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Misspelling vs Mistake - What's the difference?

misspelling | mistake |

As nouns the difference between misspelling and mistake

is that misspelling is (countable) a misspelt word while mistake is an error; a blunder.

As verbs the difference between misspelling and mistake

is that misspelling is while mistake is to understand wrongly, taking one thing for another, or someone for someone else.

misspelling

English

Alternative forms

* mis-spelling

Noun

(en noun)
  • (countable) A misspelt word.
  • “Accomodation” is a common misspelling of “accommodation”.
  • * 2005 September, John H. Jenkins, The Dao of Unihan , International & Text Group, Apple Computer, Inc.:
  • My own Chinese name might conceivably be written in no fewer than four different ways in Unicode: ???, ???, ???, and ???. I would personally consider all but the first misspellings , just as I would the spelling of my English name as Jon Jenkins or John Jenkyns.

    Synonyms

    * (misspelt word) heterography

    Verb

    (head)
  • mistake

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An error; a blunder.
  • * 1877 , Henry Heth, quoting , in "Causes of the Defeat of Gen. Lee's Army at the Battle of GettysburgOpinions of Leading Confederate Soldiers.", Southern Historical Society Papers (1877), editor Rev. J. WM. Jones [http://books.google.com/books?id=iDIFAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA292&dq=lee+%22mistakes+were+made%22&hl=en&ei=fchaTbu4L8L98AaVs4n-DQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CDUQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=lee%20%22mistakes%20were%20made%22&f=false]
  • After it is all over, as stupid a fellow as I am can see that mistakes' were made. I notice, however, that my ' mistakes are never told me until it is too late.
  • (baseball) A pitch which was intended to be pitched in a hard to hit location, but instead ends up in an easy to hit place
  • Synonyms

    * See also

    Usage notes

    * Usually make a mistake. See

    Verb

  • To understand wrongly, taking one thing for another, or someone for someone else.
  • Sorry, I mistook you for my brother. You look very similar.
  • * Shakespeare
  • My father's purposes have been mistook .
  • * Johnson
  • A man may mistake the love of virtue for the practice of it.
  • To commit an unintentional error; to do or think something wrong.
  • * Jonathan Swift
  • Servants mistake , and sometimes occasion misunderstanding among friends.
  • (obsolete, rare) To take or choose wrongly.
  • (Shakespeare)

    Derived terms

    * mistakeless