How to learn your 9 times tables

Learn the 9 times table with ease by grasping multiplication basics, starting with simpler tables, and applying fun tricks from a primary school teacher for quick mastery.

headshot of author, Michelle

Author
Michelle Griczika

Published
May 2024

How to learn your 9 times tables

Learn the 9 times table with ease by grasping multiplication basics, starting with simpler tables, and applying fun tricks from a primary school teacher for quick mastery.

headshot of author, Michelle

Author
Michelle Griczika

Published
May 2024

How to learn your 9 times tables

Learn the 9 times table with ease by grasping multiplication basics, starting with simpler tables, and applying fun tricks from a primary school teacher for quick mastery.

headshot of author, Michelle

Author
Michelle Griczika

Published
May 2024

Key takeaways

  • Understand multiplication basics before memorising the 9 times table
  • Start with easier tables and use strategies like skip counting to build a strong foundation
  • Use fun tricks like the 9 times table finger trick to easily learn the 9 times table

The 9 times table will likely be one of the last set of multiplication facts that your child learns. While it can be tempting to ask students to start memorising multiplication facts as soon as possible, it is usually best practice for students to learn their times tables in a way that supports advanced mathematical understanding.

First, students should learn the concept of multiplication. This is an essential step because if students are asked to memorise facts before learning why the answer is mathematically correct, they are less likely to remember it. They do not have another way to calculate the answer if they can’t remember it based on memory alone.

Imagine a student is trying to solve 4 x 9 but can’t recall the answer. Instead, they can think about how multiplication means “groups of” a number. The student can draw 4 groups of 9 and then count to find the answer of 36.

This is just one strategy that can help students when they understand the meaning of multiplication, but there are several others as well! These include the Commutative Property, doubling and halving, models/drawings, skip counting games, and repeated addition.

Therefore, students should first be taught the times tables that allow them to practise these strategies effectively. These facts have recognisable patterns making them easier to grasp. They include the 2 times table, 5 times table, and 10 times table. Other sets, such as the 4s and 8s, allow students to incorporate strategies like doubling and halving. 

However, the 9 times tables do not lend themselves to many learning tricks or strategies. First, they are odd numbers, so doubling and halving are not options. They are also higher than numbers 3 and 4, so drawing models is adequate but could be more efficient. 

Students are also more likely to make mistakes when drawing and counting larger numbers. When drawing a model, they might accidentally draw an extra circle somewhere or miscount them.

Rest assured, there are strategies and tips to make the nine times table approachable for your child or students.

9 times table multiplication chart

First things, first. Here are the 9 multiplication facts up to 10.

1 x 9 = 9 9 x 1 = 9
2 x 9 = 18 9 x 2 = 18
3 x 9 = 27 9 x 3 = 27
4 x 9 = 36 9 x 4 = 36
5 x 9 = 45 9 x 5 = 45
6 x 9 = 54 9 x 6 = 54
7 x 9 = 63 9 x 7 = 63
8 x 9 = 72 9 x 8 = 72
9 x 9 = 81 9 x 9 = 81
10 x 9 = 90 9 x 10 = 90

Tips for Learning Your 9 Times Tables

Pupils need to have a conceptual understanding of multiplication before they try to learn the 9 times table. Understanding what multiplication means, which pupils can gain by learning other times tables first, allows them to calculate the answer even if they cannot immediately remember it.

Even though we want students to have these strategies, we can also acknowledge that needing to draw a model for equations with larger factors isn’t always efficient, which can make a difference on timed assessments. 

Therefore, an effective method for teaching the 9 times table is to encourage memorisation of the facts as much as possible while reminding students they can utilise repeated addition and models/drawings as needed.

Commutative Property

The first tip that can make the 9 times table less overwhelming for students is to remind them of the Commutative Property of Multiplication. This property states that changing the order of the numbers being multiplied (the factors) does not change the answer (the product). 

In other words, once students learn 6 x 9, they also learn 9 x 6. Remembering this simple rule halves the number of facts students must memorise! 

The Commutative Property of Multiplication is particularly beneficial when learning the 9 times table. If children have already learned previous multiplication sets, they will also have learned several facts about the 9 times table chart.

For example, suppose your child has already mastered the 2s, 5s, and 10s times tables. In that case, you can remind them that they have already learned the facts 2 x 9, 9 x 2, 5 x 9, 9 x 5, 10 x 9, and 9 x 10!

The 9s Times Table Finger Trick

As pupils continue learning the 9 times table, a couple of “tricks” or patterns might help. The 9 times table finger trick is so cool once students get the hang of it! My fifth graders typically did better with this than my third graders because the younger students sometimes struggled with bending their fingers down the right way. However, anyone who could do it frequently used this 9 times table trick!

Using the 9 times table finger trick, you can solve any fact up to 10 x 9. For example, consider the expression 3 x 9. Hold up both hands with palms facing out. Starting with your pinky finger on your left hand, count three fingers. You should land on the middle finger on your left hand. 

