Multiplying by 11 Trick
Fast & Visual Method
The 11 times table looks intimidating — until you see the pattern. Single digits repeat themselves. Double digits use a simple middle-digit trick. Once you see it, you can't unsee it.
The Two Rules:
Single digit × 11 → repeat the digit (6 × 11 = 66)
Double digit × 11 → split it, put the sum in the middle (25 × 11 = 275)
Part 1 — Single Digits
The simplest times table pattern in all of math
We need to find 11 × 6. Single digit numbers have a beautifully simple pattern.
11 × 6 = 66. The digit simply appears in both the tens and ones place.
11 × 6 = (10 × 6) + (1 × 6) = 60 + 6 = 66. The digit appears in both columns.
Works for 11 × 2 through 11 × 9 — always just double the digit.
Single Digit Examples
Just repeat the digit — works every time for 1–9
Part 2 — Double Digits
Split, add, insert — three moves and you're done
Split the number: take the first digit (2) and last digit (5) and put the sum in the middle.
For 25: write 2 on the left and 5 on the right, leaving a gap in the middle.
Add the first and last digit together. Place the sum in the middle.
If the middle sum is 10 or more, carry 1 to the left digit. Example: 11 × 85 → 8+5=13 → 935.
Double Digit Examples
Note how carrying works when the middle sum is 10 or more
Why This Works
11 = 10 + 1. So multiplying by 11 means adding one copy of the number to ten copies of it. That's why the digits "spread out" — one copy lands in the ones place, one in the tens place.
Once the trick makes sense, practice with our multiplication worksheets to build full fluency.
Multiplication & Division Foundations
GRADES 3–5
Tricks are great for getting unstuck — but real multiplication confidence comes from understanding equal groups, arrays, and the relationship between multiplication and division. This course builds that foundation from the ground up, then develops fact fluency on top of it. Every lesson tells you exactly what to say, what to watch for, and what to do when a child is stuck.
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