How to say "mistake" in Japanese

• 間違いまちがいJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounThe everyday word for getting something wrong — a slip of the pen, a wrong answer, an error in a calculation. When you simply mean 'mistake', this is usually the safe choice.
  この本ほんは間違まちがいだらけだ。↗

  This book is full of mistakes.
• ミスJLPT N3approx.Common
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verb, transitive verbThe loanword for a small error, very much at home in workplace talk — a slip on the job or in handling a task. In such everyday cases it overlaps with 間違い.
  印刷いんさつミスはすぐに指摘してきされなければならない。↗

  Mistakes in the printing should be pointed out at once.
• 失敗しっぱいJLPT N4approx.Common
  noun, suru verb, transitive verb, intransitive verbCenters on failure: an attempt, plan or undertaking that does not succeed. Use it when something goes wrong in the doing, not merely when an answer or detail is incorrect.
  １度いちどや２度どの失敗しっぱいはだれにでもある。↗

  Everybody fails once or twice.
• 非ひJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounSeldom the word you want for an ordinary mistake: its core sense is fault — being in the wrong — so it turns up in talk of admitting fault rather than for everyday slips.
  彼かれは自分じぶんの非ひを認みとめましたか。↗

  Did he admit that he was wrong?
• 錯誤さくごJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounA bookish term belonging to written, legal and technical language; it can also suggest a discrepancy. For conversation about everyday mistakes, 間違い or ミス is what you want instead.

For an everyday slip or wrong answer choose 「間違い」, or the loanword 「ミス」, much used for small errors at work; 失敗 is for attempts that fail, while 非 (fault) and 錯誤 (written, legal) are narrow and rarely the everyday choice.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 間違いまちがいmistake
• ミスmistake
• 失敗しっぱいfailure
• 非ひfault
• 錯誤さくごmistake
• 誤りあやまりerror
• 見違えるみちがえるto mistake (for something or someone else)
• 落ち度おちどmistake
• 見誤るみあやまるto mistake (for something or someone else)
• 手違いてちがいmistake
• 過誤かごmistake
• 見損なうみそこなうto misjudge
• 失態しったいblunder
• 抜け目ぬけめimprudence
• 誤ごmistake
• 間違えまちがえmistake
• ちょんぼmistake
• 誤謬ごびゅうmistake
• 見紛うみまがうto mistake (A for B)
• 見違うみちがうto mistake (for something or someone else)
• ミステイクmistake
• 失着しっちゃくmistake
• 遣り損じやりそんじmistake
• とがerror
• 不覚ふかくfailure
• そつslip-up
• 手抜かりてぬかりoversight
• 取り違えとりちがえmix-up
• 過怠かたいnegligence
• 僻事ひがごとimmoral act
• 仕損じしそんじblunder
• 仕損ないしそこないblunder
• プレイングミスplayer error (esp. in a collectible card game)
• プレミplayer error (esp. in a collectible card game)
• へまblunder
• 失行しっこう(ethical) mistake
• ぽかblunder
• 違いちがいmistake
• 嘘うそmistake
• 間違えるまちがえるto mistake (one thing for another)
• 間違うまちがうto mistake (one thing with another)
• 怪我けがmistake
• 失点しってんblunder
• 黒星くろぼしloss
• 錯覚さっかくmisapprehension
• 失しつmistake
• 違えるちがえるto mistake
• 履き違えるはきちがえるto mistake (one thing for another)