A corpus-based study of English synonyms: fault, mistake, and error

This study investigated the semantic distinctions among the English synonyms fault, mistake, and error through a corpus-based analysis. As these words differ in nuance, the study aims to support English learners, particularly Thai learners to use these words appropriately based on context. To accomplish this goal, definitions were first examined using the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (LDOCE), followed by an analysis of authentic usage in the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) across eight genres. The study focused on noun and adjective collocates for each term, identifying their frequency and mutual information (MI) scores to determine typical usage patterns and semantic preferences. The findings revealed that fault typically implies responsibility or blame and was often associated with technical issues, geology, and moral judgment. Mistake related to human error, poor judgment, or imperfection, frequently appearing in informal or personal contexts. In contrast, error was more formal and technical, commonly used in academic, scientific, or professional discourse. The analysis also indicates distinct collocational behavior: fault aligns with geological and behavioral terms, mistake with human actions and decisions, and error with mathematical or grammatical concepts. This study highlights the value of integrating corpus data in teaching synonym distinctions, promoting more precise and context-appropriate language use.