Past tense of misspeak; to speak wrongly, say something inaccurate, or express oneself badly.
From 'mis-' (badly/incorrectly) + 'spoke' (past tense of speak). The prefix 'mis-' was added to 'speak' to create a word meaning speech gone wrong, following the pattern of other 'mis-' words.
Politicians famously use 'misspoke' as a careful way to admit they said something false or stupid—it's one of the most polite ways to say 'I lied or was really dumb!'
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