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ETAOIN SHRDLU is the approximate order of frequency of the twelve most common letters in the English language. The ordering originated in the era of "hot type" publishing as a nonsensical phrase used by Linotype operators to indicate that an error had occurred.

The Linotype keyboard was vertically aligned by frequency. As a result its two left-most columns formed the phrase "ETAOIN SHRDLU". In addition to its alignment, the Linotype machine could not backspace. Hence operators who made a mistake were forced to finish the line before they could eject the slug and start afresh. Since the slug contained errors, its remaining contents did not matter. The quickest way to finish the line—in a sense, to complete the mistake—was to run one's fingers down the left-most columns of the keyboard, printing the phrase "ETAOIN SHRDLU" again and again. If the erroneous slug was not ejected—that is, if a second mistake was made—the distinctive set of letters helped to identify it for removal by the compositors. Occasionally, however, the phrase was overlooked and so came to print.