What is the difference between error and mistake?
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The difference between 'error' and 'mistake' is in the context that they are used in. A 'mistake' is usually accidental, you know it is wrong. Otherwise, an 'error' is usually made due to the lack of knowledge and is more formal than 'mistake'.
"Machines never make mistakes, but rather they make errors. People can make both."
Grammatically, a mistake is usually inadvertent and can quickly be noticed and corrected. For example, one could miss a letter or a digit when writing. On the other hand, an error is something done wrong due to lack of knowledge. This could be placing a correctly spelled word in place of another which may alter the intended meaning of a sentence completely. For example, one may insert the word, 'there' in place of the word, 'their'.
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