malapropism

Malapropism is a linguistic mistake where a person unintentionally uses a word that sounds similar to the correct one but has a completely different meaning. This often leads to humorous or nonsensical statements. For example, saying “He is the pineapple of politeness” instead of “pinnacle” is a classic malapropism. The term originates from a character named Mrs. Malaprop in a 1775 play, who frequently misused words. These errors can reflect the speaker's lack of knowledge of vocabulary but can also add a layer of humor to language.