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The word "malapropism" (and its earlier form, "malaprop") comes from a character named "Mrs. Malaprop" in Richard Brinsley Sheridan's 1775 play The Rivals. [2] Mrs. Malaprop frequently misspeaks (to comic effect) by using words which do not have the meaning that she intends but which sound similar to words that do.
The following list, of about 350 words, is based on documented lists [4] [10] of the top 100, 200, or 400 [3] most commonly misspelled words in all variants of the English language, rather than listing every conceivable misspelled word. Some words are followed by examples of misspellings:
A lie is an assertion that is believed to be false, typically used with the purpose of deceiving or misleading someone. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ] The practice of communicating lies is called lying . A person who communicates a lie may be termed a liar .
Although this describes the condition of coma, this is not the true derivation. The word is actually derived from the Greek kōma, meaning deep sleep. [30] Fuck: see under "Profanity" Golf: did not originate as an acronym of "gentlemen only, ladies forbidden". [31] The word's true origin is unknown, but it existed in the Middle Scots period ...
A misnomer may also be a word that is used incorrectly or misleadingly. [2] The word "misnomer" does not mean " misunderstanding " or " popular misconception ", [ 2 ] and a number of misnomers remain in common usage — which is to say that a word being a misnomer does not necessarily make usage of the word incorrect.
Misinformation is incorrect or misleading information. [ 5 ] [ 6 ] Misinformation and disinformation are not interchangeable terms: Misinformation can exist with or without specific malicious intent whereas disinformation is distinct in that the information is deliberately deceptive and propagated.
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A mondegreen is a misinterpretation of a word or phrase, often within the lyrics of a specific song or other type of performance, and need not make sense within that context. [22] An eggcorn must still retain something of the original meaning, [ 22 ] as the speaker understands it, and may be a replacement for a poorly understood phrase rather ...