10 Times Table
The 10 times table is the one children learn fastest, and it quietly props up several harder tables. Almost every shortcut on this site goes through it.
Counting up in 10s: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100
Visual Explorer
Click any line in the table on the left to see it visualised below!
Choose objects:
10 × 1 = 10
1 group of 10 = 10 stars!
Test Yourself
Fill in every answer, then press Check Answers to see how you did.
The clever bit
Every digit shifts one place to the left
Multiplying by 10 shifts every digit one place to the left. The units column empties out, so a zero drops in to hold the space:
- 10 × 6 = 60
- 10 × 9 = 90
- 10 × 12 = 120
“Add a zero” — a useful rule with an expiry date
Most children are taught to just put a zero on the end, and for whole numbers that is fine. It is worth knowing that the rule breaks later: 2.5 × 10 = 25, not 2.50.
The version that never breaks is the digits shift one place left. It costs nothing to say it that way now, and it saves unlearning something in a couple of years.
Why this table earns its keep
The 10 times table is the anchor almost every other shortcut leans on:
- 5 times is half of it — 5 × 8 is half of 80 → 40
- 9 times is ten lots minus one lot — 9 × 8 is 80 − 8 → 72
- 11 times is ten lots plus one lot — 11 × 8 is 80 + 8 → 88
- 12 times is ten lots plus two lots — 12 × 8 is 80 + 16 → 96
Four tables get easier because of this one. That is why it is worth making completely automatic rather than merely known.
Step one
Practise the 10 times table
Pick the answer you think is right. Nothing is timed and nothing is scored — this part is just for getting comfortable.
Practice needs JavaScript switched on. You can still read the whole table above — it works everywhere.
Step two
Take the 10 times table quiz
Ten questions, typed in. Get any wrong and you can practise just those straight afterwards.
The quiz needs JavaScript switched on. You can still read the whole table above — it works everywhere.
Where the 10 times table shows up
Fingers and toes, 10p coins, the number of years in a decade. Six 10p coins make 6 × 10 = 60p.
Questions parents ask
Why does multiplying by 10 put a zero on the end?
Because our number system works in tens. Multiplying by 10 shifts every digit one place to the left, so the units column empties and a zero fills it. For whole numbers this looks exactly like adding a zero.
Is it right to say you just add a zero?
It works for whole numbers, but it stops working with decimals — 2.5 × 10 is 25, not 2.50. Saying the digits shift one place left is the version that keeps being true later on.
How does the 10 times table help with other tables?
It is the anchor for the hardest shortcuts. The 5 table is half of it, the 9 table is ten lots minus one lot, and the 11 and 12 tables are ten lots plus a bit. Learning it well makes several other tables cheaper.
What should a child learn after the 10 times table?
The 5 times table, since it is exactly half. If you know 10 × 8 = 80, then 5 × 8 is half of that, which is 40.