Okuzeka
Software Engineering vocabulary · Debugging and Troubleshooting

Syntax error

Meaning in software engineering, with examples

nounCore term

In software engineering, syntax error means: A mistake in how code is written, such as a missing bracket or a misspelled keyword, which stops the program from compiling or running.

In Turkish: sözdizimi hatası, yazım hatası

How it is used

Usually easy to fix because the compiler, interpreter or IDE points to the exact line. Compare it with a logic error, where the code runs but gives the wrong result. Linters catch many syntax errors before you even run the code.

Example sentences

  1. The deploy failed because of a syntax error in the YAML file: a missing colon.

  2. Your IDE underlines syntax errors in red as you type.

Common collocations

  • fix a syntax error
  • get a syntax error
  • syntax error on line
  • unexpected token
  • syntaxThe rules for how code must be written in a programming language, such as where brackets, commas and keywords go, so that the computer can read it.
  • compileTo turn source code written by people into code that a computer can run, using a program called a compiler.
  • linterA tool that scans code without running it and warns about style problems, suspicious patterns and simple mistakes, such as unused variables.
  • bugA mistake in a program that makes it behave in a way nobody intended, such as showing wrong results, freezing or closing suddenly.

More terms: Debugging and Troubleshooting

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: