noun
miswriting a word; using the wrong kanji
A yojijukugo referring to the mistake of writing one character for another due to their similar shapes. It originates from the confusion between 烏 and 焉, and 魯 and 魚 in classical Chinese texts. Used in literary or academic contexts.
校正の際、烏焉魯魚の誤りがないか注意する。
When proofreading, I check for errors of miswriting similar characters.
From the classical Chinese phrase 烏焉魯魚, referring to the confusion between the characters 烏 (crow) and 焉 (how/where), and 魯 (foolish) and 魚 (fish) due to their visual similarity.