What do you call it when someone misunderstands a homonym?

Question

I once ran across a term for the error of misunderstanding the meaning or sense of a word because one doesn't know exactly what the word is. For example, someone mistakenly thinks that the phrase is "tow the line" rather than "toe the line." Can anyone tell me what this type of misunderstanding is called?

'Toe' and 'tow' are homophones but not homonyms according to some authorities: 'In the strictest sense, a homonym must be both a homograph and a homophone. So say many dictionaries. However, other dictionaries allow that a homonym can be a homograph or a homophone.' ( https://www.vocabulary.com/articles/chooseyourwords/homonym-homophone-homograph/ ) — Edwin Ashworth, Sep 05 '13 at 06:31
Does it happen to little kids a lot? It happened to me pretty often when I was very young. It'd generated a lot of fun. — Terry Li, Sep 05 '13 at 18:41

Roaring Fish · Answer 1 · 2013-09-05T15:02:02.613

21

As Edwin Ashworth has already mentioned, your example are homophones, not homonyms. A homonym looks the same and sounds the same. Stalk (follow) and stalk (stem of a plant) are homonyms. Read (a book) and reed (plant) are homophones.

In the strictest sense, there is sometimes a distinction drawn between 'true' homonyms as above, and polysemes where the words have a shared etymology and are technically the same word with differing meanings, such as mole (furry thing in a hole) and mole (a spy).

Alternatives to mondegreens -

malapropism - (the unintentional misuse of a word by confusion with one that sounds similar

or eggcorn if the phrase retains an unintentional meaning, signaled out instead of singled out for example.

edited Sep 05 '13 at 15:02

answered Sep 05 '13 at 07:13

Roaring Fish

15,115

4

+1 for eggcorn. I suggest editing your post to move the meat of your answer (malapropism and eggcorn) to the beginning and de-emphasize the commentary on homophones. – Bradd Szonye Sep 05 '13 at 09:35
2

In particular, de-emphasize the “your example are homomphones” comment. – James Waldby - jwpat7 Sep 05 '13 at 14:27
Eggcorns usually rely on the speaker’s accent, as well. – Jon Purdy Sep 05 '13 at 20:28

score 14 · Answer 2 · answered Sep 05 '13 at 06:15

14

These errors are called mondegreens, especially in the context of misheard lyrics.

answered Sep 05 '13 at 06:15

Bradd Szonye

15,402

@J.R. that'll make you fly like a cheese stick - http://www.kissthisguy.com/fly-like-a-cheese-stick-far-east-movemen-misheard-19778.htm – WernerCD Sep 05 '13 at 13:51
@J.R. there's a bathroom on the right if you want some privacy. – cornbread ninja 麵包忍者 Sep 05 '13 at 15:10

What do you call it when someone misunderstands a homonym?

2 Answers2

Linked