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Meaning & use

miscount

verb, noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌmɪsˈkaʊnt/
US/ˌmɪsˈkaʊnt/

Meanings

  1. verbtransitive or intransitive

    To count something wrongly, so that the total you get is not correct.

    Grammar: Can take an object (miscount the votes) or stand alone (I must have miscounted).

    Patterns

    • miscount something
    • miscount by a number

    The teller miscounted the cash and had to stay late to find the error.

    I miscounted the chairs and we were two short for the guests.

    She miscounted by one, so the total was off.

  2. nouncountable

    An error in counting that gives a wrong total.

    Grammar: Countable: a miscount, two miscounts.

    Patterns

    • a miscount in something
    • due to a miscount

    The election result was delayed by a miscount in one district.

    A miscount of the inventory led to a shortage of supplies.

    The referee's miscount gave the boxer an extra second.

Word forms

third person singularmiscounts
past tensemiscounted
past participlemiscounted
-ing formmiscounting
pluralmiscounts

Common combinations

miscount the votes
Officials had to recount because they miscounted the votes.
miscount by one
He miscounted by one and bought too few tickets.
a serious miscount
A serious miscount in the audit caused a lot of confusion.
due to a miscount
The delay was due to a miscount at the warehouse.

Synonyms and how they differ

misreckon
Very rare and formal; miscount is the normal word for getting a count wrong.
miscalculate
Often about judging a situation or amount, not just counting items one by one.

Word family

count verb
To say numbers in order or find the total; the base word.
counter noun
A person or device that counts.
recount verb
To count again, often to check a possible miscount.

Commonly confused: miscount or count? miscount or discount?

miscount vs count

Count means to find the total; miscount means to do that incorrectly.

miscount vs discount

Discount means a reduction in price or to disregard; it sounds similar but has a different meaning.

Practice

The cashier ______ the change and gave me too much money.

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