor checks every segment against the English source, corrects terminology and tone, and confirms the result is publication-ready.
Result
Product pages that read as natural German, with clear human responsibility for the final text.

Price

What proofreading and editing cost — from A$0.65 per standard line.

Pure proofreading starts from A$0.65 per standard line; editing and subject-matter editing are quoted by scope, depending on length, language, text type and depth of review. After a brief look at your text we name a binding fixed price.

Binding fixed price
from A$0.65 / standard lineproofreading · 55 characters incl. spaces
Price up front · no unannounced extra costs
Native-speaker proofreading or editing✓included
Comments & tracked changes on request✓included
Terminology & consistency check✓included
Four-eyes revision (subject-matter editing)✓included
Binding fixed price before you commission✓included

Proofreading is priced per standard line (55 characters incl. spaces), from A$0.65; editing and subject-matter editing are quoted by scope. How the price is made up →

Request a quote

Our Munich colleagues asked us to check their English and then braced for it to be rewritten. It came back corrected and still recognisably theirs, and they have sent everything since.

Georgia Wickham · communications manager, Sydney

Proofreading is not certification — that needs an authorised translator

Proofreading and editing improve language and style, but they are not a certification. If an authority requires a certified translation, an authorised translator (ermächtigter Übersetzer, authorised by a German court under Section 142 (3) ZPO) produces it and adds the certification note. Tell us what the document is for and we will point you to the right service. Certified translation →

FAQ

Questions authors, students and marketing teams ask about editing.

What is the difference between editing and proofreading?

Proofreading corrects the surface of the language: spelling, grammar, punctuation and typography. Editing goes further and also improves style, sentence structure, consistency, terminology and clarity for the target readership. Subject-matter editing adds a review by a specialist in the field. We review a sample of your text and recommend the right level, rather than defaulting to the most expensive option.

What does proofreading or editing cost?

Pure proofreading starts from A$0.65 per standard line (55 characters including spaces). Editing and subject-matter editing are quoted by scope – depending on length, language, text type and depth of review. After a brief look at your text we name a binding fixed price that you know before you commission the work. Details under Prices.

Do you proofread academic work such as theses and dissertations?

Yes. For doctoral theses, habilitations, master's and bachelor's theses, papers and abstracts, academic editors with a relevant background check language, style, terminology and formal consistency. The content, findings and argument remain entirely your own academic work – we improve the form, not the substance. See also Research & Academia.

Do you also edit book manuscripts, novels and non-fiction?

Yes. For authors and publishers we check manuscripts, novels, non-fiction and screenplays – from a straightforward proofread of camera-ready copy to a full edit for style, flow and consistency, without changing your voice.

Do you edit machine or AI translations (post-editing / MTPE)?

Yes. Existing machine or AI-generated drafts are brought to publication standard through post-editing (MTPE) and subject-matter editing – checked against the source text, guided by terminology, and with an eye on SEO for web content. Human responsibility for the result is clearly defined.

Which languages do you proofread?

In more than German and English, with native-speaker editors for the relevant field. We proofread and edit German and English most often, followed by French, Spanish and Italian. For every language and subject we assign someone qualified for it. See all Certified German ⇄ English translation.

Does proofreading also make my translation certified?

No. Proofreading and editing improve language and style, but that is not a certification. If an authority requires a certified translation, an authorised translator (ermächtigter Übersetzer, authorised by a German court under Section 142 (3) ZPO) produces it and adds the certification note. Tell us what the document is for and we will point you to the right service.

Next

Next: a certified German translator, medical and manual translation.

By document

CV translation into GermanPassport German translationTranslate a driving licence into GermanGerman marriage capacity certificate translation

By field

German express translationGerman financial report translationAutomotive translation into GermanGerman agricultural translation

Also translated

German translator for residence documentsGerman marriage record translationGerman birth record translation

By service

German sworn translationLegal translation into GermanMedical translation into GermanTechnical translator English to German
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