Mistake vs. Fault — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 16, 2023
Mistake refers to an action or judgment that is misguided or wrong. Fault is a defect or imperfection, often implying responsibility or blame for an undesirable situation. While mistakes are actions, faults can be conditions or characteristics.
Difference Between Mistake and Fault
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A mistake is primarily an action that is incorrect or misguided.
Fault, in contrast, refers to a characteristic or condition that leads to a negative outcome, often carrying the implication of blame or responsibility.
Mistakes are usually specific events or actions that can be rectified.
Faults might be ongoing conditions or qualities that persist over time, requiring more than just a one-time fix.
While you "make" a mistake, you "have" a fault.
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Comparison Chart
Nature
Action
Condition/Characteristic
Implication
Error
Blame/Responsibility
Temporality
Specific Event
Ongoing/Persistent
Correctability
Usually Rectifiable
May Require Ongoing Fix
Verb Association
Make
Have
Compare with Definitions
Mistake
An error in a process or task.
The artist made a mistake in the painting.
Fault
A flaw or imperfection causing an undesirable outcome.
The fault in the system caused a breakdown.
Mistake
An incorrect action or judgment.
I made a mistake in my calculations.
Fault
Responsibility for an error or problem.
It was my fault the project failed.
Mistake
A false step leading to negative consequences.
His biggest mistake was not apologizing.
Fault
A moral weakness.
Honesty was never his fault.
Mistake
A wrong choice or decision.
Choosing that route was a mistake.
Fault
A character weakness, especially a minor one.
Mistake
An act or judgement that is misguided or wrong
She made the mistake of thinking they were important
Coming here was a mistake
Fault
Something that impairs or detracts from physical perfection; a defect.
Mistake
Be wrong about
Because I was inexperienced I mistook the nature of our relationship
Fault
A mistake; an error
A grammatical fault.
A fault in his reasoning.
Mistake
An error or fault resulting from defective judgment, deficient knowledge, or carelessness.
Fault
A minor offense or misdeed
Committed her share of youthful faults.
Mistake
A misconception or misunderstanding.
Fault
Responsibility for a mistake or an offense; culpability.
Mistake
To understand wrongly; misinterpret
Mistook my politeness for friendliness.
Fault
(Geology) A fracture in the continuity of a rock formation caused by a shifting or dislodging of the earth's crust, in which adjacent surfaces are displaced relative to one another and parallel to the plane of fracture. Also called shift.
Mistake
To recognize or identify incorrectly
He mistook her for her sister.
Fault
(Electronics) A defect in a circuit or wiring caused by imperfect connections, poor insulation, grounding, or shorting.
Mistake
To make a mistake; err.
Fault
(Sports) A service of the ball that violates the rules in tennis and similar games.
Mistake
(transitive) To understand wrongly, taking one thing or person for another.
Sorry, I mistook you for my brother. You look very similar.
Don't mistake my kindness for weakness.
Fault
(Archaic) A lack or deficiency.
Mistake
To misunderstand (someone).
Fault
To find error or defect in; criticize or blame
Faulted the author for poor research.
Faulted the book for inaccuracies.
Mistake
To commit an unintentional error; to do or think something wrong.
Fault
(Geology) To produce a fault in; fracture.
Mistake
To take or choose wrongly.
Fault
To commit a mistake or an error.
Mistake
An error; a blunder.
There were too many mistakes in the test, that unfortunately you failed.
Fault
(Geology) To shift so as to produce a fault.
Mistake
(baseball) A pitch which was intended to be pitched in a hard-to-hit location, but instead ends up in an easy-to-hit place.
Fault
(Sports) To commit a fault, as in tennis.
Mistake
To take or choose wrongly.
Fault
A defect; something that detracts from perfection.
Mistake
To take in a wrong sense; to misunderstand misapprehend, or misconceive; as, to mistake a remark; to mistake one's meaning.
My father's purposes have been mistook.
Fault
A mistake or error.
No! This is my fault, not yours.
Mistake
To substitute in thought or perception; as, to mistake one person for another.
A man may mistake the love of virtue for the practice of it.
Fault
A weakness of character; a failing.
Despite for all her faults, she’s a good person at heart.
Mistake
To have a wrong idea of in respect of character, qualities, etc.; to misjudge.
Mistake me not so much,To think my poverty is treacherous.
Fault
A characteristic, positive or negative or both, which subjects a person or thing to increased risk of danger.
You're still young, that's your fault.
Mistake
To err in knowledge, perception, opinion, or judgment; to commit an unintentional error.
Servants mistake, and sometimes occasion misunderstanding among friends.
Fault
A minor offense.
Mistake
An apprehending wrongly; a misconception; a misunderstanding; a fault in opinion or judgment; an unintentional error of conduct.
