misspelling: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
B2Neutral to formal; common in educational, editorial, and everyday contexts where writing accuracy is discussed.
Quick answer
What does “misspelling” mean?
An instance of spelling a word incorrectly.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An instance of spelling a word incorrectly.
The act or result of writing a word with incorrect letters or letter order; can also refer to a word that is spelled incorrectly, sometimes used in formal contexts like proofreading, linguistics, or education to discuss orthographic errors.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The word itself is spelled identically. However, the act of 'misspelling' a word may involve different preferred spellings (e.g., 'colour' vs. 'color'). Discussions of misspellings often reference these regional spelling conventions.
Connotations
Similar connotations of error in both dialects. In academic/proofreading contexts, equally serious.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties, given the universal nature of spelling errors.
Grammar
How to Use “misspelling” in a Sentence
[verb] + a/the misspelling (e.g., identify, correct, ignore)[adjective] + misspelling (e.g., embarrassing, simple)misspelling + [preposition] + [noun] (e.g., misspelling of 'their')Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “misspelling” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- She realised she had misspelt the recipient's surname.
- The sign had been misspelt for years.
American English
- He admitted he had misspelled the company name.
- The word is commonly misspelled.
adverb
British English
- The name was misspelt in the official document.
American English
- The term is often misspelled in online forums.
adjective
British English
- The misspelt word was underlined in red.
- A misspelt headline can damage credibility.
American English
- The misspelled word was highlighted.
- She submitted a paper with several misspelled names.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Proofreading reports and client communications for any misspellings is essential for professionalism.
Academic
The study analysed the frequency of specific misspellings in the essays of intermediate learners.
Everyday
My text message had a funny misspelling that autocorrect didn't catch.
Technical
The algorithm's primary function is to detect and suggest corrections for potential misspellings in user input.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “misspelling”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “misspelling”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “misspelling”
- Writing as 'mispelling' (single 's').
- Using as an uncountable noun (e.g., 'full of misspelling' instead of 'misspellings').
- Confusing 'misspelling' (noun) with 'misspelt/misspelled' (verb/adjective).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Misspelling' is primarily a noun (e.g., 'correct a misspelling'). The related verb is 'misspell' (past tense: misspelt/misspelled). The adjective forms are 'misspelt' or 'misspelled'.
A 'misspelling' is specifically an error in the sequence of letters in a word (e.g., 'recieve' for 'receive'). A 'typo' (typographical error) is broader and can include misspellings, but also duplicated words, omitted letters, or hitting the wrong key (e.g., 'hte' for 'the'). All misspellings can be considered typos, but not all typos are misspellings.
Use it as a countable noun, often with modifiers like 'common', 'systematic', or 'phonetically plausible'. Example: 'The corpus analysis highlighted five recurring misspellings of medical terminology.'
The correct spelling is M-I-S-S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G. A common error is writing it with only one 's' as 'mispelling'.
An instance of spelling a word incorrectly.
Misspelling is usually neutral to formal; common in educational, editorial, and everyday contexts where writing accuracy is discussed. in register.
Misspelling: in British English it is pronounced /ˌmɪsˈspel.ɪŋ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌmɪsˈspel.ɪŋ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A misspelling jumped out at me from the page.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'MISS' + 'SPELLING'. You 'miss' the correct 'spelling'.
Conceptual Metaphor
A misspelling is a DETOUR or STUMBLING BLOCK on the path of written communication.
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the correct noun form?