miscues

A miscue is an error or deviation from an expected response in performing a task, where the action taken diverges from what is anticipated. The term is used across several fields, but shares a core idea: a signal or cue is interpreted or executed incorrectly.

In reading research, miscue analysis examines oral reading errors to infer underlying cognitive processes. A reader may substitute a different word, omit or insert material, or self-correct during reading. Miscues are analyzed in relation to the text and context to understand how meaning, syntax, and graphic cues influence interpretation. This approach treats errors as a source of information about decoding strategies and language knowledge and has informed literacy assessment and instruction.

In sports such as billiards, pool, and snooker, a miscue refers to an incorrect or unintended contact between the cue and the ball, producing unintended spin, direction, or distance. Miscues are typically caused by misalignment, timing, or grip and are diagnosed as shot errors.

Miscues also appear in other contexts where a cue is misinterpreted or mistimed, such as in theater or music performances, where a cue may be missed or executed incorrectly, leading to a timing error or disrupted sequence.

The term derives from mis- (“wrong”) plus cue, and is used in educational, athletic, and performance contexts to describe a wrong or unintended response to a cue.