misspell
verb
mis·spell
ˌmis-ˈspel 
misspelled; misspelling; misspells
: to spell incorrectly
The name of the town was misspelled on the map.
Examples of misspell in a Sentence
The name of the town had been misspelled on the map.
Recent Examples on the Web
Bridge disaster: In the March 27 Section A, an article about how California bridges would fare in an accident like the one in Baltimore misspelled the first name of University of Southampton professor Mehdi Kashani as Mehni.
—
Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Caddo Mama Bears, a conservative Facebook group, posted photos of Urban League fliers with Nickelson’s name misspelled.
—Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024
The On the Market feature last Sunday misspelled the surname of the listing broker of 16 Fonda Road, Rockville Centre, N.Y.
—New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024
Luckily, because the other finalist had also misspelled words, Jasmine stayed in the running.
—Jimena Tavel, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024
If all spellers misspell a word, a new round begins and all get to compete.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024
And the article misspells the surname of a scientist at the University Paris Cité.
—New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024
Corrections & Clarifications: Dawnie's Delightful Desserts chef Robert Barr's name was misspelled in an earlier version of this article.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 18 Feb. 2024
Because these things don’t always lend themselves to straightforward corrections, like misspelling a name.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024
Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2024
Caddo Mama Bears, a conservative Facebook group, posted photos of Urban League fliers with Nickelson’s name misspelled.
—Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2024
The On the Market feature last Sunday misspelled the surname of the listing broker of 16 Fonda Road, Rockville Centre, N.Y.
—New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024
Luckily, because the other finalist had also misspelled words, Jasmine stayed in the running.
—Jimena Tavel, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024
If all spellers misspell a word, a new round begins and all get to compete.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 19 Mar. 2024
And the article misspells the surname of a scientist at the University Paris Cité.
—New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024
Corrections & Clarifications: Dawnie's Delightful Desserts chef Robert Barr's name was misspelled in an earlier version of this article.
—Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 18 Feb. 2024
Because these things don’t always lend themselves to straightforward corrections, like misspelling a name.
—Oliver Darcy, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misspell.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1655, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near misspell
Cite this Entry
“Misspell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misspell. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
misspell
verb
mis·spell
(ˈ)mis-ˈspel
: to spell incorrectly
More from Merriam-Webster on misspell
Nglish: Translation of misspell for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of misspell for Arabic Speakers
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share