Phrase guide

etaoin shrdlu

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈɛtiɔɪn ˈʃɜːrdluː/
  • /ˈeɪtɑːn ʃrədˈluː/

1

noun

Meaning 1

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

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

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.