错别字

• Pinyin: cuò bié zì
• Hanzi breakdown: 错 = 钅+ 昔 (wrong, error); 别 = 另 + 刂 (different, other); 字 = 宀 + 子 (character)

Meaning

Wrong or misspelled characters; typos. A noun referring to incorrect characters in Chinese writing.

Includes both 错字 (wrong characters, like writing the wrong character entirely) and 别字 (misused characters, using a similar-sounding character incorrectly). Common issue in Chinese writing due to homophones. A key focus in Chinese education.

Examples

1. 这篇作文有好几处错别字，需要认真检查修改。 This essay has several typos and needs to be carefully checked and corrected.
2. 考试时错别字扣分很严重，一定要仔细检查。 Typos are heavily penalized on exams, so you must check carefully.
3. 现在用拼音输入法打字，错别字反而比手写时更多了。 Now that we type using pinyin input, there are actually more typos than when writing by hand.

Usage Guide

Context: education, writing, proofreading

Tone: practical

Do Say

• 文章里有不少错别字。(There are quite a few typos in the article.)
• 考试前要检查有没有错别字。(Before the exam, check for any wrong characters.)

Don't Say

• 英语的错别字 (错别字 specifically refers to Chinese characters — for English, use 拼写错误)

Origin & History

Compound of 错别 (wrong and incorrect) + 字 (character). Specifically refers to character errors in Chinese writing.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal