Doubles facts

The doubles facts from 1 + 1 to 10 + 10, and how near doubles like 6 + 7 make hard facts easy.

🧒 Kids: learn your doubles!

Say the doubles out loud. Then tap Practice!

▶ Practice ⏱️ 1-minute challenge 🎮 Addition games

The doubles

  1. 1 + 1 = 2
  2. 2 + 2 = 4
  3. 3 + 3 = 6
  4. 4 + 4 = 8
  5. 5 + 5 = 10
  6. 6 + 6 = 12
  7. 7 + 7 = 14
  8. 8 + 8 = 16
  9. 9 + 9 = 18
  10. 10 + 10 = 20

💡 Trick: 6 + 6 = 12, so 6 + 7 is one more: 13!

More facts: Within 5 · Counting on · Within 10 · Make 10 · Doubles · Within 20

For parents and teachers ↓

This part is for grown-ups: the trick that makes these facts easy, pictures to draw, what to say, common mistakes, questions with answers and a free worksheet.

The trick: doubles, then near doubles

Doubles are the easiest facts to remember, partly because they appear in real life: two hands, egg boxes, spider legs. Once your child knows them, near doubles follow. When two numbers are next to each other, like 7 + 8, double the smaller and add 1.

Patterns to spot

See it: pictures to draw with your child

Draw these on paper or a whiteboard. Seeing the counters makes the fact stick.

6 + 6: two equal groups of 6. Doubles always make an even number: 12.
6 + 7 is a near double: 6 + 6 = 12 and one more makes 13.

Facts you already know

There are 10 doubles to 10 + 10 and 9 near doubles, so doubles help with 19 of the single-digit facts. Many children know 5 + 5 and 10 + 10 already, which leaves just a few doubles to learn: 6 + 6, 7 + 7, 8 + 8 and 9 + 9.

In real life: Doubles are everywhere: 2 hands of 5 fingers, an egg box with 6 + 6, a spider with 4 + 4 legs, a dice with 6 + 6 dots. Point them out and say the double.

Worked examples

Example 1: 8 + 8

  1. Think of two hands of 5 and three more on each: 5 + 5 = 10 and 3 + 3 = 6.
  2. 10 + 6 = 16.
  3. Or picture two egg boxes of 8.
  4. Either way, 8 + 8 = 16.

Example 2: 6 + 7, a near double

  1. 6 and 7 are next to each other.
  2. Double the smaller number: 6 + 6 = 12.
  3. 7 is one more than 6, so add 1: 13.
  4. So 6 + 7 = 13.

Example 3: 8 + 7, one less

  1. 8 and 7 are next to each other.
  2. Some children double the bigger number instead: 8 + 8 = 16, and 7 is one less than 8, so take 1: 15.
  3. Both ways work.

Common mistakes

Doubling one number but not the otherNear double 7 + 8: says 16 (double 8) and adds 1 to get 17.Fix: double the smaller number and add 1: 7 + 7 = 14, plus 1 = 15.
Confusing doubles with times 2 laterThinks 6 + 6 and 6 × 6 are the same.Fix: 6 + 6 is 2 groups of 6 (12); 6 × 6 is 6 groups of 6 (36).
Guessing an odd answer for a doubleSays 7 + 7 = 15.Fix: doubles are always even. Check: 7 + 7 = 14.

What to say to your child

A short script for your first session. Pause after each line and let your child answer.

  1. “Hold up both hands. How many fingers on each?” (5.)
  2. “So 5 + 5 is…?” (10!) “That is a double.”
  3. “What is 6 + 6? Think of an egg box.” (12.)
  4. “Now 6 + 7. It is one more than 6 + 6.” (13!)
  5. “Double the smaller number, then add 1. That is a near double.”

Questions to try (answers below)

Ask these out loud or write them down. The last one is a stretch.

  1. 3 + 3
  2. 7 + 7
  3. 9 + 9
  4. 4 + 5
  5. 6 + 7
  6. 8 + 9
  7. 5 + 4
  8. A spider has 4 legs on each side. How many legs?
  9. Stretch: 15 + 15
Show the answers
  1. 6
  2. 14
  3. 18
  4. 9
  5. 13
  6. 17
  7. 9
  8. 8
  9. 30

Games to play at home

Double dice

Roll one die and double the number. Roll two and spot when you get a double.

Mirror game

Put 4 blocks in front of a mirror. How many can you see altogether?

Doubles song

Make up a chant for the doubles: “6 and 6 is 12, egg box on the shelf.”

A 5-day plan for doubles facts

Ten minutes a day is enough. Short, regular practice helps facts stick far better than one long session.

Next week, repeat the round in the practice tool and compare the fact map. When most facts are green, move on to the next page.

By grade

Grade 1 (1.OA.C.6) uses doubles and near doubles as strategies for facts within 20. Grade 2 (2.OA.B.2) knows all sums of two one-digit numbers from memory. In India, doubles appear in class 1 and 2 maths.

More for each grade: Grade 1 math and the CBSE class 1 maths guide; Grade 2 math and the CBSE class 2 maths guide.

What comes next

Doubles lead in two directions. They help with addition within 20 through near doubles, and they prepare for multiplication: doubling is the same as multiplying by 2, and doubling twice is multiplying by 4. Halving, the reverse of doubling, is the first step towards fractions.

Worksheet and more practice

Print a free worksheet with an answer key, or keep practicing online with the addition practice trainer.

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More: addition for kids · addition facts strategies · addition chart · number bonds

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Questions parents ask

What are doubles facts?

Addition facts where both numbers are the same, like 4 + 4 = 8 or 7 + 7 = 14. They are among the easiest facts to remember.

What are near doubles?

Facts where the two numbers are next to each other, like 6 + 7. Double the smaller number and add 1: 6 + 6 + 1 = 13.

Why are doubles facts important?

Children remember them easily, and they unlock the near doubles, which cover many of the harder facts within 20.

Are doubles always even?

Yes. A double is two equal groups, so it can always be shared fairly between two, which makes it even.

What grade learns doubles facts?

Grade 1 learns doubles as a strategy (Common Core 1.OA.C.6), and grade 2 knows them from memory (2.OA.B.2).