mishear: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral; used in both formal and informal contexts.
Quick answer
What does “mishear” mean?
To hear incorrectly.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
To hear incorrectly; to fail to hear what was said accurately.
To misunderstand or misinterpret a spoken statement due to auditory error, noise, or linguistic similarity.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. The verb is used identically.
Connotations
None.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in British corpus data, but common in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “mishear” in a Sentence
[Subject] mishears [Object][Subject] mishears [Object] as [Complement]It is easy to mishear [Object]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “mishear” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- I'm sorry, I think I misheard your name.
- In a noisy pub, it's easy to mishear someone.
- She misheard 'meet at three' as 'meet at tree'.
American English
- Did I mishear the address?
- With his accent, I sometimes mishear a word or two.
- I must have misheard the flight number.
adverb
British English
- (Rare. Typically 'misheard' as adjective or verb participle.)
American English
- (Rare. Typically 'misheard' as adjective or verb participle.)
adjective
British English
- The misheard lyric became a famous internet meme.
- She recounted a misheard instruction.
American English
- He told a funny story about a misheard song lyric.
- The misheard command caused the confusion.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in discussions about unclear instructions or conference calls: 'I think I misheard the sales target.'
Academic
Used in linguistics or psychology discussing auditory perception.
Everyday
Very common in social interactions to explain a misunderstanding: 'Sorry, I misheard you. What did you say?'
Technical
Used in audio engineering or hearing science to describe perceptual errors.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “mishear”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “mishear”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “mishear”
- Using 'mishear' for written misunderstandings (use 'misread').
- Confusing with 'overhear' (to hear accidentally).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Primarily yes. It refers to incorrectly perceiving spoken language or sounds. For music lyrics, we often say 'misheard lyrics'.
The act or instance is a 'mishearing'. The result can be called a 'misunderstanding' or specifically a 'mondegreen' for song lyrics or poetry.
Yes, though less common. E.g., 'I think I was mishearing you because of the echo.'
'Mishear' is a specific type of misunderstanding caused by faulty auditory perception. 'Misunderstand' is broader, covering failure to grasp meaning regardless of how the message was received.
To hear incorrectly.
Mishear is usually neutral; used in both formal and informal contexts. in register.
Mishear: in British English it is pronounced /ˌmɪsˈhɪə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌmɪsˈhɪr/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None directly; related to 'play tricks on the ears'.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: MIS + HEAR. You HEAR it, but you get it wrong (MIS-taken).
Conceptual Metaphor
HEARING IS UNDERSTANDING (thus, mishearing is a failure to understand correctly via the ear).
Practice
Quiz
Which situation best describes 'mishearing'?