Misnaming

Misnaming is the use of an incorrect name or label for a person, place, thing, or concept. It can occur in everyday speech, writing, or formal contexts and may result from slips of the tongue, memory lapses, or more persistent language or cognitive issues.

In linguistics and neurology, misnaming is often described as a naming error. Semantic misnaming, or semantic paraphasia, occurs when a related word is produced instead of the intended one—such as calling a dog a cat. Phonological or phonemic misnaming involves substituting a word that sounds similar. Misnaming is distinguished from other naming difficulties like circumlocution, where a speaker describes features without naming the item, or from complete anomia, the inability to retrieve a name.

Causes range from transient factors to medical conditions. Temporary factors include fatigue, distraction, stress, or heavy cognitive load. Persistent misnaming can arise from language disorders such as aphasia, dementia, or brain injury that affects language networks. Aging may also increase naming errors.

In practice, misnaming can affect communication, lead to confusion, or impact credibility in journalism, science, and branding. Correction and mitigation strategies include seeking clarification, describing the item, using disambiguating phrases, or employing memory aids. In clinical settings, misnaming errors are evaluated as part of language assessments and may be addressed through speech-language therapy and targeted naming exercises. In taxonomy and nomenclature, misnaming refers to incorrect scientific names that are later corrected by authoritative bodies.