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Malapropism

Device
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The mistaken use of an incorrect word in place of a word with a similar sound, resulting in a nonsensical or humorous utterance.

Detailed Definition
Malapropism is a comic misuse of words, usually when a speaker mistakenly substitutes a word for another similar-sounding one, producing humorous confusion; the term derives from Mrs. Malaprop in Sheridan’s 18th-century play “The Rivals.” In poetry, deliberate malapropisms may be used for satire, parody, or characterization, demonstrating how sound and meaning can unpredictably diverge, as in replacing “auspicious” with “suspicious” to comically muddle intent.
Example
Example in poetry:
Malapropism|Comic misuse substituting similar-sounding word; "Allegory on the banks of the Nile" for alligator; Mrs. Malaprop's verbal blunders; Unintentional word confusion
Additional Notes
Malapropism is the comic misuse of words through confusion with similar-sounding terms, sometimes used in poetry for humor or character voice.
Other Meanings of “Malapropism”
Also Known As
Word misuse Verbal blunder Wrong-word substitution Comic vocabulary error
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