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 An article on Friday about the possible impact that psychedelics could have on survivors of the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel misspelled the surname of psychology professor at the University of Haifa. New York Times, 16 Apr. 2024 Trump also took to misspelling her first name, Nimarata – Nikki is the former governor’s middle name – and mocking her. Cnn Com Wire Service, Orange County Register, 6 Mar. 2024 Corrections & Clarifications: Wesley Bolin Plaza was misspelled and Stephen Willeford's actions were described incorrectly in an earlier version of the article. Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 17 Feb. 2024 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

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 24 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

misspell

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

More from Merriam-Webster on misspell

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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