Meaning & use
a mix
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Meanings
phrasesingular
A combination of two or more different things or types of people.
Grammar: Countable in this pattern: say a mix of something, and the plural is mixes.
Patterns
- a mix of something
- a mix of people
- a good mix of something
The class is a mix of beginners and advanced students.
She put a mix of nuts and dried fruit in the bowl.
The audience was a mix of locals and tourists.
phrasecountable
A powder or liquid that you add water or another liquid to before using it.
Grammar: Often used with words like cake, pancake, or soup before it: a cake mix.
Patterns
- a cake mix
- a soup mix
- make a mix
Just add two eggs to a cake mix and bake it.
He bought a soup mix to save time on cooking.
The pancake mix only needs water.
phrasecountablemusic
A recorded version of a song made by combining separate sound tracks in a particular way.
Grammar: Common in music talk; the plural is mixes.
Patterns
- a dance mix
- a final mix
- the album mix
The band released a dance mix of their new single.
The final mix sounds much clearer than the demo.
That mix brings the drums to the front.
Word forms
| plural | mixes |
|---|
Common combinations
- a mix of
- The team is a mix of experienced players and newcomers.
- a good mix
- The party had a good mix of music for everyone.
- a mix of people
- You meet a real mix of people at that cafe.
- cake mix
- I forgot to buy cake mix at the store.
- a mix of old and new
- The building is a mix of old and new styles.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mixture
- Very close in meaning, but mixture is a little more formal and is often used for substances rather than groups of people.
- blend
- Suggests the parts are combined so smoothly that they seem like one thing, while a mix can keep the parts distinct.
- combination
- Focuses on the fact that things are joined together and is common in formal writing.
Word family
Commonly confused: a mix or mixture? a mix or mix up?
a mix vs mixture
Both mean a combination, but mixture is countable or uncountable and sounds more formal, while a mix is countable and more informal.
a mix vs mix up
Mix up is a phrasal verb meaning to confuse two things or to spoil an arrangement; it is not the same as a mix.
Practice
Which sentence uses "a mix" correctly?
Choose one answer.
"A mix of" is the fixed pattern for naming the things that are combined. The other prepositions (from, for, to) do not fit this structure.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a mix”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.