5 Worst Typos In History

Putting “pen to paper” (or keys to screen) is part of the writing process. And if you’re fortunate enough to be published, well, that’s a real accomplishment. Among long list of fears that come with sending your work out into the world: finding a typo. Typos in published material makes authors, editors, and printers cringe. While it is hard to fathom how these errors slip through, it seems almost inevitable and, for the most part, they do not have significant consequences. So, while embarrassing, even frustrating, these little typos are not disastrous. However, some typos have been so horrible that entire books have been removed from shelves. One legendary typo occurred in the 1600s, during a printing of the King James Bible. The 7th Commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” was missing the word “not.” Oops! Henceforth, this bible was referred to as “The Wicked Bible”.

Author John Green ranks his favorite typos, and shares a theory that all authors experience: opening a copy of their newest book and immediately finding a typo (which he did!). Are typos simply inevitable? To err is human, they say. Happy reading!