Pronunciation: /ˈɛɡkˌkɔrn/

Definitions of eggcorn

noun a word or phrase that is a mistaken interpretation or alteration of another word or phrase, typically due to a similar sound

Example Sentences

A1 I heard someone say 'eggcorn' instead of 'acorn'.

A2 She thought 'eggcorn' was the correct term for a type of nut.

B1 The teacher explained that 'eggcorn' is actually a common linguistic mistake.

B2 After researching, I found out that 'eggcorn' is a term used to describe misheard words.

C1 As a linguistics expert, I often come across interesting eggcorns in everyday speech.

C2 The study of eggcorns reveals fascinating insights into language evolution and cognition.

verb none

Example Sentences

A1 I eggcorned the word 'all intensive purposes' instead of 'all intents and purposes'.

A2 She eggcorned the phrase 'mute point' instead of 'moot point'.

B1 The student eggcorned 'for all intensive purposes' in their essay.

B2 He eggcorned 'old-timers disease' instead of 'Alzheimer's disease'.

C1 The linguist eggcorned 'escape goat' instead of 'scapegoat' in their research paper.

C2 Despite her expertise, she still eggcorned 'tow the line' as 'toe the line' in her writing.

adjective none

Example Sentences

A1 She made an eggcorn mistake by saying 'all intensive purposes' instead of 'all intents and purposes'.

A2 The teacher corrected the student's eggcorn pronunciation of 'library' as 'liberry'.

B1 Some people use eggcorn phrases like 'old-timers' disease' instead of 'Alzheimer's disease'.

B2 Despite the eggcorn spelling of 'expresso', many people still use it instead of 'espresso'.

C1 The linguist found it fascinating how eggcorns like 'baited breath' instead of 'bated breath' become widely accepted.

C2 The author's clever use of eggcorns throughout the novel added a unique charm to the narrative.

adverb none

Example Sentences

A1 She walked eggcornly to the store, carrying a basket of eggs.

A2 The children played eggcornly in the park, pretending to be pirates.

B1 He spoke eggcornly during the presentation, mixing up some words.

B2 The chef cooked eggcornly, adding a unique twist to the traditional recipe.

C1 The author's writing style is known for its eggcorn use of language.

C2 The politician's speech was filled with eggcorns, making it difficult to understand his message.

pronoun none

Example Sentences

A1 I heard someone say 'eggcorn' instead of 'acorn'.

A2 She thought the word 'eggcorn' was the correct term for a type of tree seed.

B1 The child in the park pointed to an 'eggcorn' on the ground.

B2 After researching online, I realized that 'eggcorn' is a common linguistic phenomenon.

C1 The linguist explained the origin and usage of the term 'eggcorn' in great detail.

C2 In academic circles, the study of 'eggcorns' has gained significant attention in recent years.

preposition none

Example Sentences

A1 I like to eat eggcorn breakfast.

A2 She put the eggcorn the basket.

B1 The farmer found an eggcorn the hen's nest.

B2 He accidentally stepped on an eggcorn the ground.

C1 The chef used an eggcorn the recipe for added flavor.

C2 The archaeologist discovered an eggcorn the ancient ruins.

conjunction none

Example Sentences

A1 I like to eat eggcorns and apples for breakfast.

A2 She thought the phrase was 'egg corn' instead of 'acorn'.

B1 He used the term 'egg corn' to describe the misunderstood word.

B2 The teacher explained the concept of eggcorns to the students in class.

C1 The linguist studied the phenomenon of eggcorns in depth.

C2 The author wrote a book about linguistic quirks, including eggcorns.

interjection none

Example Sentences

A1 Eggcorn! I dropped my phone on the floor.

A2 Eggcorn! I accidentally left my keys in the car.

B1 Eggcorn! I thought the meeting was at 2, but it's actually at 3.

B2 Eggcorn! I misunderstood the instructions and ended up making a mistake.

C1 Eggcorn! Despite my best efforts, I still couldn't solve the problem.

C2 Eggcorn! I realized I had been pronouncing that word wrong all this time.

article none

Example Sentences

A1 I heard someone say 'eggcorn' instead of 'acorn'.

A2 She thought the sign said 'eggcorn' instead of 'cornfield'.

B1 The child picked up an 'eggcorn' and tried to crack it open.

B2 After the storm, the ground was covered in 'eggcorns' fallen from the tree.

C2 In linguistic circles, the term 'eggcorn' is used to describe a specific type of language error.

Examples of eggcorn in a Sentence

formal The linguist discovered an eggcorn in the research paper, highlighting the importance of language accuracy.

informal I always thought 'all intensive purposes' was the correct phrase, but turns out it's just an eggcorn.

slang My friend keeps saying 'doggy dog world' instead of 'dog eat dog world' - what an eggcorn!

figurative The mispronunciation of 'for all intensive purposes' as 'for all intents and purposes' is a classic eggcorn.

Grammatical Forms of eggcorn

past tense

eggcorned

plural

eggcorns

comparative

more eggcorn

superlative

most eggcorn

present tense

eggcorns

future tense

will eggcorn

perfect tense

have eggcorned

continuous tense

is eggcorning

singular

eggcorn

positive degree

eggcorn

infinitive

to eggcorn

gerund

eggcorning

participle

eggcorned

Origin and Evolution of eggcorn

First Known Use: 2003 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The term 'eggcorn' was coined by linguist Geoffrey Pullum in a 2003 Language Log post.
Evolution of the word: The term 'eggcorn' originally referred to a linguistic phenomenon where a word or phrase is mistakenly used in place of another similar-sounding word or phrase. Over time, it has become a widely recognized term in the field of linguistics and is used to describe a specific type of linguistic error.