Enjoy these spelling goofs big and small from present and passed.
10 Unfortunate Typos You Won’t Believe Were Actually Printed
Updated Nov. 29, 2021
In an ad for kids’ learning software…
An ad displayed in shopping malls for Creative Kids Software read: “So Fun, They Won’t Even Know Their Learning.” Don’t miss these 10 funny typos found in famous books.
In a camera advertisement…
An ad for a Pentax Optio M60 Compact Digital Camera made it sound more like a laxative: “Powered by lithium batteries, you’ll always be ready for a sh*t.” (That asterisked letter was not an “o”). Sometimes a typo can have serious consequences. These are 9 of the most expensive typos in the world.
In a ‘Washington Post’ headline…
In 1940 the Washington Post ran this headline about President Franklin Delano Roosevelt: “FDR IN BED WITH COED.” He was actually in bed… with a cold. (The president thought the goof was so funny that he called the Post and asked for 100 copies.) Here are 11 other newspaper typos that will give you a good chuckle.
In a school yearbook…
In a 2013 school yearbook was a picture of a baseball player with the caption “Congrats to our Home Run Hitler!” (These spelling mistakes are more common–here is the difference between travelled and traveled.)
On a Hardee’s billboard…
A billboard for the fast food chain Hardee’s advertised its burgers as having “100% Anus Beef.” We bet you haven’t realized you’ve been saying these 24 things wrong your whole life.
On a gubernatorial candidate’s website…
John Barge’s 2014 gubernatorial campaign got off to a bad start. The front page of his official website featured a photo of the smiling candidate next to the words “John Barge: Georgia’s Next Govenor.” (It’s supposed to be “Governor.”) Barge, a former teacher, was the Georgia state school superintendent. His explanation: “It’s just a typo. Typos happen.” (He lost.) Letters are important. See if you can name these U.S. states without their vowels.
On a local NBC TV station…
WNDU, a local NBC affiliate in South Bend, Indiana, answered its own question when it displayed this question on the screen: “School Two Easy For Kids?” Here are 16 spelling rules you should have memorized.
On former NYC Mayor Ed Koch’s tombstone…
Former New York City mayor Ed Koch died in 2013 at 88 years old, but according to his tombstone, he was only 70. That’s because the carver put “1942” as Koch’s birth year. He was born in 1924.
On a trademark application…
In 1904 a malted milk drink called Ovomaltine was released in Switzerland. When it was exported to Britain five years later, a typo on the trademark application misspelled it as “Ovaltine.” That’s what it’s been called in English-speaking countries ever since. Want to avoid the embarrassment of a serious typo? These 41 little grammar rules will make you sound smarter.
On a parking lot sign…
Seen on a sign in a parking lot: “Illegally Parked Cars Will Be Fine.” (That’s nice.) Next, check out the 9 spelling and grammar mistakes spell check won’t catch.
