What part of speech is “mistake”
Noun
Definition:
a mistake is an action or decision that is not in accordance with accepted rules or logical principles, or based on incorrect or wrong information. It usually carries the connotation of being an unintentional error, rather than a deliberate choice. Some common examples of mistakes include spelling errors, misplacing or misusing a word, misreading an instruction, making a wrong decision, using the wrong assumptions or data to draw a conclusion, or making a miscalculation in mathematics.
Examples:
1. I made a mistake when I overlooked the expiration date on the milk carton.
2. She knew he was regretful for the mistake he had made.
3. He realized he had been making a mistake all night when revising for the exam.
Tips:
mistake should be used when referring to an action or decision that is unintentional, rather than when referring to a deliberate action separate from honest errors. It can also be difficult to distinguish when an action is a mistake in the technical sense, versus simply a decision that resulted in a negative outcome.
Verb
Definition:
when 'mistake' is used as a verb, it primarily means to misunderstand or misinterpret someone or something. It can also mean to identify someone or something incorrectly.
Rules:
used to describe misunderstanding or misinterpreting the meaning, intention, or character of someone or something; incorrectly identifying someone or something as someone or something else.
Examples:
I mistook his sarcasm for sincerity and responded earnestly.
She mistook the actor for his twin brother when she saw him in the mall.
From a distance, it's easy to mistake a seal for a rock on the shoreline.
Tips:
'mistake' as a verb is often followed by an object (the thing being misunderstood) and then 'for' followed by another object (the incorrect interpretation or identification). For example
'mistake A for B.' A common error is the omission of 'for' when using 'mistake' as a verb. For instance, 'I mistook him his brother' is incorrect. The correct form is 'I mistook him for his brother.' The past tense of 'mistake' is 'mistook,' and the past participle is 'mistaken.'