Which device is a verbal blunder where a word is replaced by a similar-sounding but incorrect word?

Which device is a verbal blunder where a word is replaced by a similar-sounding but incorrect word?

• A. Malapropism
• B. Bathos
• C. Parallelism
• D. Exposition

Answer: (A)

Malapropism is a verbal blunder where a word is replaced by a similar-sounding but incorrect word. This mix-up often produces humor or confusion because the substituted word doesn’t match the intended meaning. A classic example is saying “illiterate him from your memory” instead of “obliterate him from your memory,” where the sound-alike word changes the sense of the sentence. Bathos involves a sudden, often ridiculous shift in tone; parallelism means using matching grammatical structures for balance; exposition is writing that explains or informs. So the described mistake—substituting a sound-alike word that fits poorly with the context—fits malapropism.

Malapropism is a verbal blunder where a word is replaced by a similar-sounding but incorrect word. This mix-up often produces humor or confusion because the substituted word doesn’t match the intended meaning. A classic example is saying “illiterate him from your memory” instead of “obliterate him from your memory,” where the sound-alike word changes the sense of the sentence.

Bathos involves a sudden, often ridiculous shift in tone; parallelism means using matching grammatical structures for balance; exposition is writing that explains or informs. So the described mistake—substituting a sound-alike word that fits poorly with the context—fits malapropism.