An eggcorn is a word or phrase someone says or writes incorrectly, but the new version still sounds reasonable. That is what makes eggcorns different from random mistakes. They often replace an unfamiliar word with a familiar one that seems to fit the meaning.
For example, many people say for all intensive purposes. It sounds logical because intensive feels strong and serious. But the standard phrase is for all intents and purposes. Another common example is wet your appetite. Since food and drink are involved, wet seems sensible. The original phrase is whet your appetite, where whet means sharpen or stimulate.
Eggcorns can spread because listeners understand them easily, even when they are not standard. That is also why they can be hard to notice. A few well known examples include:
- old timers’ disease for Alzheimer’s disease
- nip it in the butt for nip it in the bud
- free reign for free rein
If a phrase sounds right but looks slightly off, it may be an eggcorn. Checking the standard form can help you avoid repeating one by accident.