What does mistelling mean?
Mistelling is a rare noun denoting the act of telling something incorrectly. It usually refers to a mistaken version of a story, message, or account rather than to a simple grammatical slip, and it can imply that information has been inaccurately conveyed without necessarily involving deliberate deception. The word is occasionally used in literary, historical, or editorial discussion, where its unusual construction gives it a formal or archaic quality. In contemporary English, mistake, error, and misstatement are much more common choices. Mistelling should not be confused with misspelling, which concerns the incorrect writing of a word, nor with a mistrial, which is a trial judged invalid. Although rarely needed in everyday speech, mistelling is useful in discussing how narratives, reports, and recollections can alter the substance of what was communicated.
nounThe act of telling something incorrectly, especially a story, message, or account.
- The act or instance of telling something incorrectly, especially a story or account.
"The apology corrected the mistelling of her remarks in the earlier report."
"The witness apologized for the mistelling of the sequence of events."
"The novel explores how memory can produce a subtle mistelling without anyone deliberately lying."
Normally used as a count noun, especially when referring to particular incidents of incorrect telling.
"The account contains several subtle mistellings of what the speaker said."
A rare word for doing exactly what its name suggests: telling it wrong.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of mistelling
Mistelling was formed by combining the prefix mis-, meaning wrongly or incorrectly, with the verb tell. Tell derives from Old English tellan, meaning to relate, inform, or narrate. The same English root produced forms such as teller and retell, while the semantically related telltale combines tell with the older word tale.
Related word forms
How mistelling is actually used
This is an uncommon nominal form and may sound archaic or highly literary. In ordinary modern usage, mistake, error, or misstatement is generally preferred.
Easily confused with mistelling
A mistelling is an incorrect account or repetition of something, whereas a misspelling is a word written with incorrect letters.