4 Times Table: Chart, Doubling Trick & Practice

Quick answer

The 4 times table is 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, 36, 40, 44 and 48. The trick: double, then double again. For 4 × 7, double 7 is 14 and double 14 is 28. Every answer is even, and the ones digits repeat 4, 8, 2, 6, 0. Kids usually learn the 4s in 3rd grade, together with the 3s.

The 4 times table chart

The third column shows the double-double trick for every fact. Have your child say the doubles out loud: “7, 14, 28.” After a few days, the middle step starts to disappear and the answer comes straight away.

The 4 times table, from 4 × 1 to 4 × 12
Fact	Answer	Double, then double again
4 × 1	4	1 → 2 → 4
4 × 2	8	2 → 4 → 8
4 × 3	12	3 → 6 → 12
4 × 4	16	4 → 8 → 16
4 × 5	20	5 → 10 → 20
4 × 6	24	6 → 12 → 24
4 × 7	28	7 → 14 → 28
4 × 8	32	8 → 16 → 32
4 × 9	36	9 → 18 → 36
4 × 10	40	10 → 20 → 40
4 × 11	44	11 → 22 → 44
4 × 12	48	12 → 24 → 48

4 × 14
4 × 28
4 × 312
4 × 416
4 × 520
4 × 624
4 × 728
4 × 832
4 × 936
4 × 1040
4 × 1144
4 × 1248

Counting by 4s: the ones digits go 4, 8, 2, 6, 0 and repeat.

The double-double trick

Four groups is two groups, twice. So to multiply by 4, double the number and then double the answer:

4 × 6: 6 → 12 → 24
4 × 8: 8 → 16 → 32
4 × 9: 9 → 18 → 36
4 × 12: 12 → 24 → 48

4 × 6: 2 rows of 6 (12) and 2 more rows of 6 (12), 24 in all

If your child already knows the 2s fact, they only need one doubling: 2 × 9 = 18, so 4 × 9 is double 18. To double a two-digit number in your head, double the tens and the ones separately: double 18 is double 10 (20) plus double 8 (16), which makes 36.

Why every answer in the 4s is even

The Common Core uses this very table as an example of a pattern third graders should notice and explain: 4 times a number is always even (3.OA.D.9). The reason is the trick itself. Four groups always split into two equal halves of two groups each, so 4 × 7 = 28, which is 14 + 14. A number made of two equal parts is even.

The 4s are also every other number in the 2s: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16… Counting by 2s and clapping on every second number is a fun way to hear the 4s.

The ones digits run in a loop of five: 4, 8, 2, 6, 0. Use it as a check: a 4s answer that ends in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9 is always wrong.

Quarters: the 4s with real money

Four quarters make a dollar, so the 4s turn into money: 3 dollars is 3 × 4 = 12 quarters, and 7 dollars is 7 × 4 = 28 quarters. Give your child a handful of quarters and ask them to build dollars. “How many quarters in 5 dollars?” becomes counting 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, which is skip counting by 4s with real coins in hand.

Facts your child already knows from easier tables

Thanks to the turn-around rule, 4 × 3 is the same fact as 3 × 4, so every table your child learned earlier already covers part of the 4s. In our recommended order, the 4s come after the 1s, 2s, 10s, 5s and 3s, so 5 of the 12 facts are already known.

4 × 1 = 4from the 1s
4 × 2 = 8from the 2s
4 × 3 = 12from the 3s
4 × 4 = 16new · square
4 × 5 = 20from the 5s
4 × 6 = 24new
4 × 7 = 28new
4 × 8 = 32new
4 × 9 = 36new
4 × 10 = 40from the 10s
4 × 11 = 44with the 11s
4 × 12 = 48with the 12s

already knownnewonly if your school teaches the 11s and 12s

New in the 4s: 4 × 4 and 4 × 6 through 4 × 9, plus 4 × 11 = 44 and 4 × 12 = 48 if your child's school teaches the 11s and 12s.

4 × 4 = 16 is the first new square fact: 4 rows of 4 make a perfect square. And the 4s pay forward: by the time your child reaches the 6s, 7s, 8s and 9s, 6 × 4, 7 × 4, 8 × 4 and 9 × 4 will already be known.

