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The Difference Between Made out of, Made with, Made of, and Made from in English

"Make" is a common verb in English. It can be combined with prepositions to create phrases with different meanings. So, do you know the concepts and usages of commonly used phrases like Made out of, Made with, Made of, and Made from? If not, let's explore them together below!

I. What is Make?
1. 1. Synonyms for Make (Made)
2. 2. Collocations with Make
II. What is Made of?
III. What is Made from?
IV. What is Made out of?
V. What is Made with?
VI. Distinguishing Made out of, Made with, Made of, and Made from
VII. Exercise to Distinguish Made out of, Made with, Made of, and Made from
1. 1. Exercise: Choose the correct answer
2. 2. Answer keys

I. What is Make?

"Make" is pronounced /meɪk/ and functions as a verb with several meanings, including:

To earn or obtain. For example: "My brother makes a lot of money."
To create or produce. For example: "The kids are making a noise."
To require or force someone to do something. For example: "Ms. Anna makes her students repeat this word."
To cause or have an effect on. For example: "Jack makes his girlfriend happy."
To prepare or arrange. For example: "My mother is making the dinner."

"Made" /meɪd/ is the simple past and past participle form of "make," used with similar meanings.

1. Synonyms for Make (Made)

Synonym	Meaning	Example
Produce /prəˈdjuːs/	to manufacture or create	They produce high-quality furniture.
Create /kriˈeɪt/	to bring something into existence	Maria loves to create digital art.
Invent /ɪnˈvɛnt/	to devise or originate something new	John invented a new type of radio.
Develop /dɪˈvɛləp/	to improve or grow something	Scientists are developing a new vaccine.
Manufacture /ˌmænjuˈfæktʃər/	to produce goods in large quantities	The factory manufactures car parts.
Build /bɪld/	to create by putting together	They plan to build a new bridge.
Construct /kənˈstrʌkt/	to create by putting together	The company will construct a new office building.

2. Collocations with Make

Collocations with Make	Meaning	Example
make a decision	To decide on an issue or choice.	We need to make a decision about the vacation destination by tomorrow.
make an effort	To try hard to achieve something.	She made an effort to improve her English skills by practicing every day.
make a mistake/an error	To commit an error or make a mistake.	He made a mistake in the calculations for the project.
make progress	To advance or make strides in completing something.	The team is making progress on the new software development.
make a request	To ask for something or propose a request.	She made a request for additional time to complete the report.
make an offer	To propose or present an offer.	They made an offer to buy the house at the asking price.
make a speech	To deliver or give a speech.	He made a speech at the conference about climate change.
make a start	To commence a task or project.	Let's make a start on the new project this week.
make a suggestion	To propose an idea or recommendation.	She made a suggestion to improve the office layout.
make good time	To travel or complete a task faster than expected.	We made good time on the drive and arrived an hour early.

II. What is Made of?

"Made of" means "constructed from basic materials or features of something." For example:

The table is made of wood.
Her dress is made of silk.

Additionally, "made of" is synonymous with "composed of." For example: Air is composed mainly of nitrogen and oxygen.

III. What is Made from?

"Made from" means "the process of creating a product from raw materials that have been transformed from their natural state." For example:

The paper is made from wood. (Paper is made from wood.) ➞ The wood has been transformed into paper and is no longer recognizable.
The beer is made from barley. (Beer is made from barley.) ➞ The barley has been transformed into beer and is no longer recognizable.

IV. What is Made out of?

"Made out of" means "something has been changed or transformed from raw materials into a finished product." For example:

The sculpture is made out of metal and glass.
This cake was made out of sugar, milk and chocolate.

V. What is Made with?

"Made with" means "constructed using (referring to one of several ingredients used to create something, often used to talk about the components of food and beverages)." For example:

This food has a very special flavor because it was made with a secret spice from China.
Anna made a delicious pie with apples and cinnamon.

VI. Distinguishing Made out of, Made with, Made of, and Made from

How do "made out of," "made with," "made of," and "made from" differ? Let's join PREP to explore this together below!

	Made of	Made from	Made out of	Made with
Usage	It refers to the main material or primary components that make up the product (where the ingredients can still be recognized in the final product).	It emphasizes the change in the state of the raw materials during the processing stage.	It emphasizes the ingredients used (ingredients that may be repurposed or transformed in shape). This phrase can sometimes substitute for "made of" in certain cases.	It refers to the ingredients or components used in food or beverages.
Example	The statue is made of marble.	The paper is made from wood pulp.	The chair is made out of recycled plastic.	This cake is made with chocolate and vanilla.

VII. Exercise to Distinguish Made out of, Made with, Made of, and Made from

To better understand the differences between Made out of, Made with, Made of, and Made from, let's complete the exercise below!

1. Exercise: Choose the correct answer

The sculpture is _______ old car parts.
1. Made out of
2. Made with
3. Made by
The bracelet is _______ recycled paper.
1. Made in
2. Made out of
3. Made from
The soup is _______ fresh vegetables and herbs.
1. Made in
2. Made with
3. Made by
These cookies are _______ chocolate chips and nuts.
1. Made with
2. Made out of
3. Made in
The desk is _______ solid oak wood.
1. Made from
2. Made of
3. Made with
The ring is _______ gold.
1. Made in
2. Made with
3. Made of
The glass is _______ sand and silica.
1. Made from
2. Made in
3. Made out
The cheese is _______ cow's milk.
1. Made from
2. Made with
3. Made out
This dress was _______ mom. She is a tailor.
1. Made by
2. Made with
3. Made out
This cake was _______ my son. Today is his birthday.
1. Made for
2. Made out
3. Made with

2. Answer keys

In this article, PREP has shared the concepts, usage, and differences between Made out of, Made with, Made of, and Made from. Be sure to follow PREP regularly to stay updated with more valuable English knowledge!

Master Tu Pham

Founder/CEO at Prep

Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.