How to learn the times tables
The times tables, also called the multiplication tables, are the multiplication facts a child needs to know by heart, and knowing them changes everything that comes after. Long multiplication, division, fractions and word problems all move much faster for a child who does not have to stop and work out that 7 x 8 is 56. The good news is that learning them is a skill, not a talent. Almost every child gets there with the right order and a few minutes of the right kind of practice, whether they are working on the tables 1 to 12 for school or stretching all the way to 20.
The single most useful idea is to learn each table in two stages. First read it in order, from the 1 up to the 10, so the pattern and the rhythm sink in. This is why this page shows a table in order before it tests you, and why the fill-in mode keeps the questions in sequence. Learning in order lets a child feel the count, hear the beat of it, and use each answer to reach the next. Only once a table feels steady in order should you switch to the random quiz, because being able to answer 6 x 4 out of the blue, with no run-up, is the real test of knowing it.
The best order to learn them
Do not march straight through 1 to 12. Learn them easiest first, so early wins build the confidence for the harder ones.
Begin with the 2s, 5s and 10s. They have the clearest patterns of all: doubles, a count that ends in 5 or 0, and simply adding a zero. Most children pick up all three quickly, and that is three tables done before the work even feels like work. Next take the 1s, which are free, and the doubles that follow from the 2s: the 4s are double the 2s, and the 8s are double the 4s. Then work through the 3s, 6s and 9s, each of which has a trick that makes it far lighter than pure memorizing. Save the 7s for last. They are the table most children find hardest, and by the time you reach them you will already know most of the 7 facts from learning the other tables, since 7 x 5 is part of the 5s and 7 x 2 is part of the 2s.
A trick for every table
Memorizing twenty tables by brute force is slow and joyless. Almost every table has a shortcut a child can lean on until the fact becomes instant.
- 1 times table. Anything times 1 stays itself. 1 x 8 is 8. It is the friendliest table there is.
- 2 times table. Times 2 means double it. 2 x 7 is just 7 + 7 = 14.
- 3 times table. Count up in 3s and clap the beat: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15. The rhythm makes it stick.
- 4 times table. Double, then double again. 4 x 6: double 6 is 12, double 12 is 24.
- 5 times table. Every answer ends in 5 or 0, and they are half of the 10s. 5 x 6 is half of 60, so 30.
- 6 times table. For even numbers the answer ends in the same digit: 6 x 4 = 24, 6 x 8 = 48.
- 7 times table. The 7s are the table most children find hardest, so practice here pays off the most.
- 8 times table. Double three times. 8 x 3: 6, then 12, then 24.
- 9 times table. Finger trick: hold up ten fingers, fold down the one you multiply by, and read the fingers left and right as tens and ones.
- 10 times table. Just add a zero. 10 x 7 = 70. The easiest table after the 1s.
- 11 times table. Up to 9 the digit repeats: 11 x 4 = 44, 11 x 7 = 77.
- 12 times table. Split into 10 and 2: 12 x 6 is 60 + 12 = 72.
- 13 times table. Split into 10 and 3: 13 x 6 is 60 + 18 = 78.
- 14 times table. Split into 10 and 4, or double the 7s: 14 x 3 is double 21, so 42.
- 15 times table. Half of the 30s, and every answer ends in 5 or 0: 15 x 4 is half of 120, so 60.
- 16 times table. Split into 10 and 6, or double the 8s: 16 x 5 is double 40, so 80.
- 17 times table. Split into 10 and 7: 17 x 4 is 40 + 28 = 68.
- 18 times table. Split into 10 and 8, or double the 9s: 18 x 3 is double 27, so 54.
- 19 times table. Think of it as 20 minus 1: 19 x 6 is 120 - 6 = 114.
- 20 times table. Times 2, then add a zero: 20 x 7 is 14 with a zero, so 140.
Learning tables 13 to 20
The higher tables look frightening and are not. Every table from 11 up splits into a 10 times table, which a child already owns, plus a smaller table they have probably already learned. To work out 13 x 6, split the 13 into 10 and 3: that is 60 plus 18, which is 78. To do 18 x 4, split into 10 and 8: 40 plus 32 is 72. This partitioning method turns a scary two-digit table into two easy ones added together, and it is the same method that underpins all mental multiplication later on. Teaching it here means the higher tables become practice for a skill that keeps paying off, rather than a wall of new facts.
Making practice stick
Keep sessions short and frequent. Five minutes a day beats half an hour on a Sunday, because memory settles between sessions rather than during them, so ten short goes across a week outperform one long slog. Practice one table at a time until it is quick, and resist adding a new table until the current one is confident, or the two start to blur together. Mix a little review of tables already known into each session so they stay sharp. And say the facts out loud. Hearing yourself say six sevens are forty-two adds a second pathway to the memory, which is why the Hear this table button on this page reads each one aloud.
When your child is ready to make it feel like a game, our times tables game turns the same facts into a quick-fire round, and the multiplication chart lets them study and quiz themselves on the full grid. For offline practice, our printable worksheets generate fresh problems on every visit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best order to learn the times tables?
Learn them in the order they are easiest, not 1 to 12 straight through. Start with 2, 5 and 10 because they have clear patterns, then 1 and the doubles like 4 and 8, then 3, 6, 9 with their tricks, and leave 7 for last since most children find it hardest. Learn each table in order first, from 1 up to 10, then practice it in a random mix.
How do you memorize the multiplication tables fast?
Short and daily beats long and rare. Five minutes a day on one table, first read in order and then tested at random, builds the fact into memory far quicker than a half hour once a week. Lean on the trick for each number instead of pure memorizing: doubles for the 4s and 8s, the finger method for the 9s, splitting into tens for the teens. Only move to a new table once the current one is quick and confident.
Should kids learn up to 12 or up to 20?
Up to 12 is the standard school target and covers almost everything a child needs. Going to 20 is a useful stretch for confident learners, and the higher tables are easier than they look because each one splits into a 10 times table plus a smaller one you already know.
Can I print the times tables for free?
Yes. Use the Print buttons on this page to print a full reference chart of every table with the answers, or a blank worksheet for your child to fill in. Both print cleanly on US Letter and A4 with no menus or clutter, so they are ready for home or the classroom.