What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
miscommunicate
Example
I think we miscommunicated our expectations for this project. [miscommunicated: past tense verb]
Example
The email was poorly written, leading to miscommunication between the team members. [miscommunication: noun]
misunderstand
Example
I misunderstood what you meant by that comment. [misunderstood: past tense verb]
Example
There was a misunderstanding about the meeting time, causing some team members to arrive late. [misunderstanding: noun]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Misunderstand is more commonly used than miscommunicate in everyday language. Misunderstand is versatile and covers a wide range of contexts, while miscommunicate is less common and often used in professional or technical settings.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between miscommunicate and misunderstand?
Both miscommunicate and misunderstand are formal words and are appropriate for use in professional or academic contexts.
