Maths
What are times tables?
Quick answer
Times tables are lists of the multiplication facts for a number, such as 3 × 1 = 3 up to 3 × 12 = 36. Knowing them by heart speeds up almost all later maths.
In one sentence
A times table is the list of answers you get when you multiply one number by 1, 2, 3 and so on, usually up to 12.
Explained
The 5 times table goes 5, 10, 15, 20, 25… because each step adds another 5. Written out in full it is 1 × 5 = 5, 2 × 5 = 10, all the way to 12 × 5 = 60. In the US the same facts are often called multiplication facts.
Learning every table from 1 to 12 sounds like 144 facts, but it is far fewer than that. Because 3 × 7 is the same as 7 × 3 (multiplication works in either order), each fact counts twice. Take away the easy 1, 2, 5 and 10 tables and only a few dozen tricky facts are left.
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Patterns help a lot:
- 2s are the even numbers. 10s end in 0. 5s end in 0 or 5.
- 4s are double the 2s, and 8s are double the 4s.
- 9s: the tens digit goes up by 1 while the ones digit goes down by 1 (09, 18, 27, 36…), and the digits add up to 9.
- 11s up to 9 × 11 are just repeated digits: 33, 44, 55.
- 6s are double the 3s.
Times tables make division quick too: if 7 × 6 = 42, then 42 ÷ 6 = 7.
Examples
| Fact | A way to work it out |
|---|---|
| 6 × 7 = 42 | 5 × 7 = 35, plus one more 7 |
| 8 × 4 = 32 | double, double, double: 4, 8, 16, 32 |
| 9 × 6 = 54 | 10 × 6 = 60, take away 6 |
| 12 × 7 = 84 | 10 × 7 = 70, plus 2 × 7 = 14 |
| 11 × 12 = 132 | 10 × 12 = 120, plus 12 |
Common mistakes
- Chanting from the start every time to reach 7 × 8. Fix: practise facts out of order, so each one can be recalled alone.
- Muddling neighbouring facts like 6 × 8 = 48 and 7 × 8 = 56. Fix: link tricky facts to a known one ("7 × 8 is one more 8 than 6 × 8").
- Learning the words without the meaning. Use arrays or groups now and then so 4 × 6 still means "four sixes".
Quick quiz
Times tables
Check what you know with 4 quick questions.
Question 1 of 4
What is 7 × 8?
Practise it
Try it
Times tables practice sheets
Practise it step by step in a full course: Grade 4 Maths
For grown-ups
Related topics
Multiplication
Multiplication is adding equal groups quickly. 4 × 3 means 4 groups of 3 (or 3 groups of 4), which makes 12. The answer is called the product.
Division
Division is sharing into equal groups, or finding how many groups fit. The sign is ÷, so 12 ÷ 3 = 4. The answer is called the quotient.
Factors and multiples
Factors are numbers that divide exactly into a number (the factors of 12 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12). Multiples are the numbers in its times table (12, 24, 36…).
Square numbers
A square number is what you get when you multiply a whole number by itself, like 4 × 4 = 16. The first square numbers are 1, 4, 9, 16, 25 and 36.
Arrays
An array is a set of objects arranged in equal rows and columns. 3 rows of 4 dots is an array that shows 3 × 4 = 12, so arrays help children see multiplication.
Long division
Long division splits a big number into equal groups by repeating four steps: divide, multiply, subtract, bring down. Work from the left, one digit at a time.