Isn't the word "typo", a typo in itself as it should be "typographical error"?

It’s an abbreviation. Tpyo would be a typo. The abbreviation itself is not a typo.

No, it can be used by itself at this point.
As Likeradar said, it’s an abbreviation.

@Likeradar @asmonet I agree.

It’s a truncated form that has now become a full-blown word.

It’s no more a typo than “auto” for “automobile” or “bike” for “bicycle.”

In formal prose you would write out the expression in full, but you are not committing a keystroke error when you choose to write or say “typo.”

typing typo instead of typographical error is like typing ok instead of okay.

Actually, it is improper English to use abbreviations even when it seems appropriate. “It’s” and “that’s”, though acceptable in modern day times, are not really acceptable for proper grammar. Too often people just accept abbrev.s as it’s much easier than typing out the whole thing.

@actuallery

Those are contractions, not abbreviations.

Also, who says what “proper grammar” is?

Contractions are certainly acceptable. In informal situations, so are abbreviations.

@DominicX – Contractions is what I meant to say.

Not that I consider the dictionary the final authority, but Merriam-Webster does not see anything wrong with typo. Note that the definition goes back to 1878, five years after the invention of the typewriter.

Ain’t is now a word too. Times change, you gotta change with em!

A typo is when you make a mistake while typing. No one was intending to type “typographical error” but accidentally typed “typo” instead.

Similarly, “gonna”, “ur”, and “lol” aren’t typos. They’re just atrocious distortions of the English language.

A fair question. It’s widely accepted and perfectly acceptable as an abbreviation. In my work, if I had to say “typographic error” every time I needed to I’d be wasting a LOT of breath.

@Austinlad – You don’t use the word “typo” when speaking, it is a written word. “OOPS! I think I just said a typo!”

@actuallery you talk about typos that were made in writing. “Hey, John, you made a typo in that document. Make sure you fix it before you send it to the client!”

@Mritty – In actuality, it is poor grammar rather than just a typo to even say “typo”.

@actuallery yeah, and? Poor grammar is also not a typo.

Claiming actuality does not confer actuality. It is no more “poor grammar” to say or write “typo” than it is to say or write “bike”—or to use “Joe” in place of “Joseph” or “the U.S.” in place of “the United States.” They are mutually substitutable with respect to semantic content and part of speech.

This is a perfectly grammatical utterance: “Hey, John, you made a typo in that document.”

@Jeruba – A teacher should not be encouraging poor speech by using improper English. The word “bike” is poor grammar when expressed by a teacher of English! Teachers should be encouraging proper speech rather than just complying with common launguage. The next thing you’ll be saying is that txtspk is okay to use, also, too, as well.

Nonsense, @actuallery.

I have nothing to add.

@actuallery that’s just absurd.

It is improper English to use the word “actually” at the start of a sentence. This question is now considered moot

@actuallery it was moot to begin with, as your initial premise was false. Everything after it was just you adding to the absurdity.