8 Times Table : multiplication, tricks and practice

The 8 times table is one of the harder tables, but it follows easily from the 4 or the 2 by doubling. It is less daunting than it looks.

The full 8 times table, from 8×1 to 8×12

Here is the 8 times table in full. Read it both ways : 8×3 = 24, but also 24 = 3×8. It is the same operation, and it is what saves you time once you already know the earlier tables.

8 × 18
8 × 216
8 × 324
8 × 432
8 × 540
8 × 648
8 × 756
8 × 864
8 × 972
8 × 1080
8 × 1188
8 × 1296

Three tricks that make the 8 times table easier

1. Double three times

8×n = 2×2×2×n. Example: 8×7 = 7→14→28→56. Three successive doublings, each one easy, rebuild any answer in the 8 times table.

2. Double the 4 times table

8×n = 2×(4×n). Example: 8×6 = 2×24 = 48. If you know the 4 times table, double it and you get the 8.

3. The units cycle

Multiples of 8 follow a steady cycle in the units: 8, 6, 4, 2, 0, 8, 6, 4, 2, 0. Knowing this rhythm helps you check an answer.

Memorise this: 8×8 = 64 is a key answer, used a lot in computing (one byte = 8 bits, and 2⁸ = 256). Worth knowing outright.

How to memorise the 8 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 8s out loud up to 96.
  2. Practise by doubling: 8×7 = 7 doubled three times = 56.
  3. Focus on 8×7 and 8×8, the most-missed.

Frequently asked questions about the 8 times table

How do you learn the 8 times table?

The simplest way is to double the 4 times table: 8×n = 2×(4×n). Example: 8×7 = 2×28 = 56. Or double three times starting from the number.

Why is the 8 times table seen as hard?

Because its answers are large and have no immediate visual pattern. But the link to the 4 times table (it is its double) makes it far more accessible than expected.

What is the trick for 8×8?

8×8 = 64. It is an answer to know outright, used a lot in computing (2⁸ = 256, one byte = 8 bits). Memorising it on its own saves time.