Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 誤植 | goshoku | [ɡo̞ɕo̞kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| タイプミス | taipumisu | |
| 誤字 | goji | [ɡo̞ʑi] (narrow) |
| ミスタイプ | misutaipu |
In Japanese, the term you choose for a typo depends on whether you are discussing a printing error, a wrong character or a mistake made while typing in a digital format.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 誤植 (goshoku) literally means 'misprint' or 'erroneous printing'. The word 誤字 (goji) literally means 'wrong character' or 'erroneous character'.
Which one should you use?
While タイプミス (taipumisu) refers to the act of typing incorrectly, 誤植 (goshoku) is more commonly used to refer to errors found in published books or printed materials. The term 誤字 (goji) focuses specifically on the error being a wrong kanji or character, whereas タイプミス (taipumisu) focuses on the mistake made during the input process. Additionally, ミスタイプ (misutaipu) is a variation of the loanword, but タイプミス (taipumisu) is significantly more common in daily conversation.
How do you pronounce it?
goshoku
Did you know?
- In digital contexts, a typo might be caused by 'henkan' errors, where the computer's automatic conversion from phonetic typing to kanji selects the wrong character. This is a uniquely Japanese way to experience a 'typo'.
- The common term タイプミス (taipumisu) is a 'Wasei-eigo', a Japanese-made English expression that does not exist in English. While an English speaker might say 'typing error', a Japanese speaker uses a combination of 'type' and 'miss' that sounds natural only in Japan.
- In professional Japanese publishing, there is a dedicated role called an 校正者 (kouseisha) whose entire job is to hunt for 誤植 to avoid the public shame of a printing error.
Examples in context
- ごめん、それタイプミスだ。Sorry, that's a typo.This sentence is useful for apologizing for a typo using タイプミス.Tatoeba #8811282 by bunbuku, translation #328391 by fcbond
- タイプミスです。すみません。It's a typo. Sorry.Tatoeba #2800315 by tommy_san, translation #328579 by fcbond
- この文章には誤字があります。There are typos in this text.
- この本には複数の誤植がありました。There were several printing errors in this book.
- お手紙の中に誤りがありましたが、訂正いたしました。There was an error in your letter, but I have corrected it.
- メールの文章に入力ミスがたくさんありました。There were many input mistakes in the email text.
- ネットでのチャット中にミスタイプが多いんだよね。There are many typing mistakes during online chats, aren't there?
- この本には誤植が多い。Kono hon ni wa goshoku ga ooi.There are many typos in this book.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ren and Misaki are reviewing a printed document.
- 蓮 Ren美咲、ここにあるのは誤植だと思う。Misaki, koko ni aru no wa goshoku da to omou.Misaki, I think this here is a typo.
- 美咲 Misaki本当だ。単純な誤植ですね。hontou da. tanjun na goshoku desu ne.You're right. It's a simple typo.
- 蓮 Renすぐに修正して再印刷しよう。sugu ni shuusei shite sa-insatsu shiyou.Let's fix it and reprint it immediately.
- 美咲 Misakiはい、蓮さん。すぐにやります。hai, Ren-san. sugu ni yarimasu.Yes, Ren. I'll do it right away.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “typo” translations and entries 誤植, タイプミス, 誤字, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries タイプミス, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
