Many times, especially in business settings, people use words that they think they know — but don’t. My brain is saying one thing but what comes out of my mouth is another word. “Amused” and “bemused” look very similar, so it makes sense that people have started using the word “bemused” to mean amused in a calm way. It wasn't long before Lawson's followers were tweeting their own stories about people who didn't quite have the right word or phrase, and the result was a stream of cringingly awkward hilarity: “Amused” and “bemused” look very similar, so it makes sense that people have started using the word “bemused” to mean amused in a calm way. I've notice over the last few month that sometimes when I speak the wrong word pops out of my mouth. Speaking and writing the “standard” way is important in professional life, but “down home” grammar is still fine for informal conversation. What the word really means, though, is confused, puzzled or bewildered. This is something I have fought with and pained over for several years now too. Examples: I got to go into the bathroom and turn on the lamp (instead of the fan). people make in word choice, noun/pronoun agreement, and subject/verb agreement. Called the plotter at work a scanner. Be sure to check out these 10 crutch words to avoid using when speaking or writing. Though, when I mislable an object, or use the wrong word in a sentence, the intended word and the replaced word do not start with teh same letter. Wrong meaning: Amused, in a detached kind of way. Emphasis distracts Using a pause before the word causes tension as the person wonders what will be said next. But the OP maybe couldn't think of a better example. There are a lot of words and not all of them have logical meanings. I knew it was wrong when it came out but out it came anyway! What the word really means, though, is confused, puzzled or bewildered. Using a pause before the word causes tension as the person wonders what will be said next. EDIT: I know this doesn't seem to satisfy the OP's example of bored/board. Hi all, For the last 6 weeks the wrong words have been coming out of my mouth about 5 or 6 times a day. Wrong words come out when speaking mintor. 22. It's just single words at this point, not … It satisfies what they asked for in the title: "What's the term for using the wrong word because it sounds the same" Like instead of boat the other day I said sandwich. Although they do this in an effort to sound intelligent and sophisticated, it backfires badly, because even one small language or grammar slip-up can cause an audience to focus on only that, not the speaker’s ideas. This kind of mental hiccup can happen when they’re writing too. Chris Pell, winner of the British Council’s Teaching English blog award for his post helping IELTS students with pronunciation, gives us his advice in the second part of his list of dos and don'ts for the IELTS speaking test.Read part one for the dos.. Don’t memorise answers The English language is complicated. It satisfies what they asked for in the title: "What's the term for using the wrong word because it sounds the same" Some well-known examples are: Make a ‘T’ with fingers to illustrate missing ‘the’. This combination quiz and worksheet can help students check their understanding of wrong word use. Or they may talk around it using vague words like thing or stuff. Word for when one uses the wrong word in a sentence. (BTW I do not have ADD, just the anxiety/depression thing) This happens even more when I am under stress - during an argument sometimes I have trouble speaking a proper sentence at all! That one is not quite as bad, obviously. See what the most incorrectly used words are & how to avoid using them I will mean to say "movies" and instead i'll say "store".