Standard Lemma guide

misspeak

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /mɪsˈspiːk/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -iːk
  • CMU ARPABET: M IH0 S S P IY1 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: M IH0 S P IY1 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, ambitransitive

Examples

  • Either I misspoke or you misheard.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mistalk

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To speak insultingly or disrespectfully.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

pronounce a word incorrectly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She mispronounces many Latinate words

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mispronounce

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: pronounce, articulate, enounce, sound out, enunciate, say

History

Etymology

From Middle English misspeken, mispeken, mysspeken, from Old English *misspecan, missprecan (“to murmur”), equivalent to mis- + speak.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: verspreken — to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly
  • Dutch: misspreken — to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly
  • Esperanto: misparoli — to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly
  • German: versprechen — to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly
  • Middle English: mysspeken — to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly
  • Polish: przejęzyczać się — to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly
  • Polish: przejęzyczyć się — to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly
  • Portuguese: falar errado — to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly
  • Russian: оговори́ться (ogovorítʹsja) — to fail to pronounce, utter, or speak correctly