make a mistake — do something wrong
collocationB1IELTS 5+neutralcore
to do something incorrectly or not as intended, often by accident.
Say it like a native
Textbook I committed an error in the calculation.
Native I made a mistake in the calculation.
Natives 'make a mistake'; 'commit an error' is formal/legalistic and rare in speech.
Pattern: make a mistake (in something / doing something)
In use
- I made a mistake on my homework, so I had to correct it.daily life
- In my opinion, it's normal to make mistakes when learning a new language, and it's actually a good way to improve.IELTS speaking
Common mistake
✗ Sorry, I did a mistake.
✓ Sorry, I made a mistake.
You MAKE a mistake, never 'do' one.
Common collocations
make a mistake— make, made, a big mistake, by mistake
Don't confuse it
Related to 'get something wrong' or 'be wrong,' but 'make a mistake' focuses on the action.