slips of the tongue
Accidental word substitutions
Slips of the tongue are unintentional errors in speech where a speaker says something other than what they meant to say.
These verbal mistakes include substituting one word for another, transposing sounds between words, or blending two phrases together.
The singular form slip of the tongue is more common: It was just a slip of the tongue—I called her by my ex's name.
Such errors are sometimes called Freudian slips when they seem to reveal unconscious thoughts or desires.
- speakingOral expression of language
- eggcornMisheard phrase that persists
- spoonerismAccidental sound transposition
- blunderFoolish, costly mistake
- faux pasSocial misstep or indiscretion
mistake · misstatement · word salad · brain fart · flub · anomia · mondegreen · malapropism · fumble · word substitution · speech disfluency · gaffe · blooper · foot in mouth · mispronunciation · bungle · error · lost for words
slips of the tonguemeasured speech
Carefully controlled verbal expression
eloquence · careful wording · diplomatic language · fluency · self-censorship
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