There are 7,410 search results on Bing for the misspelling 'Mispell'. 'Mispell' ranks in the top 150 of most common errors caught by TripleChecker, with at least 44 websites containing this mistake.¹
The word "misspell" is primarily a verb. It can also function as a noun in certain contexts, though that usage is less common. The definition of "misspell" is to spell a word incorrectly.
Misspell
The word 'misspell' is formed by the prefix 'mis-' meaning 'wrongly' and the verb 'spell.' The prefix 'mis-' comes from Old English and means 'wrongly, badly, or amiss.' The verb 'spell' originates from the Old English 'spellian,' meaning 'to read, to speak, or to declare.' The combination of these elements creates the meaning 'to spell incorrectly.'
The word 'misspell' is pronounced as /mɪsˈpɛl/. It rhymes with 'dispel' and the emphasis is on the second syllable.
The word 'misspell' can be used in a sentence like: "It’s easy to misspell common words if you're not careful when typing." However, one caveat to consider is that the use of spell checkers may sometimes allow misspellings to go unnoticed if the incorrect spelling is also a valid word, leading to confusion in written communication. Additionally, regional variations in spelling can result in what is considered a misspelling in one context being acceptable in another.