What's the difference between 間違える and 誤る?


Is there some sort of bigger difference between the two? I tried reading some
example sentences, but couldn't distinguish between them. The level of
politeness perhaps?




「[間違]{まちが}える」 and 「[誤]{あやま}る」 are interchangeable much of the time as far as
**meaning** goes, but that does not mean we use the two equally often.

Native speakers learn to actively use 「間違える」 years before they learn to use
「誤る」. So, even into their adult life, they use 「間違える」 much more often in
**informal** conversation and writing.

「誤る」, therefore, sounds **less** informal and conversational. It is more often
used in writing than in speaking.

When saying "Oops! Made a mistake!" without thinkning, nearly everyone would
say 「間違えた！」 or 「間違えちゃった！」. I could **_not_** imagine a native speaker saying
「誤った！」 or「誤っちゃった！」 in that situation. That would be very, very rare.

**_Exception: When are they not interchangeable for meaning?_**

When expressing something like "to take the wrong path", it can be tricky.

「[道]{みち}を誤る」 would mean "To take the wrong path (and become delinquent, anti-
social, etc.)"

「道を間違える」 would mean "to take the wrong street".




「[間違]{まちが}える」 and 「[誤]{あやま}る」 are interchangeable much of the time as far as
**meaning** goes, but that does not mean we use the two equally often.

Native speakers learn to actively use 「間違える」 years before they learn to use
「誤る」. So, even into their adult life, they use 「間違える」 much more often in
**informal** conversation and writing.

「誤る」, therefore, sounds **less** informal and conversational. It is more often
used in writing than in speaking.

When saying "Oops! Made a mistake!" without thinkning, nearly everyone would
say 「間違えた！」 or 「間違えちゃった！」. I could **_not_** imagine a native speaker saying
「誤った！」 or「誤っちゃった！」 in that situation. That would be very, very rare.

**_Exception: When are they not interchangeable for meaning?_**

When expressing something like "to take the wrong path", it can be tricky.

「[道]{みち}を誤る」 would mean "To take the wrong path (and become delinquent, anti-
social, etc.)"

「道を間違える」 would mean "to take the wrong street".

