Why Do Times Tables Stop at 12?
By the TimesTable.co team · Updated · 3 min read
Times tables don't really stop anywhere: there is a 13 times table, a 47 times table and so on forever. Stopping at 12 is a choice that schools made, and it's a surprisingly old one. Where the line is drawn depends on the country, and the reasons say a lot about how people used to count money and measure things. If your child is working on the last table in the grid, the 12 times table practice is the place to start.
Why do times tables go up to 12?
Mostly because of money. Before decimalisation on 15 February 1971, Britain had 12 pennies in a shilling and 20 shillings in a pound. Every shopping sum needed the 12s: 7 items at a shilling each was 84 pence, or 7 shillings. Children learnt up to 12 × 12 because daily life needed it.
Plenty of other things come in 12s as well:
- Dozens and grosses: eggs by the dozen, and a gross is 12 dozen, which is 12 × 12 = 144.
- Imperial measures: 12 inches in a foot.
- Time: 12 hours on a clock face and 12 months in a year (see the 24-hour clock explained).
Why is 12 such a useful number?
12 can be shared in lots of ways. It divides exactly by 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12, so a dozen splits into halves, thirds, quarters or sixths with nothing left over. Ten only divides by 1, 2, 5 and 10, so a third of 10 is awkward. That's why traders and measurers liked 12, and why it lasted so long in money and units.
Do all countries stop at 12?
No. Where children stop depends on where they go to school:
| Country | Where tables usually stop |
|---|---|
| England | 12 × 12 by the end of Year 4 (since the 2014 curriculum; before that 10 × 10) |
| United States | Single-digit facts by the end of Grade 3 (Common Core); many schools still teach to 12 |
| Germany, France and much of Europe | 10 × 10 (in German, the "kleines Einmaleins") |
| China and Japan | 9 × 9, chanted as the nine-nine table |
| India | Often up to 20 × 20 |
Countries that went fully metric long ago tend to stop at 10. For the details of each system, see times tables by year group (England) and multiplication facts by grade (US).
Why does England still expect 12 × 12?
The 2014 national curriculum raised the bar from 10 × 10 to 12 × 12, and the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check tests facts up to 12 × 12. The argument for it is that the 11s and 12s are still useful for time, dozens and fractions, and that knowing more multiples makes division and simplifying fractions quicker. Some maths educators argue the other way: once a child knows 10 × 10 well, the 11s and 12s can be worked out in seconds. Both sides agree on the bigger point, which is that understanding matters more than where the grid ends.
Is there a trick for the 12 times table?
Yes: split 12 into 10 and 2. Multiply by 10, multiply by 2, and add. For 12 × 7, that's 70 + 14 = 84. For 12 × 9, it's 90 + 18 = 108. Children who know their 2s and 10s already have everything they need. The full method, with clocks, eggs and months as memory hooks, is in how to learn the 12 times table, and the printable times table chart shows the whole grid up to 12 × 12.
Should children learn times tables past 12?
Only once 1 to 12 are quick and reliable. After that, the 13 to 20 tables are a good stretch and use the same 10-plus-the-rest idea: 16 × 7 = 70 + 42 = 112. See times tables 13 to 20 or jump into the 13 times table. The times table grid can show every fact up to 20 × 20.
For younger children, where the grid stops matters much less than whether they understand what the facts mean. If that's where your child is, start with how to teach multiplication to kids.
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Frequently asked questions
Why do times tables stop at 12?
Because of history, not maths. British money had 12 pennies in a shilling until 1971, and dozens, inches and hours all come in 12s, so knowing up to 12 × 12 was useful every day.
When did schools in England change from 10 × 10 to 12 × 12?
The national curriculum introduced in 2014 expects all times tables up to 12 × 12 by the end of Year 4. Before that, the expectation was 10 × 10.
Do American children learn times tables to 12?
The Common Core standard only requires all products of two single-digit numbers by the end of Grade 3, but many US schools and charts still go up to 12.
Why do some countries only learn up to 9 × 9?
In China and Japan children chant the nine-nine table, which stops at 9 × 9. Anything bigger is worked out using place value, for example 12 × 7 as 10 × 7 plus 2 × 7.
What is 12 × 12?
12 × 12 = 144, which is also called a gross. It is the last fact in the standard times table grid.
Is there a 13 times table?
Yes. Times tables go on forever; 12 is just where most schools stop. The 13 to 20 tables are a good stretch once 1 to 12 are secure.
Why is 12 such a useful number?
12 can be split into halves, thirds, quarters and sixths without fractions, because it divides by 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12. Ten only splits into halves and fifths.