misspell

verb

mis·​spell ˌmis-ˈspel How to pronounce misspell (audio)
misspelled; misspelling; misspells

transitive verb

: 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 Because these things don’t always lend themselves to straightforward corrections, like misspelling a name. Oliver Darcy, CNN, 13 Mar. 2024 Paul Krugman’s column on Tuesday misspelled the surname of a talk-show host. New York Times, 5 Mar. 2024 One such former worker, Evy Kwong, posted to TikTok about her agonizing two days wait to get her email only to find her name misspelled in said message. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 29 Feb. 2024 Guthrie also took to Instagram to share screenshots of the fake handbooks for sale, and pointed out that her name was even misspelled on one of them. Carly Tagen-Dye, Peoplemag, 27 Feb. 2024 Her name was misspelled in an earlier version of the story. Graham Womack, Sacramento Bee, 31 Jan. 2024 Their divorce was finalized in July 2017 — nearly a year after a judge threw out their first divorce settlement because Nida claimed he wasn't properly informed of the details (and his name was reportedly misspelled on paperwork). Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 15 Feb. 2024 While Microsoft’s terms of service prohibit nonconsensual nude images, users relied on loopholes, including one that allowed those images to be generated when celebrities’ names were slightly misspelled. Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2024 Because of an editing error, a Critic’s Notebook article on Tuesday about two Cleveland Orchestra concerts at Carnegie Hall misspelled the clarinetist’s surname in one instance. New York Times, 23 Jan. 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

Time Traveler
The first known use of misspell was in 1655

Dictionary Entries Near misspell

Cite this Entry

“Misspell.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misspell. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

misspell

verb
mis·​spell (ˈ)mis-ˈspel How to pronounce misspell (audio)
: to spell incorrectly

More from Merriam-Webster on misspell

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