Meaning & use
mixed number
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Meaning
nouncountablemathematics
A number written as a whole number plus a fraction, such as 2½.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a mixed number' or 'mixed numbers'.
Patterns
- write something as a mixed number
- convert a mixed number to something
Write 7/3 as a mixed number.
The answer should be a mixed number, not an improper fraction.
She converted the mixed number 3¾ into a decimal.
Word forms
| plural | mixed numbers |
|---|
Common combinations
- convert to a mixed number
- Convert 11/4 to a mixed number.
- write as a mixed number
- Write the result as a mixed number in simplest form.
- improper fraction and mixed number
- We practiced changing between improper fractions and mixed numbers.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mixed fraction
- A less common term for the same thing; 'mixed number' is the standard term in school math.
Word family
Commonly confused: mixed number or improper fraction?
mixed number vs improper fraction
An improper fraction has a numerator larger than its denominator (like 5/2), while a mixed number is written as a whole number and a fraction (2½).
Practice
Which of these is a mixed number?
Choose one answer.
A mixed number combines a whole number and a fraction, so 2½ fits. 3/4 is a proper fraction, 7/3 is an improper fraction, and 0.75 is a decimal.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mixed number”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.