Typo
noun
Definition
A small mistake in a text made when it was typed or printed.
Context Alive
She had just hit “send” on an important email to her boss. A second later, she noticed a typo right in the subject line — she had written “meting” instead of “meeting.” Her face went red as she quickly sent a follow-up message apologizing for the mistake.
Meanings
1 meaning
1
A Small Mistake in a Text (Noun)
Very Common
▼
This meaning is about those small errors that slip into your writing when you’re typing or printing — hitting the wrong key, swapping two letters, or accidentally leaving out a word. Imagine sending a message to your friend saying “I’ll be there at sex” instead of “six.” You didn’t mean it — your finger just hit the wrong key. This is a typo — an accidental mistake in written text. You might say “sorry, that was a typo — I meant Tuesday, not Thursday,” or someone could text back “I think there’s a typo in your email — did you mean 2025?” Or picture proofreading a report at work and spotting three typos on the first page alone — missing letters, repeated words, wrong spellings. The word suggests a careless slip, not a lack of knowledge. ✏️ Typo is short for “typographical error” — but nobody says the full version in everyday conversation.
Vivid ExampleHe spent an hour perfecting his CV before sending it to the company. The next morning, a friend pointed out a typo in the very first line — he had spelled his own name wrong. He wanted to disappear and never check his email again.
Examples from the Street
“Sorry — that was a typo. I meant Thursday, not Tuesday.”
Sorry — I made a typing mistake. I was talking about Thursday, not Tuesday
“There’s a typo on the front page of the report — it says ‘pubic’ instead of ‘public’.”
There’s an embarrassing typing error right at the beginning of the document
“Don’t worry about the odd typo in a text message — nobody cares.”
Don’t stress about the occasional typing mistake in an informal message — it really doesn’t matter
Common Patterns
make/have a typo → produce a typing mistake in written text
spot/notice/find a typo → see a typing mistake in something written
fix/correct a typo → repair a typing error
a typo in (something) → a typing mistake within a document, message, or text
full of typos → containing many typing mistakes
just a typo → only a small typing error, nothing more serious
an embarrassing/unfortunate typo → a typing mistake that causes awkwardness or unintended meaning
sorry, typo → a quick apology for a typing error, especially in messages and emails
typo-free → containing no typing mistakes at all
a typo crept in → a typing mistake appeared without anyone noticing (common professional phrasing)
Collocations
2 collocationsfix a typo
correct a typing mistake
full of typos
containing many typing errors
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
I spotted a typo on the company’s homepage — they’ve spelled their own name wrong
I noticed a typing mistake on the business’s main web page — they’ve written their own brand name incorrectly.
2
The contract had to be reprinted because someone made a typo in the client’s address
The legal document had to be produced again because somebody typed the customer’s location details incorrectly.
3
Sorry — just a typo. I meant to write “dessert,” not “desert”
My apologies — it was only a small typing mistake. I intended to type the sweet course, not the dry sandy landscape.
4
Her CV was full of typos, which made a terrible first impression on the hiring manager
Her job application document was packed with typing errors, which gave the person responsible for recruitment a very poor initial view of her.
5
An unfortunate typo in the email invitation said “you are all invited to a meeting in hell” instead of “in the hall”
An awkward typing mistake in the electronic invitation told everyone they were welcome to a gathering in a very unpleasant place rather than the intended room.
6
Always proofread your work — even one typo can undermine your credibility in a professional email
Always check your writing carefully before sending — even a single typing error can damage how seriously people take you in a work message.
7
He sent a follow-up message saying “ignore the last text — typo” and left it at that
He sent a quick correction saying the previous message contained a typing mistake and offered no further explanation.
8
A typo crept into the final version of the report and nobody caught it before it went to print
A typing mistake appeared unnoticed in the finished document and no one picked it up before it was published.
9
I wouldn’t worry about typos in WhatsApp messages — it’s not a formal essay
I wouldn’t stress about typing errors in instant messages — it’s not an academic piece of writing.
10
The newspaper had to issue a correction after an embarrassing typo changed the politician’s name to something rather rude
The publication had to print an official fix after an awkward typing mistake turned the elected official’s name into something offensive.
Learner Examples
★
Making typos when writing in English is completely normal — what matters is learning to proofread and spot them before submitting your work
Producing typing mistakes when writing in the language is entirely to be expected — the important thing is developing the habit of checking your text carefully and catching errors before handing it in.
★
Teachers should encourage students to fix their own typos rather than correcting every one for them — it builds independence and attention to detail
Educators should motivate learners to repair their own typing errors instead of doing it for them every time — it develops self-reliance and the ability to notice small mistakes.
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms
0 items
Synonyms & Antonyms
4 items
Synonymsspelling mistake
wrong letter
error
mistake in text
misprint
printing error
slip
small mistake