Basic Math Vocabulary Worksheets

Q: What are basic math vocabulary words?

They are the names for the parts of a problem and for numbers and shapes: addend and sum, difference, factor and product, dividend, divisor and quotient, then digit, place value, numerator, denominator, perimeter, area and vertex.

Q: What is the difference between a factor and a product?

Factors are the numbers that are multiplied. The product is the result. In 3 × 6 = 18, the factors are 3 and 6 and the product is 18.

Q: Do the worksheets have an answer key?

Yes. A key prints behind each sheet. It can be left out: uncheck Add an answer key as the last page under More options.

Press Print worksheet to match twelve operation words, from addend to remainder, to their meanings.

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Next step Next: the words that signal an operation

All 48 terms

The four operations 12

addend Any of the numbers put together in an addition. In 4 + 5 = 9, the addends are 4 and 5.
difference What is left when one number is taken from another. In 9 − 4 = 5, the difference is 5.
dividend The number that gets shared out in a division. In 20 ÷ 4 = 5, the dividend is 20.
divisor The number that does the dividing. In 20 ÷ 4 = 5, the divisor is 4.
factor A number that is multiplied by another. In 3 × 6 = 18, the factors are 3 and 6.
long division A written way to divide large numbers step by step. 936 ÷ 4 can be worked by long division.
multiplication table A chart that shows the products of pairs of numbers. The 7 row of the table shows 7, 14, 21.
number sentence Numbers and signs written like a sentence. 4 + 5 = 9 is a number sentence.
product The result of multiplying numbers. In 3 × 6 = 18, the product is 18.
quotient The result of dividing one number by another. In 20 ÷ 4 = 5, the quotient is 5.
remainder The part that cannot be shared out evenly in a division. 23 ÷ 4 = 5 remainder 3.
sum The total you get by adding numbers. In 4 + 5 = 9, the sum is 9.

Show all 48 terms (36 more)

Numbers 12

digit One numeral, 0 through 9, in a written number. 482 has three digits.
even number A whole number that 2 divides with nothing left over. 14 and 30 are even numbers.
expanded form A number written as the sum of the values of its digits. 482 = 400 + 80 + 2.
greater than Larger in value; the sign is >. 9 > 4.
less than Smaller in value; the sign is <. 4 < 9.
multiple A number found in the times table of another number. 5, 10 and 15 are multiples of 5.
odd number A whole number that 2 does not divide evenly. 15 and 31 are odd numbers.
ordinal number A number that tells position, such as first or fifth. 3rd is an ordinal number.
place value The worth a digit gets from its position in a number. In 482, the 8 is worth 80.
rounding Swapping a number for a nearby one that is easier to use. 48 rounds to 50.
skip counting Counting forward by a number other than 1. 5, 10, 15, 20 is skip counting by fives.
whole number 0 or any counting number, with no fraction part. 0, 7 and 120 are whole numbers.

Fractions and measures 12

area How many unit squares fit inside a flat shape. A 3 by 4 rectangle has an area of 12 square units.
common denominator One denominator shared by two or more fractions. 1/4 and 3/4 have a common denominator.
denominator The number under the line: how many parts make one whole. In 3/4, the denominator is 4.
elapsed time How much time passes from start to finish. From 2:00 to 2:45 the elapsed time is 45 minutes.
fraction A number that names some of the equal parts of a whole. 3/4 means 3 of 4 equal pieces.
improper fraction A fraction equal to 1 or more, such as 7/4. 7/4 = 1 3/4.
mixed number A number with a whole part and a fraction part, like 2 1/2. 3 1/4 is a mixed number.
numerator The number above the line of a fraction; it counts the parts. In 3/4, the numerator is 3.
perimeter The length of the border of a flat shape. A 3 by 4 rectangle has a perimeter of 14.
simplest form A fraction whose top and bottom share no factor but 1. 2/4 in simplest form is 1/2.
square inch The area of a square with sides one inch long. A card 2 inches by 3 inches covers 6 square inches.
unit fraction A fraction with 1 above the line. 1/4 is a unit fraction.

Shapes and data 12

bar graph A graph that compares amounts with bars of different lengths. The tallest bar shows the largest amount.
line of symmetry A line that folds a shape into two matching halves. A square has 4 lines of symmetry.
line plot Data shown as X marks stacked over a number line. Three X marks over the 6 show three sixes.
line segment The straight path between two points. Each side of a square is a line segment.
parallel lines Lines side by side that never cross. The two rails of a straight track are parallel lines.
perpendicular lines Lines that cross to make square corners. The lines of a plus sign are perpendicular lines.
pictograph A graph in which each little drawing counts for an amount. Each apple picture stands for 2 apples.
right angle An angle of 90 degrees, a quarter of a full turn. A square has 4 right angles.
tally mark A small stroke drawn to keep count, bundled in fives. Four strokes and a slash show 5.
three-dimensional Not flat: it has depth as well as length and width. A box is three-dimensional.
two-dimensional Flat: it has length and width only. A square is two-dimensional.
vertex A corner of a shape, formed by two of its sides. A triangle has 3 vertices.

How this list was compiled: Term list chosen for this site on 2026-10-02. Each meaning is written in our own words and was checked that day against the term's entry in Wiktionary, the free dictionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license, and, for the terms with no entry of their own (skip counting, simplest form, parallel lines, perpendicular lines, line of symmetry), against the articles Skip counting, Irreducible fraction, Parallel (geometry), Right angle and Reflection symmetry in English Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. The example after each meaning is our own. Licence: own work

How it works

These basic math vocabulary worksheets print twelve terms down the left and their meanings, mixed up, down the right. Four sets for grades 2 to 5 cover the four operations, numbers, fractions and measures, and shapes and data.

Read the full guide

Four sets of twelve

Set opens on The four operations: addend, sum, difference, factor, product, dividend, divisor, quotient and remainder among them. Numbers has digit, place value and multiple. Fractions and measures has numerator, denominator, perimeter and area. Shapes and data has vertex, right angle and bar graph.

An example in numbers

Under the tool each term has an example with numbers: In 20 ÷ 4 = 5, the dividend is 20. The sheet itself prints words and meanings. Your own term = meaning lines, typed in the box, replace ours.

Pairs cuts the sheet to 4, 5, 6, 8 or 10 terms for a younger class.

Questions and answers

What are basic math vocabulary words?

They are the names for the parts of a problem and for numbers and shapes: addend and sum, difference, factor and product, dividend, divisor and quotient, then digit, place value, numerator, denominator, perimeter, area and vertex.

What is the difference between a factor and a product?

Factors are the numbers that are multiplied. The product is the result. In 3 × 6 = 18, the factors are 3 and 6 and the product is 18.

Do the worksheets have an answer key?

Yes. A key prints behind each sheet. It can be left out: uncheck Add an answer key as the last page under More options.

All 48 terms

The four operations 12

Numbers 12

Fractions and measures 12

Shapes and data 12

How it works

Four sets of twelve

An example in numbers

Questions and answers

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