Bend that finger down so it “separates” your other fingers into two sections. On the left side of the finger that you put down, you should have 2 fingers. On the right side of the finger you put down, you should have 7 fingers. Therefore, 3 x 9 = 27.

Another example is 6 x 9. Starting with your pinky finger on your left hand, count 6 fingers. You should land on the thumb on your right hand. Bend that thumb in so you can see the 2 groups of “numbers.” On the left is 5 fingers and on the right is 4 fingers, so the answer is 54.

Again, my younger students struggled a little with this, but those who understood it thought it was neat!

Unlock unlimited maths questions

Put your skills to the test with fun exercises + maths games that are proven to boost ability!

Try DoodleMaths for free!

Select a year group

  • Number

  • Shape, space and measure

  • Patterns

  • Number and place value

  • Addition and subtraction

  • Multiplication and division

  • Operations (ASMD)

  • Fractions

  • Measure

  • Shape/geometry

  • Statistics

  • Ratio and proportion

  • Algebra

  • Probability

Sample questions

Patterns

Another 9 times table trick involves 2 different patterns in the products. Before I brought it up, a student showed me this one. I was so impressed!

As you can see in the chart below, the multiples of 9 start with a 0 (although it is “invisible”) in the tens place and then increase by one. The ones digits start with a 9 and then decrease by 1. Also, the sum of the digits for each product of 9 always equals 9! 

My pupils enjoyed using this 9 times table trick and often wrote it on their papers before starting to work. They would start with the invisible 0 and write 1, 2, 3, etc., all the way to 9. Then, they’d return to the top and write a 9 next to the “0,” an 8 next to the 1, a 7 next to the 2, etc.

Multiplication Fact Product
9 x 1 and 1 x 9 9
9 x 2 and 2 x 9 18
9 x 3 and 3 x 9 27
9 x 4 and 4 x 9 36
9 x 5 and 5 x 9 45
9 x 6 and 6 x 9 54
9 x 7 and 7 x 9 63
9 x 8 and 8 x 9 72
9 x 9 81
9 x 10 and 10 x 9 90

Flashcards

Finally, flashcards are another strategy for encouraging the memorisation of multiplication facts. You can create a set just for the 9s and mix sets as your child is ready. 

A beneficial challenge of flashcards is since they can be put in a random order each time, students must genuinely learn each fact as a standalone answer instead of as a pattern in a series. While there are advantages to both methods of learning multiplication facts, the eventual goal is for students to become proficient in quick recall, and flashcards can help with this goal.

Practise times table with DoodleMaths!

DoodleMaths is an award-winning app that’s filled with thousands of questions and games exploring multiplication, division and more! Plus, get free access to DoodleTables with any DoodleMaths subscription!

Designed by teachers, it creates each child a unique work programme tailored to their needs, doubling their progression with just 10 minutes of use a day. Try it for free!

for families

9 times table practice problems​

Doodle-Blog-NumberIcons_1

5 x 9 =

Doodle-Blog-NumberIcons_2

9 x 9 =

Doodle-Blog-NumberIcons_3

Hydee reads 72 pages of a book in 9 days. If she reads the same number of pages each day, how many pages did she read each day?

Doodle-Blog-NumberIcons_4

George buys 3 shirts. Each shirt costs £9. How much money did George spend in all?

Doodle-Blog-NumberIcons_5

Jake has 36 pieces of candy that he wants to split evenly among 9 people. How many pieces of candy will each person get?

The 9 times table can be challenging, but there are some tricks and tips that will make it easier for your child to learn. With lots of practice, using strategies like flash cards and patterns or tricks when needed, students can master these tricky multiplication facts!

Lesson credits

headshot of author, Michelle

Michelle Griczika

Michelle Griczika is a seasoned educator and experienced freelance writer. Her years teaching primary school lends depth to her understanding of diverse learning stages. Michelle enjoys running in her free time and undertaking home projects.

headshot of author, Michelle

Michelle Griczika

Michelle Griczika is a seasoned educator and experienced freelance writer. Her years teaching primary school lends depth to her understanding of diverse learning stages. Michelle enjoys running in her free time and undertaking home projects.

Parents, sign up for a DoodleMaths subscription and see your child become a maths wizard!

Answers

Doodle-Blog-NumberIcons_1

45

Doodle-Blog-NumberIcons_2

81

Doodle-Blog-NumberIcons_3

8 pages per day

Doodle-Blog-NumberIcons_4

£27

Doodle-Blog-NumberIcons_5

4 pieces of candy

Login

Are you a parent, teacher or student?

Get started for free!

Are you a parent or teacher?

Maths information pack

We ask for your contact info so we can send our info pack directly to your inbox for your convenience

Exam prep information pack

We ask for your contact info so we can send our info pack directly to your inbox for your convenience

Case studies information pack

We ask for your contact info so we can send our info pack directly to your inbox for your convenience

Information pack

We ask for your contact info so that our Education Consultants can get in touch with you and let you know a bit more about Doodle.

Student Login

Which programme would you like to use?

If you’d like to use Doodle’s browser version, please visit this page on a desktop.

To log in to Doodle on this device, you can do so through our apps. You can find out how to download them here: