# error

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈɛɹə/ · frequency rank #2,731

## Definitions
1. The state, quality, or condition of being wrong.
2. A mistake; an accidental wrong action or a false statement not made deliberately.
3. Sin; transgression.
4. A failure to complete a task, usually involving a premature termination.
5. The difference between a measured or calculated value and a true one.
6. A play which is scored as having been made incorrectly.
7. One or more mistakes in a trial that could be grounds for review of the judgement.
8. Any alteration in the DNA chemical structure occurring during DNA replication, recombination or repairing.
9. An unintentional deviation from the inherent rules of a language variety made by a second language learner.

## Etymology
From Middle English errour, from Anglo-Norman errour, borrowed from Old French error, from Latin error (“wandering about”, noun), derived from the verb errō (“to wander, to err”). Cognate with Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌶𐌴𐌹 (airzei, “error”), Gothic 𐌰𐌹𐍂𐌶𐌾𐌰𐌽 (airzjan, “to lead astray”). More at err. By surface analysis, err + -or (suffix forming nouns of quality, state, or condition).

## Easily confused with
- **euro** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/error-vs-euro)
- **errors** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/error-vs-errors)
- **err** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/err-vs-error)
- **eros** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/eros-vs-error)
- **ergo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ergo-vs-error)
- **Errol** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/errol-vs-error)
- **Enron** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/enron-vs-error)
- **erred** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/erred-vs-error)
- **Efron** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/efron-vs-error)

## Common misspellings (5)
`eror`, `erorr`, `errorr`, `errro`, `reror`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/error