Times Tables Tricks for Every Table from 2 to 12

A good trick does not replace knowing the facts. It gives your child a way to rebuild a fact they have forgotten, and each time they rebuild it, it sticks a little better. Below are one or two reliable tricks for every table from 2 to 12, each with a worked example. Every example has been checked, so you can use them with confidence.

The 2 times table: double it

Multiplying by 2 is the same as doubling, or adding a number to itself. 2 × 7 is 7 + 7 = 14. Every answer in the 2s is an even number, so if your child gets an odd answer, they know to check it. See the 2 times table.

The 3 times table: double and add one more

Three lots of a number is two lots plus one more. 3 × 8 is double 8 (16) plus 8, which is 24. There is also a neat check: from 3 × 1 up to 3 × 12, the digits of every answer add up to 3, 6 or 9. For 3 × 8 = 24, 2 + 4 = 6. For 3 × 9 = 27, 2 + 7 = 9. See the 3 times table.

The 4 times table: double, then double again

Four is two lots of two, so double the number and then double the answer. For 4 × 7: double 7 is 14, and double 14 is 28. For 4 × 12: double 12 is 24, and double 24 is 48. Every answer in the 4s is even. See the 4 times table.

The 5 times table: half of ten lots

Five is half of ten, so multiply by 10 and halve it. 5 × 8 is half of 80, which is 40. 5 × 7 is half of 70, which is 35. Answers always end in 5 or 0: an even number times 5 ends in 0, and an odd number times 5 ends in 5. A clock face helps too: the minute hand on 3 means 15 minutes, because 5 × 3 = 15. See the 5 times table.

The 6 times table: five lots plus one more

Start from the 5s and add one more lot. 6 × 7 is 5 × 7 (35) plus 7, which is 42. You can also double the 3s: 6 × 8 is double 3 × 8 (24), which is 48. For even numbers there is a pattern children love: 6 × 2 = 12, 6 × 4 = 24, 6 × 6 = 36, 6 × 8 = 48. The answer ends in the number you multiplied by, and the tens digit is half of it. See the 6 times table.

The 7 times table: split it into 5 and 2

Seven lots is five lots plus two lots. 7 × 6 is 5 × 6 (30) plus 2 × 6 (12), which is 42. 7 × 8 is 40 + 16 = 56. For 7 × 8 there is also a rhyme: "5, 6, 7, 8: 56 is 7 × 8." Remember that by the time most children reach the 7s, only 7 × 7 = 49 is a brand-new fact. See the 7 times table.

The 8 times table: double three times

Eight is 2 × 2 × 2, so double, double and double again. For 8 × 6: double 6 is 12, double 12 is 24, double 24 is 48. For 8 × 7: 14, then 28, then 56. Or use the 4s you already know and double once: 8 × 9 is double 4 × 9 (36), which is 72. See the 8 times table.

The 9 times table: the finger trick and 10 take away 1

The finger trick works for 9 × 1 up to 9 × 10. Hold up all ten fingers. To work out 9 × 4, fold down the fourth finger from the left. There are 3 fingers to the left of it (the tens) and 6 to the right (the ones), so the answer is 36. Try 9 × 7: fold the seventh finger, and you have 6 on the left and 3 on the right, so 63.

For any 9s fact, there is also "ten lots take away one lot": 9 × 7 is 70 − 7 = 63, and 9 × 12 is 120 − 12 = 108. From 9 × 2 to 9 × 10, the digits of the answer add up to 9, and the tens digit is one less than the number you multiplied by (9 × 6 = 54, and 5 is one less than 6). See the 9 times table.

The 10 times table: every digit moves up a place

Multiplying a whole number by 10 makes each digit worth ten times more, so it moves one place to the left and a zero fills the ones place: 10 × 7 = 70, 10 × 12 = 120. Children often say "just add a zero", which works for whole numbers, but it helps to explain why, because the rule changes for decimals later on. See the 10 times table.

The 11 times table: repeat the digit

From 11 × 1 to 11 × 9, the answer is the number written twice: 11 × 4 = 44, 11 × 8 = 88. Then 11 × 10 = 110. For 11 × 11 and 11 × 12, split it into ten lots plus one lot: 11 × 11 is 110 + 11 = 121, and 11 × 12 is 120 + 12 = 132. See the 11 times table.

The 12 times table: tens plus twos

Twelve is 10 + 2, so do the 10s fact and the 2s fact and add them. 12 × 7 is 70 + 14 = 84. 12 × 8 is 80 + 16 = 96. 12 × 12 is 120 + 24 = 144. You can also double the 6s: 12 × 4 is double 6 × 4 (24), which is 48. See the 12 times table.

How to teach a trick so it sticks

1. Show it with objects first. Build 4 × 3 with blocks as two rows of 2 × 3, side by side, to see why doubling works.
2. Do two examples together. Say each step out loud, then let your child try a third on their own.
3. Use it, then drop it. The goal is for the trick to fade as the fact becomes automatic. When your child answers before they have time to use the trick, celebrate.
4. Practise in a game. Our 8 times table page has the game preset to one table, so you can drill the table you just learned a trick for.