mistake
UK: mɪˈsteɪk | US: mɪˈsteɪk
n. an action or judgment that is wrong or misguided
vt. to misunderstand or misinterpret something
The word "mistake" originates from Old Norse mistaka ("to take in error"), combining mis- (a prefix meaning "wrongly" or "badly") and taka ("to take"). The term entered Middle English as mistaken, retaining the core idea of "taking or grasping incorrectly." Over time, it evolved to broadly signify any error in action or judgment. The morpheme mis- is common in English (e.g., misunderstand, mislead), while take reflects the original sense of physical or mental acquisition.
She realized her mistake too late to correct it.
It’s easy to mistake his silence for rudeness.
The report contained several spelling mistakes.
I mistook the path and ended up lost.
Admitting a mistake is the first step to fixing it.