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(emacs)Kill Errors

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Killing Your Mistakes
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`<DEL>'
     Delete last character (`delete-backward-char').

`M-<DEL>'
     Kill last word (`backward-kill-word').

`C-x <DEL>'
     Kill to beginning of sentence (`backward-kill-sentence').

   The <DEL> character (`delete-backward-char') is the most important
correction command.  It deletes the character before point.  When <DEL>
follows a self-inserting character command, you can think of it as
canceling that command.  However, avoid the mistake of thinking of
<DEL> as a general way to cancel a command!

   When your mistake is longer than a couple of characters, it might be
more convenient to use `M-<DEL>' or `C-x <DEL>'.  `M-<DEL>' kills back
to the start of the last word, and `C-x <DEL>' kills back to the start
of the last sentence.  `C-x <DEL>' is particularly useful when you
change your mind about the phrasing of the text you are writing.
`M-<DEL>' and `C-x <DEL>' save the killed text for `C-y' and `M-y' to
retrieve.  Note: Yanking.

   `M-<DEL>' is often useful even when you have typed only a few
characters wrong, if you know you are confused in your typing and aren't
sure exactly what you typed.  At such a time, you cannot correct with
<DEL> except by looking at the screen to see what you did.  Often it
requires less thought to kill the whole word and start again.