misspeaking

IPA/ˌmɪsˈspiːk/
IPA/ˌmɪsˈspiːk/

misspeaking — verb

  • misspeakingpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • misspeakings3rd person singular
  • misspeakinging-ing form
  • misspeakingedpast simple

1. to accidentally say something wrong — a word, a name, or a piece of information

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to accidentally say something wrong — a word, a name, or a piece of information — even though you already know what the correct thing to say is.

Example

Beatrix misspoke when she introduced the guest speaker, giving the wrong university name.

transitive: misspoke + noun phrase (giving the wrong university name)

During the ceremony, the mayor accidentally misspoke and announced the wrong winner.

intransitive: misspoke with no direct object

Common collocations
  • misspeak a name
  • misspeak a date
  • misspeak a word
  • accidentally misspeak
  • realize (one) misspoke
  • misspeak oneself
Synonyms
  • mispronounce

    more specific — only about getting the sounds of a word wrong, not the facts or names

  • slip up

    informal; can describe any kind of mistake, not limited to speech

  • get wrong

    general phrasing, less formal; can be used for writing, calculations, etc.

Grammar Patterns

misspeak + noun phrase

misspeak (no object)

misspeak + oneself

Usage Note

The past form 'misspoke' is more common in everyday speech than the present 'misspeak'. The word is usually used to describe a small, accidental error — not a deliberate lie or a case of not knowing the correct word.

Common Mistakes

I misspoke about being late' (when meaning 'I lied').
I misspoke when I said the meeting was at 3 p.m.
it is at 2 p.m.' — 'Misspeak' only describes accidental mistakes, not intentional untruths.
I always misspeak that word because I never learned how to say it.
I always mispronounce that word because I never learned how to say it.
'Misspeak' implies you already know the correct way; 'mispronounce' works when you do not know the right pronunciation.

Word family

  • misspeak
    verbB2
  • misspoke
    verbB2
  • misspoken
    verbB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Misspeak', 'mispronounce', 'slip up', 'stumble over', and 'get wrong' all describe mistakes, but they differ in scope and formality. 'Misspeak' focuses on accidentally saying the wrong word or fact despite knowing the correct one — like using a colleague's wrong name in a meeting. 'Mispronounce' is narrower: it is about incorrect sounds, not wrong facts ('She mispronounces 'schedule' with a hard 'k'). 'Slip up' is informal and can cover any kind of error, not just speech ('I slipped up and forgot her birthday'). 'Stumble over' suggests hesitating or faltering while trying to say a word ('He stumbled over the long German name'). 'Get wrong' is the most general and least formal ('I got the date wrong on the invitation'). For learners, 'misspeak' is the best choice when you want to stress that the mistake was accidental and you actually knew better.

mispronounce ↗slip up ↗stumble overget wrong

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • misspeak oneself

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Misspeaking' comes from the Old English prefix 'mis-' (meaning 'wrongly' or 'badly') combined with 'speak' (from Old English 'specan'). The prefix 'mis-' has been used in English since before the 12th century to create verbs that mean 'to do something incorrectly.' The verb 'misspeak' first appeared in written English around the 14th century.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1