Erratum facts for kids

An erratum or corrigendum is a way to fix mistakes found in a book or other published text. Think of it as a special note that tells you about an error and how to correct it. Publishers usually use the word erratum for errors that happened during the printing or making of the book. They use corrigendum for mistakes made by the author.

Sometimes, these corrections are printed on a small piece of paper that's slipped into the book. Other times, they might be printed on a page bound into the back of the book. An erratum can also be released soon after the original text is published, especially if a big mistake is found quickly.

What Do Errata and Corrigenda Mean?

The words erratum and corrigendum come from Latin.

• Errata comes from the Latin word errare, which means "to wander" or "to make a mistake." So, erratum means "something that has been mistaken."
• Corrigendum comes from the Latin verb corrigo, meaning "to correct." So, corrigendum means "something that needs to be corrected."

These words help us understand that one is about an error that happened, and the other is about something that must be fixed.

Why Are Errata Sheets Used?

Sometimes, publishers add special pages called "errata sheets" to books. These sheets list errors and their corrections.

• Not for small typos: Errata sheets are not used for simple spelling mistakes. Those can usually be fixed in a later printing of the book.
• For big problems: They are only used when there are serious errors that could cause people to misunderstand the text.
• Last-minute fixes: These big errors are found too late to fix in the normal way, but before the books are sent out.
• How they are added: The errata sheet might be glued into the book or simply placed loosely inside the front cover. Adding these sheets by hand can make the book more expensive to produce.

Mistakes in Computer Chips

Did you know that even computer chips can have "errata"? These are design errors or mistakes in the way a microprocessor (the "brain" of a computer) is built. These errors are documented and described as errata.

• The Pentium FDIV Bug: A famous example is the "FDIV" erratum in early Pentium processors made by Intel. This bug caused the chip to give wrong answers for certain math problems involving division. It was due to a small mistake in a lookup table inside the chip.
• Other devices: Similar design errors can happen in other computer parts, like peripheral devices (such as disk controllers or video cards). These errors can cause the device to act strangely under certain conditions.

See also

• Addendum
• Bible errata
• Cancel leaf
• Correction (newspaper)
• Retractions in academic publishing

In Spanish: Errata para niños