typo
noun
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typo
1 American
[tahy-poh]
/ ˈtaɪ poʊ /
noun
Informal.
typos
plural
typo-
2
American
typo.
3
American
abbreviation
-
typographer.
-
typographic.
-
typographical.
-
typography.
typo
1
British
/ ˈtaɪpəʊ /
noun
typo.
2
British
abbreviation
Usage
What is a typo? Typo is short for typographical error—a mistake made when typing something. The term typically refers to an unintentional error that happens when you accidentally hit the wrong key on a keyboard—the kind of mistake that autocorrect is supposed to catch and automatically fix when you’re typing a document or texting. For example, typing teh when you mean to type the is a common typo. Typos often result in misspellings, but, technically, not all misspellings are typos. It wouldn’t be quite accurate to call a misspelling a typo if you spelled the word that way on purpose. Still, people often use the word this way, especially when politely pointing out misspellings in things that other people have typed. The term typographical error can also refer to an error made during the printing process, such as due to a mechanical issue, but this sense of the term is much less commonly usedExample: I should have proofread my proposal because as I was presenting it I noticed a typo right on the title slide.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of typo
1890–95; shortened form; see -o
Explanation
A typo is a mistake in written or published writing. If you find a misspelled word or misplaced punctuation mark in this blurb, you've caught a typo. Typo is short for typographical error, and you can also call it a misprint. Typos are errors made during the typing process that have been missed by editors and proofreaders. Originally, typos were mistakes made during typesetting, but today you can use the term for mistakes in any typewritten text, from instant messages to social media posts.
Vocabulary lists containing typo
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typ (print, form)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
When news of England’s 1-0 defeat to the U.S. during the opening round of the 1950 World Cup reached London from Brazil, stunned Brits assumed it must have been a typo.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
The morning after this article was published, HPE said it had made a typo in a footnote in its press release.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2025
It also included a typo that would turn out to be a crucial driver of diagnoses, wrote cultural anthropologist Roy Richard Grinker in his book “Unstrange Minds: Remapping the World of Autism.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2025
An unlikely consequence of all this has been the elevation of the once embarrassing typo.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2025
“About my typo question—could someone do it intentionally? Publish a book with the typos in it on purpose?”
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
“I thought it was a typo. Like I had no idea.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2022
“I thought it was a typo. Like I had no idea,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 13, 2022
When I first looked at the number, I said: ‘That must be a typo. It can’t be 70, you can’t have 70,000, you wouldn’t think you have 70,000 factories here.’
From New York Times ● Nov. 23, 2016
A.I. didn’t outline it for me and didn’t catch typos on a first draft, though I don’t have any more of a moral issue with that practice than I do with using spellcheck.
From Slate ● May 24, 2026
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was sent a trophy for Offensive Player of the Year that contained multiple typos.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
Of the remaining 68 queries, 37 bad ones were from typos.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 13, 2026
She couldn’t have known she’d alter my vernacular forever, but when Cher posted, “Whats going on with mycareer” — typos and all — nothing would ever be the same.
From Salon ● Mar. 22, 2026
“About my typo question—could someone do it intentionally? Publish a book with the typos in it on purpose?”
From "Book Scavenger" by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
