The 9 times table trick with hands (and why it works)

Quick answer

Number your ten fingers 1 to 10 from the left. For 9 × 7, fold down finger 7. The 6 fingers to its left are the tens and the 3 to its right are the ones: 63. It works from 9 × 1 to 9 × 10 because 9 × n = 10 × n − n. Kids should know these facts by heart by the end of 3rd grade.

The 9s can become a favorite table once kids learn this trick, because the answer appears right there in their fingers. Below you'll find how to do it, several worked examples, why it works (great for curious kids) and the patterns that let children remember the 9s without their hands.

How to do the 9 times table trick with your hands

The trick works for every fact from 9 × 1 to 9 × 10. Try it with your child, one step at a time.

1. Hold up all ten fingers

Hold both hands up in front of you with the palms facing away, or lay them flat on the table. Number the fingers 1 to 10 from left to right: your left pinky is 1, your left thumb is 5, your right thumb is 6 and your right pinky is 10.

2. Fold down the finger for the number

To find 9 × 7, fold down finger 7 (the index finger on your right hand).

3. Read the tens on the left

Count the fingers to the left of the folded finger. There are 6, so the answer has 6 tens: 60.

4. Read the ones on the right

Count the fingers to the right of the folded finger. There are 3, so 9 × 7 = 63.

More examples

9 × 3: fold finger 3, the middle finger of your left hand. There are 2 fingers to its left and 7 to its right, so 9 × 3 = 27.

9 × 9: fold finger 9, the ring finger of your right hand. There are 8 fingers to its left and 1 to its right, so 9 × 9 = 81.

9 × 4: fold finger 4. Three fingers on the left, 6 on the right: 36.

The two ends are worth trying too. For 9 × 1, fold finger 1: no fingers on the left and 9 on the right, so the answer is 09, which is just 9. For 9 × 10, fold finger 10: 9 on the left and none on the right, so 90.

Why the trick works

Nine is one less than ten, so 9 groups of anything is 10 groups minus one group. For 9 × 7: 10 × 7 = 70, and 70 − 7 = 63.

Your fingers do the same subtraction in a sneaky way. Fold finger 7 and there are 6 fingers on the left: 6 tens, or 60. That's 10 less than 70. The 3 fingers on the right add back 3. So the answer is 70 − 10 + 3, which is 70 − 7 = 63: ten 7s minus one 7. The same thing happens with every finger, and it's also why the trick stops at 10. There are no more fingers to fold.

Patterns in the 9 times table

Once kids see these patterns, they may not need their fingers at all.

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

• The tens digit is one less than the number. In 9 × 6, the tens digit is 6 − 1 = 5.
• The two digits add up to 9. 5 + 4 = 9, so 9 × 6 = 54. This works all the way from 9 × 1 (0 + 9) to 9 × 10 (9 + 0).
• The answers come in mirror pairs. 18 and 81, 27 and 72, 36 and 63, 45 and 54.

Put the first two patterns together and you have a no-hands method. For 9 × 8: the tens digit is 8 − 1 = 7, and 7 + 2 = 9, so the ones digit is 2. The answer is 72.

What about 9 × 11 and 9 × 12?

The finger trick stops at 9 × 10, but the idea behind it keeps working. Use ×10 minus one group:

• 9 × 11 = 110 − 11 = 99
• 9 × 12 = 120 − 12 = 108

The digits-add-to-9 pattern changes here (9 + 9 = 18; 1 + 0 + 8 = 9), but one handy check still works for every multiple of 9: its digits add up to 9 or to another multiple of 9, such as 18. Keep in mind that ×11 and ×12 are common in schools but not part of the Common Core, whose 3rd-grade goal is knowing all products of two one-digit numbers from memory (3.OA.C.7).

Common mistakes (and quick fixes)

• Counting the folded finger. The folded finger is the divider. Count only the fingers standing up on each side.
• Reading the digits backward (36 instead of 63). The left side is always the tens, just like we read numbers left to right.
• Using the trick for other tables. It only works for 9s. For the 6s, 7s and 8s, see our times table tricks for 6, 7 and 8.
• Never moving past the fingers. The trick is a bridge. Once your child is confident, switch to the patterns and to ×10 minus one group, which also work beyond 9 × 10.

Ways to practice the 9s

• Hands, then no hands. Your child answers using the patterns first, then checks with their fingers.
• Mirror match. Write 18, 81, 27, 72, 36, 63, 45 and 54 on cards and find the pairs. Then name the fact for each card.
• Turn-arounds. Remind your child that 6 × 9 is the same as 9 × 6, so the trick covers those facts too.
• Mix it in. Once the 9s are easy, shuffle them with other tables, as in our plan for the fastest way to learn times tables.

Practice problems

Try these with fingers first, then with the patterns.

9 times table practice (with answers)

1. 9 × 2 = ?
2. 9 × 5 = ?
3. 9 × 8 = ?
4. 9 × 4 = ?
5. 6 × 9 = ?
6. 9 × 9 = ?
7. 7 × 9 = ?
8. 9 × 3 = ?
9. 9 × 10 = ?
10. 9 × ? = 72
11. 9 × 11 = ?
12. 9 × 12 = ?

Show answers

For more practice, print a multiplication chart and look for the 9s patterns, or try our multiplication worksheets. The full 9 times table page adds word problems and division facts. New to multiplication? Start with our guide to teaching multiplication.

Frequently asked questions

How does the 9 times table finger trick work?

Number your fingers 1 to 10 from left to right. To multiply 9 by a number from 1 to 10, fold down that finger. The fingers to the left of the folded one give the tens digit and the fingers to the right give the ones digit. For 9 × 4, fold finger 4: 3 fingers on the left and 6 on the right make 36.

Why does the 9 times table trick work?

Because 9 groups of a number is 10 groups minus one group. For 9 × 7, the 6 fingers on the left stand for 60, which is 10 less than 70, and the 3 fingers on the right add back 3. So you get 70 − 10 + 3 = 70 − 7 = 63, which is exactly 10 × 7 minus 7.

Does the finger trick work for 9 × 11 and 9 × 12?

No. You only have ten fingers, so the trick stops at 9 × 10. For bigger facts, use the strategy behind it: ×10 minus one group. 9 × 11 = 110 − 11 = 99 and 9 × 12 = 120 − 12 = 108.

What is the pattern in the 9 times table?

From 9 × 1 to 9 × 10, the tens digit goes up by 1 each time and the ones digit goes down by 1: 09, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, 81, 90. The tens digit is one less than the number you multiply by, and the two digits always add up to 9.

What age should kids learn the 9 times table trick?

Most children meet the 9s in 3rd grade, around ages 8 to 9, after they understand multiplication as equal groups. The trick is a great confidence boost, but explain why it works too, so your child can still find 9 × 6 without fingers and keep going past 9 × 10.

Is there a finger trick for other times tables?

None as simple as the 9s. There is a finger method for facts between 6 × 6 and 10 × 10, but it has more steps to remember. For the 6, 7 and 8 tables, strategies like ×5 plus one more group, or double, double, double for the 8s, usually work better.

Sources

• Common Core State Standards: Grade 3, Operations & Algebraic Thinking — CCSSI

Written by The Mathing Team for parents and teachers. Grade expectations follow the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics; your state or school may sequence skills a little differently.