IPA: /mɪˈsteɪk/
KK: /mɪˈsteɪk/
To do something incorrectly or to misunderstand something.
I always mistake his kindness for weakness.
Past: mistook
Past Participle: mistaken
An error or something that is not correct, often made by accident.
Everyone makes a mistake sometimes, and it's important to learn from them.
To identify or understand something incorrectly.
I mistook the address and ended up in the wrong place.
Past: mistook
Past Participle: mistaken
Mistake → It is formed from "mis-" (meaning wrongly) and "tacere" (meaning to be silent or to leave out). The word refers to a wrong action or decision, implying something has been left out or done incorrectly.
Think of doing something 'wrongly' ('mis-') and leaving out the correct action ('tacere'). This helps you remember that a mistake is an error or something done incorrectly.