malapropism
UK: ˈmæləprɒpɪzəm | US: ˈmæləprɑːpɪzəm
n. the mistaken use of a word in place of a similar-sounding one, often with unintentionally humorous effect.
The term originates from the character Mrs. Malaprop in Richard Brinsley Sheridan's 1775 play The Rivals. Her name derives from the French phrase mal à propos ("ill-suited"), reflecting her habit of misusing words. The suffix -ism standardizes it as a linguistic phenomenon. The morpheme mal<bad> (Latin malus) and aprop<appropriate> (via French à propos) combine to highlight the "inappropriate" nature of such errors.
His frequent malapropisms, like "dance a flamingo" instead of "flamenco," amused the audience.
The politician's malapropism—"We cannot let terrorists and rogue nations hold this nation hostile"—went viral.
She unintentionally coined a malapropism by saying "allegory" instead of "allergy."
The comedy relied on the character's malapropisms, such as "pineapple of perfection" for "pinnacle."
Editors corrected the manuscript’s malapropisms, like "preying mantis" for "praying mantis."