Plukfejl

Plukfejl is a Danish term used in linguistics to describe a class of speech errors in which the speaker’s intended word is replaced by another word or a segment is misarticulated during spontaneous speech. The category covers several subtypes, including lexical substitutions (using a related or semantically related word) and phonological errors (alternating sounds or syllables). The term derives from at plukke, meaning “to pick,” and fejl, meaning “error,” conveying the idea of selecting the wrong item from the mental lexicon.

Causes and characteristics: Plukfejl arise from competition between closely related lexical entries in the speaker’s mental lexicon and from planning demands on working memory during speech production. They are more common under rapid speaking, cognitive load, fatigue, or multilingual contexts. Typical slips are semantic, where a word from a related semantic field is produced, or phonological, where sounds or syllables are swapped or misarticulated. Most plukfejl are considered normal aspects of language production rather than signs of pathology.

Relation to broader research: The study of plukfejl intersects with general research on slips of the tongue, cognitive linguistics, and psycholinguistics. While terminology and emphasis may vary across Scandinavian languages, the underlying phenomenon is described as a routine feature of spontaneous speech, illustrating how lexical retrieval and articulatory planning interact in real time.

See also: slips of the tongue, malapropism, spoonerism, psycholinguistics.