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Entertainment

Gabija Palšytė

50 Funniest Burnt-Out Signs That Sent The Wrong Message

Thanks to the magic of technology and electricity, we’ve upgraded from paper posters to bright LED and neon signs. They’re not only eye-catching but also practical, helping us spot important messages in the dark, from traffic updates to a glowing “vacancy” notice on a late-night road trip.

But because they rely on light, once it goes out… so do they. And when a letter or two disappears, the results can be unintentionally hilarious. The aptly named Reddit community “misLED” gathers the funniest of these sign fails. Scroll down to see them all and upvote the ones that made you laugh!

#1 I Got Offended

Image credits: Minty_Dreams_526

#2 5…no Wait 4…no Wait 5 Guys

Image credits: reddit.com

As funny as those misLED fails are, when signs actually do their job, they’re a pretty incredible reminder of how far we’ve come as humans. Think about it, we took something as simple as light and figured out how to bend, channel, and color it into glowing words and shapes.

Even if you’re not an expert, you’ve probably admired how pretty neon and LED signs look. But the way they actually work? It’s fascinating.

#3 When You Bring Your Phone Into Your Bathroom

Image credits: ElwoodMC

#4 Home Of The Who

Image credits: sile667

Let’s start with the basics. LED stands for “light-emitting diode,” and according to Energy Star, these tiny sources of light produce illumination up to 90% more efficiently than old-school incandescent bulbs.

Instead of heating a filament like traditional light bulbs do, LEDs work by sending an electrical current through a microchip, which lights up microscopic diodes to produce visible light. The result is a bright, steady glow that doesn’t waste energy as heat.

#5 Fair

Image credits: Rouank_kanojiya

#6 Failed Successfully

Image credits: sanguwan

#7 Lsd

Image credits: munecraft

Because they don’t “burn out” the same way older bulbs do, LEDs have a much longer lifespan. They slowly lose brightness over time—a process called lumen depreciation.

As Energy Star explains, the lifespan of an LED is based on when it loses about 30% of its brightness, not when it completely stops working.

#8 Rat Beef Sandwich

Image credits: lIIIIIIIIIIIIIlIIII

#9 Laughed My Bum Off When I Saw This

Image credits: MONSTERBEARMAN

#10 I Will Take The Ticket Please

Image credits: 200kmph

One of the coolest parts about LEDs is how flexible they are. They’re tiny, so designers can put them almost anywhere—inside a bulb that looks like the ones we grew up with or in sleek, futuristic fixtures. They can even be built right into signs, letters, or shapes.

This versatility has made LED technology a dream for both engineers and artists, who now use it for everything from traffic lights to art installations.

#11 Hell

Image credits: 2into2into2

#12 That's Subjective

Image credits: BlueAwful--

#13 What’s The Opposite Of A Pharmacy?

Image credits: Aromatic-Policy9311

Of course, even small lights can get hot. That’s why every LED setup includes a heat sink, a clever bit of design that absorbs and disperses the heat they produce.

As Energy Star points out, this “thermal management” is crucial to keeping LEDs bright and long-lasting. Without it, the light would fade faster, and your favorite glowing sign might not survive too many late nights.

#14 Fairfield, Oh

Image credits: richie65

#15 This Gamestop

Image credits: Ok-Lengthiness-7736

#16 Dunk Nuts

Image credits: GiggleSweetie0

But LEDs aren’t the only stars of the show. Long before they arrived, neon lights were dazzling cities around the world. According to science writer Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D., real neon lights are glass tubes filled with a small amount of neon gas under low pressure.

When high voltage—around 15,000 volts—is applied, it gives the gas enough energy to release electrons, creating plasma that glows. That reddish-orange light we all associate with classic “Open” signs? That’s pure neon at work.

#17 Fart City

Image credits: Big-Team1201

#18 70 Years Of Goo

Image credits: the_genius324

#19 Do It

Image credits: 200kmph

Different gases can create different colors. Helmenstine explains that helium glows pink, krypton is green, and argon shines blue.

Sometimes, the glass itself is coated with phosphor, which glows in different colors when energized. That’s how we get the rainbow of glowing signs lighting up downtown streets, each color a little chemistry experiment.

#20 Lies & Fish

Image credits: Admirable-Rhubarb662

#21 I Don’t Know If I Can Type This One Out

Image credits: DumpTruckDiaries

#22 Lizzard Warning

Image credits: beleg_tal

Interestingly, neon lights have been around since the early 1900s. Georges Claude, often called the father of neon lighting, first showed off his creation at the 1910 Paris Motor Show.

The glowing tubes caused a sensation, and before long, they were everywhere, from shop windows to movie theaters. Even today, that retro glow has never lost its charm.

#23 No Frills At This Institution

Image credits: dougiepete

#24 Are They Hiring?

Image credits: Illustrious_Name_441

#25 Technically True…

Image credits: citizendetectives

So the next time you walk past a flickering neon sign or an LED that’s missing a letter, take a second to appreciate the science behind it.

Sure, the fails are hilarious—that’s why misLED exists, after all—but the fact that a few volts of electricity and a clever bit of chemistry can light up our nights (and our sense of humor) is pretty amazing.