The 11 Times Table Trick, Including 11 × 11 and 11 × 12
By the TimesTable.co team · Updated · 3 min read
The 11 times table is the one children usually enjoy, because the first nine answers are so easy (22, 33, 44) that it feels like cheating. The only tricky part is what happens after 11 × 9, when the pattern changes. Here's how to handle both halves, plus a party trick for multiplying 11 by bigger numbers.
What is the 11 times table?
| Fact | Answer | Fact | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 × 11 | 11 | 7 × 11 | 77 |
| 2 × 11 | 22 | 8 × 11 | 88 |
| 3 × 11 | 33 | 9 × 11 | 99 |
| 4 × 11 | 44 | 10 × 11 | 110 |
| 5 × 11 | 55 | 11 × 11 | 121 |
| 6 × 11 | 66 | 12 × 11 | 132 |
Why does the repeating-digit trick work?
Eleven is 10 + 1. So 11 × 7 is 10 × 7 (70) plus 1 × 7 (7), which is 77: the digit appears once in the tens and once in the ones. That works until the number itself has two digits.
How do you work out 11 × 10, 11 × 11 and 11 × 12?
Use the same 10 + 1 idea, written out:
- 11 × 10 = 100 + 10 = 110
- 11 × 11 = 110 + 11 = 121
- 11 × 12 = 120 + 12 = 132
A common mistake is writing 11 × 12 as "1212". Seeing the 10 + 1 split on a dot array in the multiplication visualiser shows why that can't be right.
What is the trick for 11 × a two-digit number?
Older children love this one. To multiply 11 by a two-digit number, split its digits and put their sum in the middle:
- 11 × 23: 2 _ 3, with 2 + 3 = 5 in the middle → 253
- 11 × 45: 4 _ 5, with 9 in the middle → 495
- 11 × 57: 5 + 7 = 12, so put 2 in the middle and carry 1 onto the 5 → 627
It's a great way to practise place value, and you can check each answer with long multiplication.
When should children learn the 11s?
Thanks to the easy pattern, the 11s can come fairly early (after the 10s, 2s and 5s), and they give a quick confidence boost before harder tables. See what order to learn times tables in for a full sequence.
How should my child practise the 11 times table?
- Spot the double-digit pattern on the times table grid.
- Practise 11 × 10, 11 × 11 and 11 × 12 separately, since that's where mistakes happen.
- Use 11 times table practice in mixed order.
- Add them to smart practice with the other tables, and try more times tables tricks.
Next, try the 12 times table, which uses a similar "10 plus a bit" idea, or print a times table chart to spot the 11s pattern on paper.
Frequently asked questions
What is the trick for the 11 times table?
For 11 × 1 to 11 × 9, write the number twice: 11 × 4 = 44. For bigger numbers, multiply by 10 and add the number once more.
What is 11 × 11?
11 × 11 = 121. Work it out as 11 × 10 = 110, plus one more 11, which makes 121.
What is 11 × 12?
11 × 12 = 132. Multiply 12 by 10 to get 120, then add 12 to get 132.
What is the 11 times table up to 12?
11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, 99, 110, 121, 132.
How do you multiply 11 by a two-digit number?
Split the digits apart and put their sum in the middle. For 11 × 36, 3 + 6 = 9, so the answer is 396. If the sum is 10 or more, carry the 1 to the left digit.
Why does the 11 trick stop working at 11 × 10?
The repeating-digit pattern only works for single-digit numbers. 11 × 10 is 110, not 1010, because 11 lots of 10 is 10 lots of 10 plus one more 10.