The 9 times table
The 9 times table looks frightening and turns out to be one of the easiest, thanks to the finger trick that every English primary school teaches. It also has the neatest patterns in the grid: the digits of every answer add up to 9, and the tens digit is always one less than the number you multiplied. A Year 4 table.
Introduced in Year 4 · tested in the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check · free, no sign-up
The full table - 9 × 1 to 9 × 12
| Fact | Answer |
|---|---|
| 9 × 1 | 9 |
| 9 × 2 | 18 |
| 9 × 3 | 27 |
| 9 × 4 | 36 |
| 9 × 5 | 45 |
| 9 × 6 | 54 |
| 9 × 7 | 63 |
| 9 × 8 | 72 |
| 9 × 9 | 81 |
| 9 × 10 | 90 |
| 9 × 11 | 99 |
| 9 × 12 | 108 |
Multiples of 9: 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81, 90, 99, 108
How to remember the 9 times table
Hold both hands up, palms facing you, and number the fingers 1 to 10 from the left. To find 9 x 4, fold down finger 4: the fingers to the left of it (3) are the tens and the fingers to the right (6) are the ones - 36. It works for 9 x 1 to 9 x 10 every time.
18 (1 + 8), 27 (2 + 7), 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81, 90 - every answer up to 9 x 10 has digits that sum to 9. If they do not, the answer is wrong. The best self-check in the whole grid.
9 x 7: the tens digit is one less than 7, so 6; the ones digit makes it up to 9, so 3 - 63. 9 x 8: 7 then 2 - 72. Two steps and no memory needed.
9 x 6 = 10 x 6 - 6 = 60 - 6 = 54. 9 x 12 = 120 - 12 = 108. This is the method that still works past 10, where the finger trick runs out.
- 9 x 7 = 63 and 9 x 6 = 54 - hard on their own, trivial with the finger trick
- 9 x 11 = 99 and 9 x 12 = 108 - beyond the fingers; use 110 - 11 and 120 - 12
- 9 x 8 = 72 - one less than 8 is 7, and 7 + 2 = 9
Practise what you have learnt
Frequently asked questions
What are the multiples of 9 up to 108?
9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81, 90, 99, 108. Up to 90 the tens digit rises by one and the ones digit falls by one each step, and the digits always add up to 9.
How does the 9 times table finger trick work?
Number your ten fingers 1 to 10 from the left. Fold down the finger for the number you are multiplying by 9. Fingers to its left are tens, fingers to its right are ones. For 9 x 7, folding the seventh finger leaves 6 on the left and 3 on the right: 63.
When do children learn the 9 times table?
In Year 4, as part of all tables to 12 x 12. It is often taught right after the 10s because every 9s fact is the 10s fact take away the number.
Why do the digits of the 9 times table add up to 9?
Because 9 is one less than 10. Each time you add 9 you add 10 and take 1 away, so the tens digit goes up by one and the ones digit goes down by one - the total stays at 9 (up to 9 x 10).