The 1 to 12 times tables look like 144 separate facts to memorise. In reality there are far fewer, and most of them follow patterns you can work out instead of drilling. Learn the patterns first and memorising the few awkward facts that are left becomes a much smaller job.
You Only Need 78 Facts, Not 144
Multiplication works in both directions: 7 × 8 is the same as 8 × 7. That simple fact cuts the job almost in half. For the numbers 1 to 12 there are 12 "square" facts (1 × 1, 2 × 2 … 12 × 12) and 66 pairs, so 78 different facts in total. Every time you learn one, you get its mirror for free.
The Tables That Almost Learn Themselves
- × 1: the number stays the same.
- × 10: put a zero on the end (7 × 10 = 70).
- × 2: double the number.
- × 5: half of × 10. The answers always end in 0 or 5 (7 × 5 = half of 70 = 35).
- × 11 up to 9: repeat the digit (4 × 11 = 44). For 10, 11 and 12: 110, 121, 132.
Those five tables already cover a big share of the 78 facts.
Tables Built From Doubling
The same idea gives you the 6s from the 3s: × 6 is double × 3 (6 × 7 = double 21 = 42). And × 12 is × 10 plus × 2 (12 × 7 = 70 + 14 = 84).
The 9s Have Two Built-In Checks
- From 9 × 1 to 9 × 10, the tens digit of the answer is one less than the number you multiply by, and the two digits add up to 9: 9 × 7 = 63 (6 is one less than 7, and 6 + 3 = 9).
- Another way: 9 × n is 10 × n minus n. 9 × 8 = 80 − 8 = 72.
The 3s: Check With the Digit Sum
Every answer in the 3 times table has digits that add up to a multiple of 3: 3 × 7 = 21 (2 + 1 = 3), 3 × 9 = 27 (2 + 7 = 9). It won't tell you the answer, but it's a quick way to catch a wrong one.
What's Left to Memorise
Once the patterns above are in place, the facts that usually need real practice are a small group in the middle: 6 × 7 = 42, 6 × 8 = 48, 7 × 7 = 49, 7 × 8 = 56, 8 × 8 = 64, and a few of the 12s. Some people remember 7 × 8 with "5, 6, 7, 8" — 56 = 7 × 8.
Skip Counting Is Multiplication in Disguise
Counting 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 is the 4 times table in order. Practising skip counting forwards and backwards builds the same memory, and it's a helpful stepping stone before answering facts out of order.
A 10-Minute Daily Practice Plan
- 2 minutes: skip count the table you're learning, forwards and back.
- 5 minutes: a quick quiz on that table in random order — try to answer before you count.
- 3 minutes: a mixed round of tables you've already learned, so older facts don't fade.
Short daily sessions work better than one long session a week, because recalling a fact again after a gap is what makes it stick. Move on to a new table once you can answer the current one quickly and without counting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which order should the tables be learned in?
A common order is 1, 10, 2, 5, 11, then 3, 4 and 6, then 8, 9, 12 and finally 7 — easy patterns first, then tables that build on them.
Is it better to understand or memorise?
Both. Understanding the patterns means you can always work an answer out; quick recall means you don't have to. Aim for understanding first, speed second.
Want to practise? Try our Skip Counting game for patterns, then Times Tables for quick recall.