The Meaning of Typo: What It Is and How To Use It

Do you know the definition of typo? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word typo, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!

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What does the word typo mean?

According to the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, the word typo (pronunciation of typo: ˈtaɪpəʊ) refers to a typographical error or misspellings that occur in a typed document. These can refer to spelling errors, bad grammar, or other typography malfunctions. For example, on a keyboard one might type “teh” instead of “the” or using the wrong punctuation if there are mechanical failures of some kind or if they are typing too fast. The plural typos refers to more than one typo. There are many different types of typos that one might see, from an omission in manuscripts, to errors of ignorance, to simple duplication, to transposition, to misuse of words, to a literal error from slips of the hand. 

Nowadays, people will probably most commonly see typos in instant messages or when texting. Many phones and computers have autocorrect functions that will make humorous jokes out of typos.

Many different languages also contain words that mean typo. You may notice that some of these words look and sound similar to one another. These are called cognates, which are words and phrases that look and sound similar between languages, and also have a similar meaning. Cognates are often formed when two words have the same root or language of origin. This list of translations for the word typo is provided by Word Sense.

  •  Swedish: tryckfel‎ (neut.), stavfel‎ (neut.)
  •  French: coquille‎ (fem.), faute de frappe‎ (fem.)
  •  Hebrew: שגיאת דפוס‎
  •  Bokmål: trykkfeil‎ (masc.), skrivefeil‎ (masc.)
  •  Cyrillic: типфелер‎
  •  Danish: tastefejl‎ (common), trykfejl‎ (common)
  •  Japanese: 誤植‎ (ごしょく, goshoku), タイプミス‎ (taipumisu), 誤字‎ (ごじ, goji)
  •  Arabic: خَطَأ مَطْبَعِيّ‎ (masc.)
  •  Czech: (misspelling) překlep‎ (masc.), (typographical error) šotek‎ (masc.)
  •  Hungarian: elírás‎, nyomdahiba‎
  •  Nynorsk: trykkfeil‎ (masc.), skrivefeil‎ (masc.)
  •  Polish: błąd drukarski‎ (masc.), literówka‎ (fem.)
  •  Irish: dearmad cló‎ (masc.), botún cló‎ (masc.), earráid chló‎ (fem.)
  •  Italian: refuso‎ (masc.)
  •  Portuguese: erro de digitação‎ (masc.)
  •  Latin: tipfeler‎ (masc.)
  •  Latvian: iespiedkļūda‎ (fem.)
  •  Esperanto: tajperaro‎
  •  Dutch: typefout‎ (fem.)
  •  Spanish: gazapo‎ (masc.)
  •  Finnish: kirjoitusvirhe‎, painovirhe‎, lyöntivirhe‎
  •  German: Tippfehler‎ (masc.), Druckfehler‎ (masc.)
  •  Mandarin: 錯字‎, 错字‎ (cuòzì), 訛字‎, 讹字‎ (ézì), 手民之誤‎, 手民之误‎ (shǒumínzhīwù), 誤排‎, 误排‎ (wùpái), 印錯‎, 印错‎ (yìncuò), 別字‎, 别字‎ (biézì), 錯別字‎, 错别字‎ (cuòbiézì), 誤植‎, 误植‎ (wùzhí)
  •  Greek: τυπογραφικό λάθος‎ (neut.)
  •  Russian: опеча́тка‎ (fem.)

How can the word typo be used in a sentence?

The word typo can be used in many different ways in the English language. This word is fairly casual, so it should only be used in an informal setting or with people that you know well. If you are planning to use typo in a formal or professional setting, consider using a synonym for this word. Below are a few examples of the way one can use the word typos in a sentence. Try using this word of the day in the sentence yourself today! You never know, it could become one of your new favorite words to use. 

Ronny: Hey dude, are you on your way? We’re all waiting outside.

Dylan: Yes, yes! I’ll be there in a minute, almost they’re.

