mispeak

Mispeak is a verb meaning to utter words incorrectly; to speak in a way that conveys an incorrect or unclear meaning, often unintentionally. The common forms are misspeak (present) and misspoke (past). As a noun, a misstatement can refer to an incorrect assertion arising from mis-speaking. The adjective misspoken describes something that was spoken incorrectly.

Causes include slips of the tongue, memory errors, cognitive load, fatigue, unfamiliar terminology, or bilingual interference. It can involve misnaming, misquoting, or attributing actions or statements to someone else. Mis-speaking can occur in casual conversation, media interviews, or political discourse.

Related terms include slip of the tongue; malapropism (using an incorrect but similar-sounding word); spoonerism (sound transposition); and misstatement (an incorrect factual statement). Distinctions: a misspeak is often a lexical or semantic error; a slip of the tongue can be phonetic; malapropisms are usually humorous. Misspeaking contrasts with deliberate deception; in public life, corrections and apologies are common responses.

Impact and handling: When a misspeak is identified, speakers may issue a clarification or retraction. Editors may issue corrections; organizations may publish statements. Language researchers study mis-speaking to understand how mental processes produce errors under pressure.