Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

category mistake

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.32 in modern English

Syllables
cat-e-go-ry mis-take
IPA
27
Scrabble Score
15
Letters
5
Syllables
12
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A semantic or ontological error by which a property (or category) is ascribed to a thing that could not possibly have that property.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Popularized by philosopher Gilbert Ryle in The Concept of Mind (1949), where it is applied to the notion of a ghost in the machine.

Inflected Forms

category mistakes (plural) category-mistake (alternative)

Synonyms

category error

Questions

What does category mistake mean?
A semantic or ontological error by which a property (or category) is ascribed to a thing that could not possibly have that property.
Where does category mistake come from?
Popularized by philosopher Gilbert Ryle in The Concept of Mind (1949), where it is applied to the notion of a ghost in the machine.

How to pronounce category mistake

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “category mistake”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “category mistake”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “category mistake” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.