Twelve Times Table Tips

By Michael Hartley

Elsewhere on this site, I gave some general times tables tips. On this page, we'll zoom in on the twelve times table. You can use this page to show your kids the hidden patterns in the twelve times table, and make it easier for them to learn. If you can somehow get you kids to find these patterns for themselves, they'll remember them much longer than if you simply point the patterns out to them.

I've put the twelve times table below. By the way, this site also has some free printable times table charts for you to download, including the 12 times table.

12	x	1	=	12
12	x	2	=	24
12	x	3	=	36
12	x	4	=	48
12	x	5	=	60
12	x	6	=	72
12	x	7	=	84
12	x	8	=	96
12	x	9	=	108
12	x	10	=	120
12	x	11	=	132
12	x	12	=	144

Note first that 12 is 10 + 2, so 12 x something is 10 x something + 2 x something, Since the 10 and 2 times tables are often the first ones a child works out, they might be able to work out the twelve times table like this. Certainly the addition is easy enough for the first four rows in the table.

12	x	1	=	10	+	2	=	12
12	x	2	=	20	+	4	=	24
12	x	3	=	30	+	6	=	36
12	x	4	=	40	+	8	=	48

Notice the pattern of the tens digits
1, 2, 3, 4
And of the ones digits
2, 4, 6, 8

The pattern in the ones digits continues forever :

2, 4, 6, 8, 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 0, 2, 4, etc, etc
Notice this in the table below.

12	x	1	=	12
12	x	2	=	24
12	x	3	=	36
12	x	4	=	48
12	x	5	=	60
12	x	6	=	72
12	x	7	=	84
12	x	8	=	96
12	x	9	=	108
12	x	10	=	120
12	x	11	=	132
12	x	12	=	144

As for the tens digits, they go up by 1 with each new row, but every fifth row, they get boosted by an extra one. You can see this in the table below.

12	x	1	=	12
12	x	2	=	24
12	x	3	=	36
12	x	4	=	48
12	x	5	=	60
12	x	6	=	72
12	x	7	=	84
12	x	8	=	96
12	x	9	=	108
12	x	10	=	120
12	x	11	=	132
12	x	12	=	144
12	x	13	=	156
12	x	14	=	168
12	x	15	=	180

Another way to remember this is as follows. twelve times 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4,
begin with 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4,
and end in 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8. but then,
twelve times 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9,
begin with 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10,
and end in 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8.
and then twelve times 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14,
begin with 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16,
and end in 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8.
and so on. Can you guess the pattern for 12 times 15, 16, 17 18 and 19? Then check with a calculator!

To close, I'll give some times tables questions. Work them out, and you'll see you the twelve times table is related to many many others!

What is 12 x 1 ?	_______	6 x 2 ?	_______	4 x 3 ?	_______	3 x 4 ?
What is 12 x 2 ?	_______	6 x 4 ?	_______	4 x 6 ?	_______	3 x 8 ?
What is 12 x 3 ?	_______	6 x 6 ?	_______	4 x 9 ?	_______	3 x 12 ?
What is 12 x 4 ?	_______	6 x 8 ?	_______	4 x 12 ?	_______	3 x 16 ?
What is 12 x 5 ?	_______	6 x 10 ?	_______	4 x 15 ?	_______	3 x 20 ?
What is 12 x 6 ?	_______	6 x 12 ?	_______	4 x 18 ?	_______	3 x 24 ?
What is 12 x 7 ?	_______	6 x 14 ?	_______	4 x 21 ?	_______	3 x 28 ?
What is 12 x 8 ?	_______	6 x 16 ?	_______	4 x 24 ?	_______	3 x 32 ?