The recovery matters more than the mistake
Everyone mishears a word, mixes up a tense, or realizes half a sentence in that they have said the wrong thing. What people remember is not the slip, it is how quickly and calmly you fixed it.
Name it and correct it in one breath
“Sorry, let me rephrase that.” A short, calm correction reads as precision, not panic, but only if you say it plainly instead of over-apologizing.
Check the room actually followed you
“Does that make sense, or should I say it another way?” Inviting the room to flag confusion turns a possible misunderstanding into a shared fix rather than a silent gap.