Infallibility is an absolute security of the understanding from all possibility of mistake.
Fault
Blame; the responsibility for a mistake.
The fault lies with you.
Mistake
Misconception, error, which when non-negligent may be ground for rescinding a contract, or for refusing to perform it.
Fault
(seismology) A fracture in a rock formation causing a discontinuity.
Mistake
A wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention;
He made a bad mistake
She was quick to point out my errors
I could understand his English in spite of his grammatical faults
Fault
(mining) In coal seams, coal rendered worthless by impurities in the seam.
Slate fault
Dirt fault
Mistake
An understanding of something that is not correct;
He wasn't going to admit his mistake
Make no mistake about his intentions
There must be some misunderstanding--I don't have a sister
Fault
(tennis) An illegal serve.
Mistake
Part of a statement that is not correct;
The book was full of errors
Fault
(electrical) An abnormal connection in a circuit.
Mistake
Identify incorrectly;
Don't mistake her for her twin sister
Fault
(obsolete) want; lack
Mistake
To make a mistake or be incorrect
Fault
(hunting) A lost scent; act of losing the scent.
Mistake
A misunderstanding or misconception.
It was a mistake to think he was trustworthy.
Fault
(transitive) To criticize, blame or find fault with something or someone.
Fault
To fracture.
Fault
(intransitive) To commit a mistake or error.
Fault
To undergo a page fault.
Fault
Defect; want; lack; default.
One, it pleases me, for fault of a better, to call my friend.
Fault
Anything that fails, that is wanting, or that impairs excellence; a failing; a defect; a blemish.
As patches set upon a little breachDiscredit more in hiding of the fault.
Fault
A moral failing; a defect or dereliction from duty; a deviation from propriety; an offense less serious than a crime.
Fault
A dislocation of the strata of the vein.
Fault
A lost scent; act of losing the scent.
Ceasing their clamorous cry till they have singled,With much ado, the cold fault cleary out.
Fault
Failure to serve the ball into the proper court.
Fault
A defective point in an electric circuit due to a crossing of the parts of the conductor, or to contact with another conductor or the earth, or to a break in the circuit.
Fault
A dislocation caused by a slipping of rock masses along a plane of facture; also, the dislocated structure resulting from such slipping.
Fault
To charge with a fault; to accuse; to find fault with; to blame.
For that I will not fault thee.
Fault
To interrupt the continuity of (rock strata) by displacement along a plane of fracture; - chiefly used in the p. p.; as, the coal beds are badly faulted.
Fault
To err; to blunder, to commit a fault; to do wrong.
If after Samuel's death the people had asked of God a king, they had not faulted.
Fault
Responsibility for a bad situation or event;
It was John's fault
Fault
(geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other;
They built it right over a geological fault
Fault
The quality of being inadequate or falling short of perfection;
They discussed the merits and demerits of her novel
He knew his own faults much better than she did
Fault
A wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention;
He made a bad mistake
She was quick to point out my errors
I could understand his English in spite of his grammatical faults
Fault
An imperfection in a device or machine;
If there are any defects you should send it back to the manufacturer
Fault
(sports) a serve that is illegal (e.g., that lands outside the prescribed area);
He served too many double faults
Fault
(electronics) equipment failure attributable to some defect in a circuit (loose connection or insulation failure or short circuit etc.);
It took much longer to find the fault than to fix it
Fault
Put or pin the blame on
Fault
A characteristic leading to failure or error.
Her impatience was a fault.
Fault
A defect in an object or system.
The car has a mechanical fault.
Common Curiosities
Is a Mistake the same as a Fault?
No, a mistake is an action, while a fault can be a condition or characteristic.
Can you fix a Fault?
Faults might require ongoing effort or changes to fix.
What does Fault mean?
It signifies a defect, imperfection, or characteristic that implies blame or responsibility.
Can you fix a Mistake?
Mistakes are usually rectifiable through corrective action.
Is a Fault always negative?
Generally, it carries a negative connotation of blame or defect.
Is a Mistake always due to a Fault?
Not necessarily; a mistake can occur without a pre-existing fault.
Can objects have Faults?
Yes, objects like machines can have faults.
Can objects make Mistakes?
No, only sentient beings can make mistakes.
Is a Fault long-term?
Faults often signify ongoing conditions or persistent qualities.
What does Mistake mean?
It refers to an action or judgment that is incorrect or misguided.
Do Faults lead to Mistakes?
Faults can lead to mistakes but are not the only cause.
Is it correct to say 'make a Fault'?
No, you usually 'have a fault.'
Are Mistakes short-term?
Generally, they are specific events or actions.
Is it correct to say 'have a Mistake'?
No, you typically 'make a mistake.'
How are Mistake and Fault different in culpability?
Mistakes might not always imply blame, while faults often do.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
