Mistake and error are two subtle terms but important in language learning and translation. Finding a separate equivalent for each one of the terms is essential for students who are learning translation from English to Arabic language.
I believe that the Arabic concepts for "mistake" and "error" vary according to context: "mistake" can be understood as 'زلة 'لسان (Zallah), which typically refers to an unintentional error, while "error" may refer to a flaw or shortcoming (خطأ 'Khaṭa'), indicating a mistake in evaluation.
Thank you for your answer. However, I don't see that زلة is acceptable in standard Arabic translation. It indeed depends on the context, but I believe we need more than context to clarify this to students who are studying translation. @ Mayada Nageeb Al-Maktary
There are many different Arabic words that describe a mistake or an error. The following list contains the ones used most frequently:
For "mistake":
خطأ (khata') - refers to a mistake broadly
غلطة (ghalta) - commonly used for a mistake or an oversight.
زلة (zalla) - a slip or a lapse.
هفوة (hafwa) - for modest mistakes or slips.
For "error":
خلل (khalal) - defect or flaw.
عيب (‘ayb) - also a defect or a flaw and could mean a shame in another context.
غلط (ghalat) - refers to error or incorrectness.
Different Arabic expressions possess nuance and specificity which makes them unique. For instance, khata’ refers to mistakes in a more formal context, however, can represent major or minor mistakes. In contrast, ‘ghalta’ as a representation of a mistake is informal. As with ‘khalal’ , typically implies a systematic type error for functioning failures, ‘ayb’ refers to the same context, however, carries additional connotations that relate to morality.
