Mispeak

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To utter words incorrectly or imprecisely; to convey a message with slips or inaccuracies in speech; to express something in a mistaken or unintended manner
2. To articulate a statement inaccurately or with errors; to fail to communicate an idea clearly due to verbal slips; to verbalize thoughts in a flawed or incorrect way
3. To make an error in spoken language; to deliver a phrase improperly or inaccurately; to present information through speech that deviates from intended meaning

Etymology: "Mispeak" is formed from the prefix "mis-", meaning "wrongly" or "badly," attached to "speak," which comes from Old English "specan." The prefix "mis-" is Old English in origin and was productive for forming verbs of this kind, so "mispeak" follows a familiar pattern, much like "misspell," "misread," and "misjudge." The verb is recorded in English as a formation on "speak" with "mis-," and it is used for slips of the tongue as well as for statements that are mistaken or imprecise. Its meaning is close to "misspeak" in older usage, and in modern English it is most often used to describe a speaker who has said something they did not intend, often to soften or retract a claim without admitting a true error.

Synonyms: misspeak, slip, blunder, err

Antonyms: articulate, enunciate