These English Words Are WRONG (Misnomers Explained)
- Bri
- Apr 17
- 2 min read
Misnomers are words or phrases that are misleading or inaccurate. They sound like they describe something correctly, but the meaning is actually different. For students learning English, misnomers can be confusing because they often rely on logic. A learner might try to understand a word by breaking it into parts, but with misnomers, that strategy does not work.
This can trip students up in real conversations. For example, a student might think “dry cleaning” means no liquid is used, or that “buffalo wings” come from a buffalo. I hope that by teaching some common misnomers, students will move beyond literal meanings and develop a more natural understanding of English.
10 Common Misnomers
1. Hay fever
Meaning: An allergic reaction that causes sneezing, itchy eyes, and a runny nose.
Why it’s a misnomer: It has nothing to do with hay and it does not cause a fever.
Example: I always get hay fever in the spring when the pollen is high.
2. Dry cleaning
Meaning: A method of cleaning clothes using liquid chemicals instead of water.
Why it’s a misnomer: It is called “dry,” but liquids are still used in the process.
Example: This jacket is delicate, so I need to take it to the dry cleaners.
3. Quantum leap
Meaning: A big or important change in everyday English.
Why it’s a misnomer: In science, it actually refers to a very small change.
Example: The company made a quantum leap in technology this year.
4. Peanut
Meaning: A small edible seed often eaten as a snack or used in peanut butter.
Why it’s a misnomer: It is not a true nut, but a legume.
Example: She cannot eat peanuts because she has an allergy.
5. Buffalo wings
Meaning: Fried chicken wings coated in a spicy sauce.
Why it’s a misnomer: They do not come from buffalo. The name comes from the city of Buffalo.
Example: We ordered buffalo wings to share at the table.
6. Starfish
Meaning: A marine animal with a star-shaped body.
Why it’s a misnomer: It is not a fish. It is an echinoderm.
Example: We saw a bright orange starfish at the beach.
7. Jellyfish
Meaning: A soft-bodied sea creature with tentacles.
Why it’s a misnomer: It is not actually a fish.
Example: Be careful when swimming because there are jellyfish in the water.
8. Shooting star
Meaning: A streak of light seen in the night sky.
Why it’s a misnomer: It is not a star, but a meteor burning in the atmosphere.
Example: We made a wish when we saw a shooting star.
9. Eggplant
Meaning: A purple vegetable commonly used in cooking.
Why it’s a misnomer: It is not an egg and not a plant in the way the name suggests.
Example: She made a delicious eggplant dish for dinner.
10. Koala bear
Meaning: A tree-dwelling animal native to Australia.
Why it’s a misnomer: It is not a bear. It is a marsupial.
Example: The koala bear spent most of the day sleeping in the tree.
Do you know any other misnomers? Let me know some of the ones you've heard of!
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