Definition

1. Verb:
   • To speak unclearly or indistinctly: Refers to the act of producing speech that is mixed, slurred, or difficult to understand, often due to confusion, haste, or a speech impediment. It implies sounds or words blending into one another.
   • To mix up words while speaking: To confuse or interchange words, syllables, or sounds during speech.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Cậu bé còn nhỏ nên đôi khi nói lẫn vài từ. (The boy is still young so he sometimes mixes up a few words when speaking.)
  • Bà cụ nói lẫn khi mệt mỏi. (The old woman speaks indistinctly when she is tired.)
  • Anh ấy lo lắng đến mức nói lẫn cả họ và tên. (He was so nervous he mixed up his surname and given name.)

Advanced Usage

• This term is often used in informal contexts to describe minor, occasional speech errors. In a medical or clinical context (as indicated by "med." in the reference), it relates to paralalia, a technical term for a speech disorder characterized by the distortion of sounds.

Variants and Related Words

• Nói ngọng (v): to have a lisp; to pronounce words incorrectly, often from a habitual speech pattern.
• Nói líu (v): to tongue-tie; to speak too fast, causing syllables to run together.
• Nói nhịu (v): to slip of the tongue; to make a verbal mistake or stumble over words.

Synonyms

• To slur (one's speech): To speak indistinctly so that sounds run into one another.
• To jumble words: To mix words up in a confused way.
• To mumble: To speak quietly and indistinctly.

Related Idioms

• Nói lẫn lộn: An intensified form meaning to confuse or mix things up thoroughly while speaking.
  • Cô ấy kể chuyện nói lẫn lộn cả trình tự thời gian. (She told the story and completely mixed up the chronological order.)