etaoin shrdlu

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Nonsense, filler text (dummy text), or an example of accidental typing (typo).

Pronunciation

/ˈɛtiɔɪn ˈʃɜːrdluː/ /ˈeɪtɑːn ʃrədˈluː/

Word forms

etaoin shrdlu etaoin shrdlus etaoin etaoin shrdlu cmfwyp shrdlu shrdlu etaoin etaoinshrdlu etaoinshrdlcumwfgypbvkjxqz

Etymology

From the arrangement of letters on the keyboard of a linotype machine: typesetters would mark errors by running their fingers across the keys, and the results would sometimes accidentally find their way into print. The letters in the string are, approximately, the 12 most commonly used letters in the English language, ordered by their frequency, which drove the design of the linotype keyboard.

Related words

This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.