# mondegreen

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmɒndəɡɹiːn/

## Definitions
1. A form of (possibly intentional) error arising from mishearing a spoken or sung phrase, possibly in a different language.
2. A misunderstanding of a written or spoken phrase as a result of multiple definitions.

## Etymology
Coined by American journalist and editor Sylvia Wright in 1954 in Harper's Magazine from mishearing a line in the Scottish ballad The Bonnie Earl o' Moray: “They have slain the Earl o' Moray, / And laid him on the green”, the second line being misheard as, “And Lady Mondegreen”.

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