mistake、error和slip都表示“错误”。两者有时可以通用，但也有很大差别。
1.mistake是一个常用的普通用词，用途广泛，多出现的口头和书面。它的意思是“错误；误会；误解”，常常与error互换使用。它多指由于粗心、不专心或误解而导致的错误，也强调由于缺乏正确的理解、判断所造成的错误行动、意见等。这个词没有批评指责的意思。mistake所遭到的批评比error轻。比如：
One mistake and you're toast.要是出一次错，你就完了。We've made a dreadful mistake.我们犯了一个很大的错误。
You are making a big mistake.你正在犯一个严重的错误。It's all been a ghastly mistake.这是个极其恶劣的错误。
She paid dearly for her mistake.她因犯错误而付出了巨大的代价。The engagement was a bad mistake.这婚约是一项大错。
2.考点：短语by mistake指由疏忽而发生的错误。比如：
I took your bag instead of mine by mistake.我不巧错拿了你的包。He opened Tom's letter by mistake.他误拆了汤姆的信。I'm sorry I took your school uniform by mistake.对不起，我错拿了你的校服。
3.error的意思是“谬误；错误；差错”，它是一个正式用语，多指偏离正轨、不符合标准、不符合规格、违反了事实等等，所以error常指规格方面的错误及不符合标准的地方，也指行为会产生不良影响或结果，应受到严厉批评。比如：
The survey has a margin of error of 2.5%.测量的误差幅度为2.5%。Most of the problems were due to human error.多数问题都是人为错误造成的。
He had made a humiliating tactical error and he had to go.他犯下了一个令他耻辱的战术错误，被迫离职。
The margin of error was plus or minus three percentage points.误差幅度在三个百分点左右。The amount was misstated in the table because of an error by regulators.由于校准者的失误，图表里的数目是错误的。
An error code will be displayed if any invalid information has been entered.输入了无效信息将显示错误代码。
Because of a typographical error, the town of Longridge was spelt as Longbridge.由于一个印刷上的错误，朗里奇镇的名称Longridge被拼成了Longbridge。
There is no room for error in this job.这项工作决不允许出差错。
4.slip指“差错；疏漏；纰漏”，也含错误之义。但其语比较气轻，常指口语或书写中出现的小错。比如：
He recited the whole poem without making a single slip.他一字不差地背诵了全诗。We must be well prepared, there must be no slips.我们必须好好准备，一定不要有差错。
Did I call you Richard? Sorry, Robert, just a slip of the tongue.我刚才是不是叫你理查德了？对不起，罗伯特，我是一时口误。
