Nothing kills professional credibility faster than glaring mistakes in your business communications. While everyone makes occasional typos, consistently making the same fundamental errors can damage your reputation and cost you clients.

The good news? Most mistakes fall into predictable categories that are easy to fix once you know what to watch for.

Here are 10 errors to avoid if you want your content to be taken seriously:

1. Your vs. you’re. This classic mix-up tops the cringe list. “Your” shows possession (your business), while “you’re” is a contraction for ‘you are’ (you’re doing great). When in doubt, try substituting “you are” in the sentence. If it doesn’t make sense, use “your.”
2. There/their/they’re. Triple-check these every time. “There” refers to a place, ‘their” shows possession and “they’re’ means “they are.” The confusion happens because these words sound identical, but in writing the wrong choice can make you look careless.

3. Affect vs. effect. “Effect” is typically a verb meaning to influence or cause a change. “Affect” is a noun referring to the result or consequence of that change. If you can substitute “influence” in your sentence, use “affect.” If “result” works better, go with “effect.’

4. Dangling modifiers. A modifier is a word or phrase that describes or gives more information about another word in the sentence. It “dangles” when it’s not clearly connected to what it’s supposed to modify. For example, “Walking into the office, the coffee machine was broken” suggests the coffee machine was doing the walking. Make sure your modifier is right next to what it’s actually describing.

5. Apostrophe catastrophes. Apostrophes serve only two purposes: to show possession or to create contractions. They don’t make words plural. “Apple’s for sale” should be ‘Apples for sale” unless the apple owns something. If you’re not showing ownership or combining two words, skip the apostrophe entirely.
6. Its vs. it’s. This one trips up even seasoned writers because it breaks the usual apostrophe rules. “It’s” is always a contraction for “it is” or “it has,” while “its” shows possession (like his, hers or theirs). The confusion comes from thinking that possession requires an apostrophe, but “its” is already a possessive pronoun. Try the substitution test: if you can replace the word with “it is” and the sentence still makes sense, use “it’s.” Otherwise, go with “its.”

7. Missing comma in a compound sentence. When you combine two complete thoughts (independent clauses) with a coordinating conjunction, you need a comma before the conjunction. The seven coordinating conjunctions are: and, but, or, nor, for, so and yet. Without the comma, your sentence becomes a run-on that’s harder to read and understand.
8. Ensure/insure/assure. These similar-sounding words create confusion even among experienced business writers. “Ensure” means to make certain or guarantee that something will happen. “Insure” specifically relates to insurance coverage and financial protection against loss. “Assure” means to give someone confidence about something. So remember, you ensure processes, insure valuable assets and assure people through communication.

9. Lay vs. lie. “Lay” requires a direct object. For example, you must lay something down (e.g. lay the foundation or lay your cards on the table). “Lie,” on the other hand, doesn’t need an object because it’s something you do yourself. You can lie down for a nap or lie in bed. In other words, you lay something else down, but you lie yourself down.

10. Complement vs. compliment. These may sound identical, but have completely different meanings. “Complement” means to complete or make perfect, while “compliment” means to praise. Here’s an example: You’re writing product copy that says, “This burgundy silk scarf compliments autumn wardrobes perfectly,” you’re incorrectly suggesting the scarf is praising the wardrobe. What you actually mean is that the accessory “complements autumn wardrobes perfectly”—it enhances and completes the seasonal look by adding the right color and texture.

Go forth and proofread!
Your written content represents your brand’s professionalism. (Nothing comes across as more amateur than a typo-ridden website or social media post.) Your attention to quality and details will prove that you’re the kind of business that sweats the small stuff — because it matters.