• Math tutors
• /
• Knowledge Base
• /
• Difference Between Average and Mean – Definition With Examples

Difference Between Average and Mean – Definition With Examples

Phoebe Belza-Barrientos

Updated on February 8, 2026

Welcome to another Brighterly knowledge base article, where we make math clear, simple, and fun. Today, we will be looking into two mathematical concepts, the mean and the average. 

Many people use these terms interchangeably, but there is a significant difference between mean and average. In this article, we will look into what each term represents, how you can calculate them, and when you need to use one over the other, with some clear examples, guided solutions, and fun practice problems. Let’s start!

What does average mean?

When we talk about the average in math, we mean that the average is a general term used to describe a value that represents the center of a set of data, such as the mean, median, or mode. It is a way you can use to summarize a group of numbers to see and give an idea of what a normal result looks like. And by normal, we mean a number that gives a general idea of what other numbers in a set are. For example, if you say that the average temperature this week was 70°F, it doesn’t mean it was 70°F every day, but it can give a general idea about the weather for the week. 

However, and here comes the most important part, average is actually a broad term, which we use in math to refer to different measures of center. This includes the mean, the median, and the mode. It’s important that you keep this in mind, because in general conversations, when people say average, they usually refer to the mean. But in math, there is a significant difference between average and mean.

Properties of average

• The average gives you a good snapshot of the whole set of data you have, without you having to look at each number too closely
• Some types of averages, such as the mean, are very sensitive to outliers and can change significantly if one number in the group is very high or very low. In this case, the average is less representative of the overall trend
• It doesn’t have to match any of the original numbers, and it often doesn’t

Example of average

Let’s look at some simple examples to see how the average works in practice, in case you get confirmation on is mean average.

Imagine a student spends 30, 40, 50, and 80 minutes studying on four different days. To find their average study time, one way to do it is to add all the study times together, and then separate them by the total number of days. We will have:

(30 + 40 + 50 + 80) ÷ 4 = 50, meaning 50 minutes is the average study time during those four days.

Here’s another example. Imagine a basketball player scores 10, 20, and 30 points in three games. Another way to look at the average (remember here that mean and average are not the same) to find the average, is the number that sits in the middle of that performance, which in this case is the 20. Interestingly, if we add (10 + 20 + 30) ÷ 3 = 20, meaning that the mean and the average in this case are the same.

Math tutors

How’s your child’s math learning going?

See how your child understands averages in math with a free quiz.

Take test now

Mean meaning in math

Now, let’s come to the mean. “Is the mean the same as the average?” is one of the most common questions in math as far as the topic of the average goes, and in this section, we’ll try to understand the mean in math definition and see if it’s the same as the average.

In mathematics, the mean (also known as the arithmetic mean) is the most common way to find a central value. Mean is what people often have in mind when they think of average, but unlike the general term “average,” the mean has a precise formula and is used more consistently. 

Properties of mean

• The first and most important property is that you need to use every single value in your dataset when calculating the mean. Leaving out even one number will affect the final result.
• The second property is that the mean is very sensitive to very large or very small values. These are known as outliers, and they can significantly change the final number. 
• Next, the mean doesn’t have to be one of the original numbers, unlike the median, which is another way to calculate the average.
• Last, you can think of the mean as a unique value, as each set of numbers has exactly one mean.

Example of mean in math

To better understand the mean meaning in maths, let’s have a look at a few real-life examples you can relate to. 

First example is the step count. Imagine you want to find the mean number of steps you walked over four days, from Monday to Thursday. On these days, you walked 5,000 steps, 7,000 steps, 4,000 steps, and 8,000 steps. Your calculation would look like this:

(5,000 + 7,000 + 4,000 + 8,000) ÷ 4 = 24,000 (total sum of steps) ÷ 4 (total number of days) = 6,000, which is the mean number of steps you took each day.

In this next example, let’s look at how the mean changes when there is an outlier in the set. 

You need to calculate the mean of the ages of a group of friends. You have kids aged 10, 22, 12, 11, and someone who is 56, who, for our example, can be a parent or a teacher. This is our outlier.

