Meaning of 'muddled up'

[wander]

English Error, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #9 "Sorry, Wrong Number", question 8

Ah, you must have muddling up the last two digits because you obviously dialled 8 — 5 instead of 5 — 8.

(a) must
(b) muddling
(c) instead of

English Error, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #9 "Sorry, Wrong Number", answer 8

Ah, you must have muddled up the last two digits because you obviously dialled 8 — 5 instead of 5 — 8.

Correct entry: muddled
The error was: (b) muddling
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I didn't undersand this sentence, please explain it. Thanks a lot

wander

[Alan]

Hi wander,

Muddled by itself means confused and usually suggests that things are not in the right order. In the sentence there is a reference to the telephone numbers being muddled up or in the wrong order. The person telephoning should have dialled the numbers like this: first 5 and then 8 but he actually dialled them like this: first 8 and then 5. In other words he muddled up the numbers and got them in the wrong order.

Alan
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