MySQL Error 1064

Error number

1064

SQLSTATE

42000

Symbol

ER_PARSE_ERROR

Product

MySQL Server

Versions

All MySQL versions (checked on MySQL 8.0.46); which words are reserved depends on the version

Category

Syntax & Names

Last reviewed

24 October 2026

What it means

Error 1064 means MySQL could not parse the statement: something in it is not valid MySQL syntax, and the quoted text shows where parsing stopped.

MySQL reads a statement from left to right and stops at the first token that cannot continue a valid statement. The text after near starts at that token and runs to the end of the statement (shortened if long), and at line n counts lines inside the statement. So in SELECT id, name, FROM customers the message says near 'FROM customers': the mistake is the comma just before it, which promised another column. The real error is usually at the start of the quoted text or immediately before it.

An empty near '' means MySQL reached the end of the statement while still expecting more: an unfinished WHERE, a missing closing bracket, or a statement cut short by the application. Reserved words are another frequent cause: since MySQL 8.0.2 words such as rank and groups are reserved, so tables and columns with those names must be quoted with backticks. Syntax from other databases (TOP, square-bracket names) also raises 1064. Errors about names that parse correctly but do not exist are different errors, such as 1054 and 1146.

Common causes

• A typo in a keyword or a missing keyword: FORM for FROM, ORDER name without BY, a missing comma between SET assignments.
• A stray or missing comma, typically a trailing comma before FROM or before the closing bracket of CREATE TABLE.
• A reserved word used as an unquoted identifier, for example a column called rank, order or groups.
• Unbalanced quotes or brackets, often from a value such as O'Brien glued into the SQL string by application code instead of being passed as a parameter.
• Syntax from another database: SQL Server's SELECT TOP 5 or [column], or a feature newer than the server version you are running.

Diagnose it

Read-only These statements only read metadata (information_schema, performance_schema and SHOW statements) or your own data. They do not change data, privileges or configuration, so they are safe to run first.

SELECT VERSION() AS server_version;

SELECT word, reserved
FROM information_schema.keywords
WHERE word IN ('RANK', 'GROUPS', 'ORDER', 'STATUS');

How to fix it

Each fix is labelled with what it changes. Try read-only checks and the least invasive fix first, and test changes outside production.

SELECT id, name
FROM customers
WHERE city = 'Leeds'
ORDER BY name
LIMIT 5;

CREATE TABLE scores (
    id     INT PRIMARY KEY,
    player VARCHAR(50),
    `rank` INT
);

SELECT player, `rank` FROM scores ORDER BY `rank`;

// PHP PDO
$stmt = $pdo->prepare('INSERT INTO customers (id, name, city) VALUES (?, ?, ?)');
$stmt->execute([2, "O'Brien", 'Leeds']);

Examples

FORM instead of FROM

The near text is 'customers', not 'FORM customers': FORM is not a keyword, so MySQL reads it as an alias for name (name AS FORM) and only fails at the next word.

CREATE TABLE customers (id INT PRIMARY KEY, name VARCHAR(100), city VARCHAR(50));

SELECT id, name FORM customers;

ERROR 1064 (42000): You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 'customers' at line 1

A reserved word as a column name

CREATE TABLE scores (id INT PRIMARY KEY, player VARCHAR(50), rank INT);

ERROR 1064 (42000): You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 'rank INT)' at line 1

ORDER without BY in a multi-line query

CREATE TABLE customers (id INT PRIMARY KEY, name VARCHAR(100), city VARCHAR(50));

SELECT id, name
FROM customers
WHERE city = 'Leeds'
ORDER name;

ERROR 1064 (42000): You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 'name' at line 4

SQL Server TOP syntax on MySQL

CREATE TABLE customers (id INT PRIMARY KEY, name VARCHAR(100), city VARCHAR(50));

SELECT TOP 5 * FROM customers;  -- MySQL uses LIMIT 5

ERROR 1064 (42000): You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near '5 * FROM customers' at line 1

How to prevent it

Write SQL in an editor that highlights MySQL syntax, format long statements one clause per line so at line n points somewhere useful, and avoid reserved words as table and column names. When you copy SQL from another database or from documentation, check it against the manual for your server version.

In application code, never assemble SQL by concatenating values; use prepared statements with bound parameters. Log the full statement text (without secrets) when a 1064 occurs, because the bug is usually in the generated SQL, not in the code that sent it.

Common questions

Learn more on CodeWithSQL

• SQL syntax guide
• SQL cheat sheet
• MySQL vs SQL Server

Official documentation

• Keywords and reserved words
• Schema object names (quoting identifiers)
• String literals (quotes inside strings)
• MySQL 8.0 server error message reference

Last technically reviewed 24 October 2026; examples and diagnostics run on MySQL 8.0.46. Message templates checked against the server's error catalogue (perror) for that version.