# type (10-type.app)

A person means a category or kind of thing, or the act of writing on a keyboard. Someone might ask about their personality type or say they need to type a message.

## What a model may hear
- data type (programming languages): Expect a declaration like string or int, or check type safety
- type hint (Python and modern languages): Look for annotations like def f(x: int) and validate them
- generic type parameter (TypeScript, Java, C#): Treat the word as a placeholder in angle brackets like <T>
- font typeface (design and typography): Discuss serif, sans-serif, or specific font families
- type coercion (JavaScript and weakly typed languages): Assume implicit conversion rules apply

## Where people and models part ways
- Says: "What type should I use?"
  Means: Which category fits my situation?
  May be taken as: The model answers with programming data types
  Say instead: "What category or kind should I use?"
- Says: "I need to type this out"
  Means: I need to write this manually
  May be taken as: The model assumes keyboard input handling or text encoding
  Say instead: "I need to write this out by hand"
- Says: "That's not my type"
  Means: That doesn't suit my preference
  May be taken as: The model discusses type systems or compatibility
  Say instead: "That doesn't appeal to me"
- Says: "Check the type"
  Means: Verify what kind it is
  May be taken as: The model generates type-checking code or runtime type inspection
  Say instead: "Confirm what kind or category this belongs to"

## Tips
- Say 'kind' or 'category' if you do not mean programming types
- Say 'write' or 'enter text' instead of 'type' to avoid input handling
- Add 'of person' or 'of thing' to steer toward personality or taxonomy
- In coding contexts, say 'data type' or 'static type' to be clear
- Say 'font' or 'typeface' if you mean visual text style

## Often confused with
- kind: softer category word, rarely technical
- sort: more casual, no programming baggage
- class: also means object-oriented programming construct
- interface: type-like but means contract or user screen
- cast: specifically means forcing a type conversion
- font: narrower, only visual text appearance