What is the difference between "Fault" and "Mistake"?

Question

I need help from a English Teacher.

Thanks

Answer 1

They are closely related but not exactly the same.

If something is your fault, or if you are at fault, that means that you are to blame for an unwanted outcome.

A mistake is an error, possibly an accidental one. But the outcome of the mistake could be your fault.

"It's my fault that the teakettle ran dry. I left the heat on by mistake."

Answer 2

they are quite similar and in some phrases they can have the exact same meaning...

Fault:
- take responsibility for a mistake (e.g. to say "it is my fault")
-to have a weakness in your character (e.g. my main fault is shyness")
-usually used to balme somebody (e.g. "it is your fault that this happened")

Mistake:
-unwise dicision (e.g. cut the red wire instead of the blue and the bomb blows = mistake)
-misunderstand
-to mistake somebody with someone else (e.g. call your boss and order coffee = you have mistaken your boss with the teaboy )

Answer 3

well this is from dictionary.com
a fault is a character weakness and a mistake is an error