Correction with 纠正 and 改正

Pattern

纠正/改正 + mistake, habit, or wording

Use 纠正 for setting something right and 改正 for changing an error or habit.

老师帮我纠正了发音错误。

When to use Correction with 纠正 and 改正

纠正 often points to the act of correcting something that is off: pronunciation, a misunderstanding, or a wrong view. 改正 emphasizes changing the mistake itself so it no longer remains.

这份报告需要改正几个问题。

This report needs several problems corrected.

如果发现错误，就要马上纠正。

If you discover an error, correct it right away.

他把旧习惯慢慢改正了。

He gradually corrected the old habit.

我们正在纠正这个误会。

We are correcting this misunderstanding.

Common traps

Do not use 改正 for every kind of correction; pronunciation and misunderstandings often sound more natural with 纠正.
错误 is the thing being corrected, not the action.
把 can make the corrected object clearer when the sentence is result-focused.