Common mistakes with the 4s (and quick fixes)

Doubling only once. Answering 14 for 4 × 7. That's 2 × 7. Say the full trick: “double, then double again.”
Doubling three times. Answering 56 for 4 × 7. That's the 8s trick: 4 is two doublings, 8 is three.
Mixing up neighbors. 4 × 8 and 4 × 9 (32 and 36), or 4 × 6 and 4 × 7 (24 and 28). Practice them as a ladder that adds 4 each time.
Adding instead of multiplying. Answering 10 for 4 × 6. Draw 4 circles with 6 dots in each.

The 4 times table in real life

Fours are easy to find: wheels on a car, legs on a chair or a dog, seasons in a year and quarters in a dollar.

A race car has 4 wheels. How many wheels are on 6 race cars?

6 × 4 = 24 wheels.

There are 9 chairs around the table, and each chair has 4 legs. How many chair legs are there?

9 × 4 = 36 legs.

Four quarters make a dollar. How many quarters are in 7 dollars?

7 × 4 = 28 quarters.

The dogs at the park have 32 legs in all. Each dog has 4 legs. How many dogs are there?

32 ÷ 4 = 8 dogs, because 8 × 4 = 32.

Tap a story to see the answer. Ask your child to draw a quick picture first: groups, an array or a number line.

4 times table practice

Ten questions, mixed on purpose: some are turned around, and some have a missing number, like 4 × ? = 32. Tap a question to check the answer, and ask your child which trick they used. Finding a missing factor is how third graders start to think about division (3.OA.A.4).

4 × 3 = ?
4 × 3 = 12
4 × 6 = ?
4 × 6 = 24
7 × 4 = ?
7 × 4 = 28
4 × ? = 32
4 × 8 = 32
? × 4 = 36
9 × 4 = 36
4 × 4 = ?
4 × 4 = 16
4 × 12 = ?
4 × 12 = 48
4 × ? = 20
4 × 5 = 20
? × 4 = 44
11 × 4 = 44
4 × 10 = ?
4 × 10 = 40

Division facts for the 4s

Division by 4 has its own trick: halve, then halve again. For 28 ÷ 4, half of 28 is 14 and half of 14 is 7.

4 × 8 = 32
8 × 4 = 32
32 ÷ 8 = 4
32 ÷ 4 = 8

One fact family: two multiplication facts and two division facts

24 ÷ 4 = ?
24 ÷ 4 = 6
32 ÷ 4 = ?
32 ÷ 4 = 8
28 ÷ 4 = ?
28 ÷ 4 = 7
36 ÷ 9 = ?
36 ÷ 9 = 4
48 ÷ 4 = ?
48 ÷ 4 = 12
20 ÷ ? = 5
20 ÷ 4 = 5

Want a printed set? Our times tables worksheets and division facts worksheets come with answer keys.

Frequently asked questions

What is the trick for the 4 times table?

Double the number, then double it again. For 4 × 8 = 32: double 8 is 16, double 16 is 32. It works because 4 groups is the same as 2 groups, twice.

What is 4 times 7?

4 × 7 = 28. Double 7 is 14, and double 14 is 28. It's also the number of days in 4 weeks, the length of February in most years.

Why are all the answers in the 4 times table even?

Because 4 groups always split into two equal halves: 4 × 9 = 36, which is 18 + 18. Any number made of two equal parts is even. The Common Core uses this exact pattern as a 3rd-grade example of explaining patterns in the multiplication table.

How do I help my child learn the 4 times table?

Make sure the 2s are solid first, then practice the double-double trick out loud for a few minutes a day. Use real fours: car wheels, chair legs and quarters. Mix in facts your child already knows, like 4 × 5 = 20 and 4 × 10 = 40, so every session has easy wins.

What is 4 times 12?

4 × 12 = 48. Double 12 is 24 and double 24 is 48. That's also 4 dozen, or the number of inches in 4 feet.

Should kids learn the 3s or the 4s first?

Either order works. Most plans teach them together after the 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s, because ×3 builds on doubling (double plus one more group) and ×4 is doubling twice. Some kids find the 4s easier, since every answer is even.

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.