A passphrase mistake does not produce an error message. You just see an empty wallet, which can feel like theft. This guide lists the common mistakes. It is part of our guide to the BIP39 passphrase.
Why small changes matter
Your wallet feeds the exact text into a one-way function. Blue and blue are completely different inputs, so they produce completely different wallets. Your funds have not gone anywhere. You are simply looking at the wrong wallet.
The most common mistakes
| Mistake | Example | How it happens |
|---|---|---|
| Automatic capital | Lantern vs lantern | Phones capitalize the first letter |
| Trailing space | lantern | Keyboards add a space after a word |
| Double space | lantern oboe | Autocorrect, or a slip of the thumb |
| Missing space | lanternoboe | Memory |
| Different symbol | - vs – | Some devices swap hyphens for dashes |
| Lookalike letters | O vs 0, l vs 1 | Reading from paper |
| Accents | é encoded differently | Different keyboards and devices |
| Layout change | y vs z | A different keyboard language |
How to check when a balance is zero
- Stay calm. An empty wallet is what a wrong passphrase looks like.
- Enter the passphrase again slowly, on the device if you can.
- Try without capitals, and without trailing spaces.
- Compare the first receiving address with your record.
- Check that you are on the right coin, account and address type.
If it still fails, see forgot your passphrase.
How to avoid these mistakes
- Use simple lowercase words with single spaces.
- Enter it on your hardware wallet's own screen.
- Avoid accents, emoji and fancy characters.
- Write it clearly, marking anything ambiguous.
- Record the first receiving address of the wallet. It is not a secret on its own, and it gives you a way to confirm that you have the right one.
- Test it several times before moving real funds.
Check before depositing
Each time you are about to receive a large amount, open the wallet with your passphrase, and confirm that the address matches your record. If you mistype the passphrase and deposit into the wrong wallet, you will need to reproduce that exact typo to get the funds back.