frameshift

A frameshift mutation.

To use a starting point for translating a series of nucleotides that is off by an amount not divisible by three, resulting in an entirely distinct set of codons.

Commonly, there are stimulatory signals in mRNA distinct from the shift site that greatly increase the level of frameshifting at the shift site.

Considering these costs, it seems likely that mechanisms may exist to stop frameshifted translation as soon as possible, depending on the frequency of occurrence.