How to Learn the 7 Times Table (The Tricky One)
By the TimesTable.co team · Updated · 3 min read
Ask a class which times table is hardest and most hands go up for the 7s. There's no neat pattern to lean on, the answers look unrelated, and facts like 7 × 8 are easy to muddle. But the 7 times table has a secret: if the other tables are learnt first, there's almost nothing left to learn.
What is the 7 times table?
| Fact | Answer | Fact | Answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 × 7 | 7 | 7 × 7 | 49 |
| 2 × 7 | 14 | 8 × 7 | 56 |
| 3 × 7 | 21 | 9 × 7 | 63 |
| 4 × 7 | 28 | 10 × 7 | 70 |
| 5 × 7 | 35 | 11 × 7 | 77 |
| 6 × 7 | 42 | 12 × 7 | 84 |
How much of the 7 times table does your child already know?
Because 7 × 3 is the same fact as 3 × 7, every table your child has learnt already contains a 7s fact. Go through them together:
- From the 2s: 7 × 2 = 14. From the 5s: 7 × 5 = 35. From the 10s: 7 × 10 = 70.
- From the 3s, 4s, 6s, 8s and 9s: 21, 28, 42, 56 and 63.
- From the 11s: 7 × 11 = 77.
Circle the known ones on a printed times table chart. Seeing that only two squares are left (7 × 7 and 7 × 12) is a huge confidence boost.
What is the 5 + 2 trick for the 7 times table?
Seven is five and two. So to multiply by 7, multiply by 5 and by 2, then add:
- 7 × 6 → 5 × 6 = 30, 2 × 6 = 12 → 42
- 7 × 8 → 5 × 8 = 40, 2 × 8 = 16 → 56
- 7 × 9 → 5 × 9 = 45, 2 × 9 = 18 → 63
The dot arrays in the multiplication visualiser make this split visible: seven rows are five rows and two rows stacked together.
How do you remember 7 × 7 and 7 × 8?
7 × 8 = 56 has a famous hook: say "5, 6, 7, 8". The answer 56 comes first, then 7 × 8. 7 × 7 = 49 is a square number; some children remember "7 and 7 went to the shops and bought 49 sweets". Silly stories work because they're memorable.
Which 7s facts get muddled?
The usual confusions are 7 × 8 (56) with 6 × 8 (48) and 8 × 8 (64), and 7 × 6 (42) with 7 × 7 (49). Practise these side by side so your child learns to tell them apart. Smart practice spots when a fact is shaky and brings it back more often.
How should my child practise the 7s?
- Count up in 7s on the number line to see the jumps.
- Practise the 7s out of order with 7 times table practice.
- Play memory match with the 7s to pair facts with answers.
- Keep going little and often. See why 5 minutes a day works.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the 7 times table so hard?
It has no easy pattern like the 2s, 5s or 10s, and its answers (21, 28, 42, 49, 56, 63) are not linked by an obvious rule. It is also often learnt last, when children are more tired of times tables.
What is the 7 times table up to 12?
7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70, 77, 84.
How do I remember 7 × 8?
Use the sequence 5, 6, 7, 8: the answer 56 comes first, then 7 × 8. So 56 = 7 × 8.
What is the trick for the 7 times table?
Split 7 into 5 and 2. Multiply the other number by 5 and by 2 and add the answers: 7 × 6 is 30 + 12 = 42.
Which 7 times table facts do children get wrong most?
7 × 8 = 56, 7 × 6 = 42 and 7 × 7 = 49 are the most common mistakes, often mixed up with 6 × 8 = 48 or 8 × 8 = 64.
Should the 7 times table be learnt last?
Nearly last is best. By then your child already knows most 7s facts from other tables, leaving only 7 × 7 and 7 × 12 as genuinely new facts.