7 Times Table : multiplication, tricks and practice

The 7 times table has a reputation as the hardest to learn. It follows no simple visual pattern, but a couple of clever splits make it far more approachable.

The full 7 times table, from 7×1 to 7×12

Here is the 7 times table in full. Read it both ways : 7×3 = 21, but also 21 = 3×7. It is the same operation, and it is what saves you time once you already know the earlier tables.

7 × 17
7 × 214
7 × 321
7 × 428
7 × 535
7 × 642
7 × 749
7 × 856
7 × 963
7 × 1070
7 × 1177
7 × 1284

Three tricks that make the 7 times table easier

1. Split into the 5 times table + the 2 times table

7×n = 5×n + 2×n. Example: 7×8 = 40 + 16 = 56. The 5 and 2 times tables are very easy: combine them and you rebuild the 7 without rote learning.

2. Start from the previous answer

The 7 times table goes up in 7s. If you know that 7×6 = 42, then 7×7 = 42 + 7 = 49. Useful for getting past a block.

3. Memorise the key answers

A few answers are worth knowing outright because they come up so often: 7×7 = 49, 7×8 = 56, 7×9 = 63. They are the three most-missed, so focus there.

The 7×8 trick: 56 = 7×8, and 5, 6, 7, 8 are four numbers in a row (5-6-7-8). A small memory hook for the single most-missed answer in all the tables.

How to memorise the 7 times table in two weeks

Learning a times table is not about being clever, it is about spaced repetition. The brain holds on to information long-term when it reviews it just before forgetting, not by repeating it fifty times in one evening.

  1. Count in 7s out loud up to 84.
  2. Practise the split: 7×n = 5×n + 2×n.
  3. Focus on the three hard answers: 7×7, 7×8, 7×9.

Frequently asked questions about the 7 times table

How do you learn the 7 times table?

Split it into the 5 times table plus the 2 times table: 7×n = 5×n + 2×n. Example: 7×6 = 30 + 12 = 42. This avoids rote-learning a table with no pattern.

Why is the 7 times table the hardest?

Because 7 is a prime number and its multiples follow no visual pattern in the units. It is the only table with no obvious shortcut, hence its reputation. In the UK, it is one of the most-tested in the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check.

What is the trick for 7×8?

7×8 = 56. Memory hook: the digits 5, 6, 7, 8 run in order (56 = 7×8). It is the most-missed answer in all the tables, so it is worth learning on its own.