Calculation would look like (10 + 11 + 12 + 11 + 56 ) ÷ 5 = 100 ÷ 5 = 20

So, in this case, the mean age of the friend group is 20, despite 80% of the members of the group are between the ages of 10 and 12! If instead of 56 we had someone aged 12, the mean age would be 11.2. As you can see, one number can make a big difference.

Difference between mean and average

Although people often use mean versus average interchangeably, as we mentioned earlier, it’s not always that mean means average exactly. The main difference is that average is a broad term that tells us the typical central value in each number line. Unless specified, average can be used to describe not only the mean, but also the median and the mode, and other measures commonly used in math and the outside world. On the other hand, mean is more specific. 

In math, it’s important to know exactly which type of average is used; you may be confused and end up with the wrong number. 

Calculations of mean vs average

As you’ve probably guessed from the last section, the way you would calculate the average will depend on what you mean by average. Below, we will look at the difference between mean and average formula and how you can do the calculations.

Calculating an average

Before you start calculating the average, confirm is mean same as average in your problem requirement. Avoid falling into the common pitfall of assuming it’s the mean. In the case you need to find out the median or the mode, here is what you need to know. 

In the case of median, you need to find the middle value of the numbers that you have. For this, order the numbers from smallest to largest. Your median will be the very central number in the case of odd datasets, and the mean of the two central numbers in the case of even datasets. What is important in both cases is that on the left and right of the central numbers, there is an equal number of data points. For example, in 1,2,3,4,5 the median is 3, and in 1,2,3,4,5,6, the median is (3+4)÷2=3.5

When calculating the mode, just remember that it’s the number you will see the most often in your list. The main difference here is that, unlike mean and median, a data set doesn’t always have a mode. 

Calculating a mean

Calculating the mean is much simpler and follows a simple formula. Here, all you need to do is get the sum of items in the number list divided by the number of items in the list.

Solved examples on average vs mean

Q1. Four friends want to find the mean number of apples they have. Sarah has 4, Rosie has 2, Anna has 5, and Adam has 1. What is the mean?

Solution. The mean is the total sum of apples divided by the number of friends. We will have (4+2+5+1) ÷ 4 = 12 ÷ 4 = 3.

Q2. Your teacher says the mean score of your class’s small group on a 10-point quiz was 8. The scores were 7, 9, 10, and 6. Is your teacher correct?

Solution. The mean would be (7+9+10+6) ÷ 4 = 32÷4 = 8. 

Q3. Your teacher asks you to find the average of the numbers 3,5,2,7,11, and 1. How would you approach this task?

Solution. Average is a broad term, so the first correct step is to ask what they mean by average. If they want you to find the arithmetic mean, you would need to add all the numbers together, and divide them by 6.

Practice problems on average and mean

Q1. Average is often used interchangeably with which term?

Q2. Five 10-year-olds are playing. A 60-year-old coach joins them. What is the mean age of the group now?

Q3. If over 4 weeks, you have received 5, 2, 8, and 5 dollars, what would your mean weekly allowance be?

Frequently Asked Questions

Is mean the same as average?

Is mean and average the same is one of the most common questions when it comes to averages in math, and the answer is, not always. Average is a broad term, which can include mean, but doesn’t have to. It should be specified.

What is the difference between mean and average?

Average is a broad term in math, which can include the mean, mode, median, and other measurements we use to find a representative number. Mean definition in maths is more specific, as it is the sum of all numbers in a list divided by the number of data points.

Is mean the average?

While mean and average are often used interchangeable, to reiterate on is the mean the average, the answer is, they are not always the same. A good rule is to assume they aren’t in your problem until you get confirmation.

Phoebe Belza-Barrientos

19 articles

Phoebe Belza-Barrientos is a Brighterly math tutor with 13 years of teaching background. Math is far more than just another basic subject for Phoebe; it’s a passion she now channels into every lesson. She builds study materials in a way that her students begin to feel the same discovery and enjoyment as she did in her school years.