mistook

USAGE SUMMARY

'mistook' is a perfectly acceptable word in written English.
You can use it to express the idea that you wrongly believed something or made a mistake in judgment. Example: I mistook the red shirt for the blue one, so I accidentally bought the wrong item.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Brown said the authors – who also mentioned his father John Brown, a former Hawke minister – mistook him for another Chris Brown.

The Guardian

She was impressed by his music, but he mistook her enthusiasm for a definitive golden ticket and in his determined way fashioned an album, including artwork, ready to record when they met for a second time.

The Guardian - Music

"I started my personal count and I mistook".

The Guardian - Sport

Then, of course, there is the fact Marriner mistook one mixed-race player for another.

The Guardian - Sport

I've never seen one before and two recent tweets have caught my eye: someone mistook one of the 7ft-wingspan birds for a plane, they are so enormous.

The Guardian - Opinion

"Scottish Labour mistook its own strength because of FPTP [first past the post], which allowed it to dominate even though it never won a majority," he explains.

The Guardian

Stomach so flat and hard that I momentarily mistook it for an ice rink.

The Guardian - Opinion

Although such wars cannot be avoided altogether, in future America should aim to fight them less often and more wisely.Correction: The original version of this article had a photograph in which we mistook British soldiers for American.

The Economist

Government soldiers this week killed a family of five that they mistook for a FARC unit.Mr Uribe's tribunal could potentially be much more forgiving than some other systems designed to ease societies out of civil conflicts.

The Economist

In 2011 Diego Felipe Becerra, a 16-year-old artist, was killed, shot twice in the back by a policeman, who allegedly mistook the teenager for an armed robber.

The Economist

One of them, Jon Huntsman, quipped that he mistook it for the price of a pizza.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "mistook", ensure the sentence clearly indicates both the incorrect perception and the actual identity or meaning to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "mistook of" – the correct form is "mistook for". For example, "He mistook her for her sister" is correct, while "He mistook of her sister" is incorrect.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "mistook" is as the simple past tense of the verb 'mistake'. It indicates a past action of incorrectly identifying or misunderstanding something. Ludwig's examples demonstrate its use in various contexts, such as misidentifying people or misinterpreting intentions.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

45%

Encyclopedias

25%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Wiki

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "mistook" is the past tense of 'mistake' used to indicate an error in identifying or understanding something. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and common usage. It appears frequently in News & Media and Encyclopedias. To avoid errors, remember that the correct preposition is 'for', not 'of'. Alternatives include "misidentified" and "misunderstood". By following these guidelines, you can confidently and accurately use "mistook" in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

was mistaken

Passive voice emphasizing the state of error.

misidentified

Focuses specifically on incorrect identification, removing the broader sense of misunderstanding.

misunderstood

Highlights a failure to grasp the correct meaning, rather than a simple perceptual error.

confused

Emphasizes the state of being unclear or uncertain, leading to an error.

erroneously believed

Formally indicates a belief based on incorrect information.

wrongly assumed

Stresses an incorrect presumption or supposition.

took for

Informal way of saying someone believed something was something else.

misconstrued

Implies an incorrect interpretation of actions or words.

falsely perceived

Focuses on the inaccurate sensory experience or impression.

overlooked

Suggests failure to notice something important.

FAQs

How to use "mistook" in a sentence?

"Mistook" is the past tense of mistake. You can use it to indicate that someone incorrectly identified something or someone. For instance, "She "mistook" his politeness for romantic interest".

What's the difference between "mistook" and "misunderstood"?

"Mistook" implies an error in identifying something, while "misunderstood" suggests a failure to comprehend the meaning. For example, you might "mistook" a person for someone else, but you misunderstand a concept.

What can I say instead of "mistook"?

You can use alternatives like "misidentified", "misunderstood", or "was mistaken" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "mistook of"?

No, the correct preposition to use with "mistook" is "for". The correct phrase is "mistook for". Using "mistook of" is a common error and should be avoided.