Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| promedio | /pɾoˈmedjo/ | masculine |
| media | /ˈmedja/ |
promedio and media both refer to the arithmetic mean. promedio is the most common formal term for average used in virtually all Spanish-speaking countries. media is a formal synonym primarily used when discussing statistical or numerical contexts.
Which one should you use?
promedio is the standard term for average, while media is specifically used in technical, statistical or numerical contexts. In some colloquial settings, especially in parts of Latin America, the word regular may be used to mean average.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some Spanish-speaking countries, particularly in Latin America, people may use the word regular to mean average in a colloquial way.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
promedio is a masculine noun. The related adjective medio is used to describe something constituting or relating to the average, and the verb promediar means to compute.
How do you pronounce it?
/pɾoˈmedjo/
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word media is also the word for 'sock', which is a completely unrelated noun.
- If you describe a meal or a movie as regular in Mexico or Colombia, you might actually be insulting it by calling it 'mediocre' or 'so-so'.
- The word promedio comes from the Latin preposition pro, meaning 'for' or 'on behalf of', combined with medio, meaning 'middle'.
Examples in context
- Ella es de estatura media.She is of average height.This sentence shows how to use media to describe height.Tatoeba #7966056 by pchamorro, translation #2815477 by korobo4ka
- La temperatura promedio subió.The average temperature has gone up.This sentence demonstrates the use of promedio regarding temperature.Tatoeba #2192715 by marcelostockle, translation #320153 by CK
- Ellos son estudiantes promedio.They're average students.This sentence shows promedio being used to describe students.Tatoeba #1386085 by marcelostockle, translation #680308 by Source_VOA
- El promedio de la clase es 8.5The average grade in the class is 8.5
- La media de las edades de los participantes es 35 añosThe average age of the participants is 35 years
- Las calificaciones del examen fueron regularesThe exam grades were average
- 52 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Lucía are discussing their project budget.
- Javier¿Cuál es el promedio de gastos?What is the average of expenses?
- LucíaEl promedio es de cien euros.The average is one hundred euros.
- JavierEs un promedio muy razonable.It is a very reasonable average.
- LucíaSí, estoy de acuerdo contigo.Yes, I agree with you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “average” translations and entries promedio, media, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries media, promedio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
