Times tables made easy

← All articles·Study guide·6 min read

A times table is a fast way to add the same number again and again. If you can count in a number, you already know most of its table. This guide shows the easiest order to learn them, the patterns that make them stick, and how to practise so they stay in.

What "times" really means

When we say 3 times 4, we mean four groups of 3. You could add 3 plus 3 plus 3 plus 3 and get 12. Times tables just save you the counting. It helps to read the sign "x" as the words "groups of".

Step 1: learn them in an order that helps

Some tables are much easier than others, so start with those. Each one you learn makes the next feel smaller.

1. The 2s: just double the number. 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.
2. The 10s: add a zero on the end. 10, 20, 30, 40.
3. The 5s: count in fives, and every answer ends in 5 or 0.
4. The 3s and 4s: these come next, once the easy ones feel comfortable.
5. The 9s: these have a lovely finger trick, shown below.
6. The 6s, 7s and 8s last, because by then you already know most of them from the other tables.

Step 2: spot the patterns

Patterns turn a long list into something you can predict. Here are the most useful ones.

Step 3: the two facts that save the most time

You do not have to learn every fact separately, because two simple ideas cut the work in half.

• Order does not matter. 7 times 8 gives the same answer as 8 times 7. Learn one and you get the other for free.
• Every fact you know gives you its partner. If you know 6 times 4 is 24, then 4 times 6 is also 24.

The 9 times table finger trick

Hold both hands up with all ten fingers showing. To work out 9 times a number, count from the left and fold down that finger.

1. For 9 times 3, fold down your third finger from the left.
2. The fingers before the folded one are the tens. Here that is 2 fingers, so 20.
3. The fingers after the folded one are the ones. Here that is 7 fingers, so 7.
4. Put them together: 20 and 7 makes 27. So 9 times 3 is 27.

Step 4: practise a little and often

Short bursts work far better than one long session. Try these gentle ways to practise together.

• Count out loud in the number while going up the stairs or walking to school.
• Ask one fact while pouring cereal or waiting for the kettle. Just one, so it stays light.
• Use small objects like pasta or coins to build the groups when a fact feels tricky.
• Come back to the ones they find hard more often than the ones they find easy.

Practise together

Work these out, then check the answers below.

1. 2 times 6
2. 5 times 4
3. 10 times 7
4. 3 times 8
5. 9 times 5
6. 4 times 4
7. 8 times 6

Four golden rules

1. Start with the easy tables (2s, 10s, 5s) to build confidence.
2. Look for the pattern in each table before you try to memorise it.
3. Remember that order does not matter, so every fact you learn gives you its partner.
4. Practise for a few minutes every day, and go back to the tricky ones most.