Meaning & use
mispronounce
Last updated
Meaning
verbtransitive
To say a word or name in a way that is not the accepted or correct way.
Grammar: Takes an object: mispronounce a word. You can also say mispronounce it.
Patterns
- mispronounce something
- mispronounce something as something
Many learners mispronounce the word 'comfortable' as 'com-for-table'.
She mispronounced my name at the ceremony, but I didn't mind.
If you mispronounce the vowel, people may not understand you.
Word forms
| third person singular | mispronounces |
|---|---|
| past tense | mispronounced |
| past participle | mispronounced |
| -ing form | mispronouncing |
Common combinations
- mispronounce a word
- It's easy to mispronounce a word you've only seen in writing.
- mispronounce someone's name
- He apologized for mispronouncing her name.
- commonly mispronounced
- This is one of the most commonly mispronounced words in English.
- mispronounce something as something
- Children often mispronounce 'th' as 'f'.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mangle
- Stronger and often disapproving; it suggests a badly distorted pronunciation, not just a small error.
Opposites
Word family
- mispronunciation noun
- An incorrect way of saying a word.
- pronounce verb
- To make the sound of a word in the correct way.
- pronunciation noun
- The way in which a word is said.
Commonly confused: mispronounce or misspell?
mispronounce vs misspell
Misspell is about writing a word with wrong letters; mispronounce is about speaking it with wrong sounds.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
We use 'as' to introduce the wrong form: mispronounce something as something. 'To', 'for', and 'with' do not fit this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mispronounce”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.