4 Times Table
The 4 times table costs almost nothing to learn if you already know the 2 times table, because multiplying by 4 is just doubling twice.
Counting up in 4s: 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40
Visual Explorer
Click any line in the table on the left to see it visualised below!
Choose objects:
4 × 1 = 4
1 group of 4 = 4 stars!
Test Yourself
Fill in every answer, then press Check Answers to see how you did.
The clever bit
Double, then double again
Because 2 × 2 = 4, multiplying by 4 is the same as doubling twice. Two easy steps beat one hard fact every time:
- 4 × 6 → double 6 is 12 → double 12 is 24
- 4 × 7 → double 7 is 14 → double 14 is 28
- 4 × 9 → double 9 is 18 → double 18 is 36
This is worth practising out loud as “double, double” until it becomes one movement rather than two.
Working backwards
The trick runs in reverse as a check. To find out whether 28 is in the 4 times table, halve it twice: 28 → 14 → 7. You landed on a whole number, so yes, and you have found the answer at the same time — 4 × 7 = 28.
The near-ten shortcut
For the larger facts, lean on 10. 4 × 9 is one group of 4 less than 4 × 10, so 40 − 4 = 36. The same move gives you 4 × 11 as 40 + 4 = 44.
Step one
Practise the 4 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 4 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.
The ones people trip on
Most mistakes in the 4 times table land on these. Each one has a way in.
4 × 7 = 28
Double 7 is 14, double 14 is 28. Two quick steps beat one hard memory.
4 × 8 = 32
Double 8 is 16, double 16 is 32. If 16 is already familiar, this one is almost free.
4 × 9 = 36
4 × 10 is 40, so take one 4 away → 36.
Where the 4 times table shows up
Wheels on a car, legs on a dog or a table, corners of a square. Seven cars have 7 × 4 = 28 wheels.
Questions parents ask
What is the double-double trick for the 4 times table?
Multiplying by 4 is the same as multiplying by 2 twice, because 2 × 2 = 4. For 4 × 6, double 6 to get 12, then double 12 to get 24. Two easy steps replace one hard fact.
Are all the answers in the 4 times table even?
Yes, and they are all divisible by 2 twice over. Every answer can be halved and then halved again to land back on a whole number.
How can I check if a number is in the 4 times table?
Halve it, then halve it again. If you end on a whole number, it belongs. 36 halves to 18, then to 9 — so 36 is in the table.
Which table should I learn after the 4 times table?
The 8 times table, because 8 is double 4. Once double-double is comfortable, double-double-double follows almost immediately.