6 Times Table
The 6 times table is where children usually start to struggle. Two things make it manageable: it is double the 3 times table, and it hides a lovely pattern for even numbers.
Counting up in 6s: 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, 48, 54, 60
Visual Explorer
Click any line in the table on the left to see it visualised below!
Choose objects:
6 × 1 = 6
1 group of 6 = 6 stars!
Test Yourself
Fill in every answer, then press Check Answers to see how you did.
The clever bit
Double whatever the 3 times table gives you
Six is double three, and that is the whole strategy:
- 6 × 4 → 3 × 4 is 12 → double → 24
- 6 × 7 → 3 × 7 is 21 → double → 42
- 6 × 9 → 3 × 9 is 27 → double → 54
If the 3 times table is solid, this one costs you one extra doubling step.
The even-number pattern
This is the nicest thing in the 6 times table, and it is easy to miss. When you multiply 6 by an even number, the answer ends in that same even digit:
- 6 × 2 = 12
- 6 × 4 = 24
- 6 × 6 = 36
- 6 × 8 = 48
The tens digit is simply half of the number you multiplied by. So 6 × 8: half of 8 is 4, and it ends in 8 → 48. Once a child spots this, four of the twelve facts stop being memory work entirely.
The two genuinely hard ones
6 × 7 = 42 and 6 × 9 = 54 do not follow the even pattern, and they are where most mistakes live. For 6 × 9, go via ten: 6 × 10 = 60, minus one 6 → 54. For 6 × 7, it is usually easier to just learn it.
Step one
Practise the 6 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 6 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 6 times table land on these. Each one has a way in.
6 × 7 = 42
The classic. 3 × 7 is 21, double it → 42. Worth learning as its own fact because it appears constantly.
6 × 8 = 48
3 × 8 is 24, double it → 48. Notice the answer ends in 8, the same digit you multiplied by.
6 × 9 = 54
6 × 10 is 60, take one 6 away → 54.
Where the 6 times table shows up
Legs on an insect, sides of a hexagon, eggs in a half dozen. Five half-dozen boxes hold 5 × 6 = 30 eggs.
Questions parents ask
What is the trick for the 6 times table with even numbers?
When you multiply 6 by an even number, the answer ends in that same digit. 6 × 4 = 24, 6 × 6 = 36, 6 × 8 = 48. The last digit tells you straight away whether you are on the right track.
How is the 6 times table related to the 3 times table?
Six is double three, so every answer is double the matching one in the 3 times table. If 3 × 7 = 21, then 6 × 7 = 42. Learning the 3 table first makes this one roughly half the work.
Why do children find 6 × 7 so hard?
It sits far from any easy anchor — not near 5, not near 10, and both numbers are awkward. Most children end up learning 6 × 7 = 42 as a standalone fact, and that is a perfectly sensible thing to do.
Is every answer in the 6 times table even?
Yes. Six is an even number, so every multiple of it is even too. If you ever get an odd answer, something has gone wrong.