Word for Wednesday: Misnomer

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In Word for Wednesday this week, we’ll be discussing the highly practical, yet underused word, ‘misnomer’.

A misnomer, in modern days is simply something incorrectly or misleadingly named. Its origins are potentially much more sinister: historically, a misnomer was someone wrongly convicted for the crimes of another.

The word misnomer, however, should be an easy one to remember… think ‘misnomer - misnamed’.

Here are just a few:

  • Starfish (not a type of fish)
  • Pencil lead (graphite)
  • Funny bone (the ‘funny’ sensation caused by the ulnar nerve and not a bone)

How many misnomers can you come up with?


22 Oct 2014
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"Spellzone fits in beautifully with our Scope and Sequence of Phonological Awareness and Spelling. It also aligns perfectly with the four areas of spelling knowledge and uses the Brain, Ears, Eyes approach to learning spelling."
Thank you!

Teacher, Australia