Ronny: They’re almost what?

Dylan: Sorry – almost there**. Typo. This autocorrect always thinks it knows what’s bset!

Here, Dylan uses the word typo to refers to the fact that he used the wrong word form of the word there. He blames his pelling error on autocorrect. 

What are synonyms for the word typo?

There are many words in the English language that can be used in place of the word typo. These are called synonyms, which are words and phrases that mean the same thing as another given word or phrase. Learning synonyms is a great way to expand your English language vocabulary, and they can help you avoid repeating yourself in written and spoken English. This list of synonyms for the word typo is provided by Thesaurus

  •  pitfall
  •  solecism
  •  wart
  •  error
  •  weakness
  •  weak spot
  •  ​copyist’s mistake
  •  scribal error
  •  human error
  •  glitch
  •  slipup
  •  blemish
  •  foible
  •  failing
  •  disfigurement
  •  slip
  •  spot
  •  deception
  •  unfaithfulness
  •  wrong
  •  bug
  •  incorrectness
  •  stain
  •  speck
  •  miscalculation
  •  clerical error
  •  blunder
  •  fault
  •  imprecision
  •  vice
  •  catch
  •  misprint
  •  exaggeration
  •  typing mistake
  •  howler
  •  erratum
  •  gremlin
  •  printer’s error
  •  Catch-22
  •  unreliability
  •  mistake in typing
  •  defect
  •  typist’s error
  •  mistake
  •  inexactness
  •  corrigendum

Are also a number of different words and phrases that have the opposite meaning of the word typo. These opposite words are called antonyms. Antonyms are another great way to expand your English language vocabulary. This list of antonyms for the word typo is also provided by Thesaurus

  •  amendment
  •  scrub
  •  delete
  •  redact
  •  cut
  •  regulate
  •  compose
  •  revise
  •  strike out
  •  check
  •  analyze
  •  adapt
  •  assemble
  •  prepare
  •  rephrase
  •  reexamination
  •  choose
  •  style
  •  condense
  •  prescribe
  •  indemnification
  •  redress
  •  correct
  •  alteration
  •  mending
  •  feature
  •  blue-pencil
  •  proofread
  •  changing
  •  assign
  •  repair
  •  rectification
  •  draft
  •  reparation
  •  rereading
  •  report
  •  select
  •  rehash
  •  finish
  •  correction
  •  righting
  •  go over
  •  amelioration
  •  boil down
  •  recalibrate
  •  butcher
  •  write over
  •  make up
  •  emendation
  •  fly speck
  •  fine-tune
  •  amplify
  •  rearrange
  •  rectify
  •  remodeling
  •  tighten
  •  fix
  •  put together
  •  censor
  •  revisal
  •  polish
  •  publish
  •  set up
  •  editing
  •  excise
  •  emend
  •  annotate
  •  discard
  •  alter
  •  modification
  •  massage
  •  amending
  •  compile
  •  trim
  •  arrange
  •  revising
  •  doctor
  •  improvement

What is the origin of the word typo?

According to Dictionary, the word typo first began to be used around 1890-1895, toward the end of the 19th and early 20th century. This word is shorthand for a typographical error. With the arrival of printing and manual type-setting, the compositor often had to assemble copy quickly, and mistakes were frequently made. 

Overall, the word typo means typographical error. This slang term is often used when someone is clarifying why an error has been made, or to refer to an error in spelling, grammar, or translations. These can range from a misspelled word to grammatical errors to another small mistake. One might see these in texting, or on social media like Instagram and Facebook. 

Sources:

  1. TYPO Synonyms: 63 Synonyms & Antonyms for TYPO 
  2. Typo | Definition of Typo | Dictionary.com 
  3. CORRECTION Synonyms: 52 Synonyms & Antonyms for CORRECTION | Thesaurus
  4. Typo | Definition of Typo | Merriam-Webster 
  5. typo: meaning, origin, translation | Word Sense