Free 11+ lesson · Maths
Place Value to 10,000
11+ Maths · Year 4 · Week 1 · 3:40
Maths lessons (1)
Chapters (11)
Also on YouTube (opens in a new tab).
What your child will learn
In this lesson you will learn what each digit in a four-digit number is worth, how to write numbers in words and figures, and how to find 10, 100 or 1,000 more or less than any number.
The lesson
The written lesson from our 11+ course: read it together after the video.
What is place value?
Every digit in a number has a place, and that place tells you what it is worth. In a four-digit number there are four places. From left to right they are: 1. Thousands — the first digit on the left. 2. Hundreds — the second digit. 3. Tens — the third digit. 4. Ones — the last digit on the right. So in the number 3,472: 1. The 3 is in the thousands place. It is worth 3,000. 2. The 4 is in the hundreds place. It is worth 400. 3. The 7 is in the tens place. It is worth 70. 4. The 2 is in the ones place. It is worth 2. Together: 3,000 + 400 + 70 + 2 = 3,472. Think of it like pocket money jars. One jar holds thousands of pence, one holds hundreds, one holds tens and one holds ones. Each digit tells you how many coins are in that jar.
Writing numbers in words and figures
You need to be able to swap between figures (digits) and words. Here is how to write a four-digit number in words, step by step. 1. Say the thousands digit first, then the word "thousand". 2. Say the hundreds digit, then the word "hundred". 3. Say the tens and ones together as you would say a two-digit number. For example, 5,306 in words: 1. Five thousand 2. Three hundred 3. And six (the tens digit is 0, so you skip it and just say six). Result: five thousand, three hundred and six. Going the other way, if you see "two thousand, four hundred and fifteen" in words: 1. Two thousand → 2,000 2. Four hundred → 400 3. Fifteen → 15 Add them: 2,000 + 400 + 15 = 2,415.
Worked example
Worked example: finding the value of a digit
What is the value of the digit 6 in the number 4,637? 1. Write out the places: Thousands, Hundreds, Tens, Ones. 2. Match each digit to its place: 4 → Thousands, 6 → Hundreds, 3 → Tens, 7 → Ones. 3. The 6 is in the hundreds place, so it is worth 6 × 100. 4. 6 × 100 = 600. Answer: The value of the digit 6 in 4,637 is 600.
Worked example
Worked example: 10, 100 or 1,000 more or less
A school trip costs £2,450. What is £100 more than £2,450? 1. Find the hundreds digit in 2,450. It is 4. 2. Adding 100 means increasing the hundreds digit by 1. 3. 4 + 1 = 5, so the hundreds digit becomes 5. 4. All other digits stay the same. Answer: £2,550. Now find 1,000 less than 2,450. 1. Find the thousands digit. It is 2. 2. Subtract 1 from it: 2 − 1 = 1. 3. All other digits stay the same. Answer: 1,450.
Top tip
Use the initials T H T O to remember the places
Think of the four letters T H T O: Thousands, Hundreds, Tens, Ones. Write them above a number before you answer any place value question. It only takes two seconds and stops mix-ups straight away. For example, write T H T O above 3,872, line up the digits underneath, and you can see at a glance that 8 is in the Hundreds column.
Common mistake
Forgetting that a zero holds a place
A very common mistake is to ignore a zero in the middle of a number. For example, in 3,047 some children think the 4 is in the hundreds place because they skip over the zero. But the zero is there for a reason — it is holding the hundreds place to show there are no hundreds. So the 4 is really in the tens place and is worth 40, not 400. Always count every digit, including zeros, when you work out which place a digit is in.
Key words
- digit
- : a single number symbol from 0 to 9
- place value
- : the value a digit has because of where it sits in a number
- thousands
- : the place four digits from the right, worth groups of 1,000
- hundreds
- : the place three digits from the right, worth groups of 100
- tens
- : the place two digits from the right, worth groups of 10
- ones
- : the place of the last digit on the right, worth single units
How to help at home
Spot four-digit numbers out and about
Look for four-digit numbers on car number plates, house prices or the mileage sign. Ask what one digit is worth, such as the 6 in 4,637. Listen for your child naming the place first, saying it is in the hundreds, so it is worth 600.
Read big numbers aloud together
Take turns reading four-digit numbers in words, like 5,306 as five thousand, three hundred and six. Try ones with a zero, such as 3,047. Listen for your child noticing the zero holds the hundreds place, so the 4 is worth 40, not 400.
Play a quick more-or-less game
Over dinner, say a price like £2,450 and ask for £100 more or 1,000 less. Listen for your child explaining which digit changes, such as the hundreds digit 4 becoming 5 to give £2,550, while the other digits stay the same.
Read along
Everything the lesson says, slide by slide.
Place Value to 10,000
Hello, and welcome! In this video you're going to learn what each digit in a four-digit number is really worth. You'll also practise writing numbers in words and figures, and finding 100 or 1,000 more or less than a number. Let's get started.
Every digit has a place
Every digit in a number sits in a place, and that place tells you what it's worth. In a four-digit number, the places from left to right are thousands, hundreds, tens and ones. So in three thousand, four hundred and seventy-two, the 3 is worth three thousand, the 4 is worth four hundred, the 7 is worth seventy and the 2 is worth just two. Add them together and you get the whole number back.
Numbers in words and figures
To write a number in words, start with the thousands, then the hundreds, then say the tens and ones together. For five thousand three hundred and six, the tens digit is zero, so you skip it and just say six. Going the other way works too. Two thousand, four hundred and fifteen is 2,000 plus 400 plus 15, which gives 2,415.
Finding the value of a digit
Let's find the value of the 6 in four thousand, six hundred and thirty-seven. First, write out the places: thousands, hundreds, tens, ones. Next, match each digit to its place. The 6 lands in the hundreds place. So it's worth 6 times 100, which equals 600.
100 more and 1,000 less
A trip costs two thousand, four hundred and fifty pounds. To find 100 more, look at the hundreds digit. It's a 4, so add one to make it 5. Everything else stays the same, giving two thousand, five hundred and fifty pounds. For 1,000 less, take one away from the thousands digit instead. The 2 becomes 1, so the answer is 1,450.
Top tip: write T H T O
Here's a handy trick. Write the letters T H T O, for thousands, hundreds, tens and ones, above the number. It takes two seconds and stops mix-ups straight away. Above 3,872, you can see at a glance that the 8 is in the hundreds column.
Don't skip the zero!
A really common mistake is ignoring a zero in the middle of a number. In 3,047, some people think the 4 is in the hundreds place. But the zero is holding the hundreds place to show there are no hundreds. So the 4 is in the tens place, and it's worth 40.
Pause and try
What is 100 more than three thousand, seven hundred and fifty-six? Pause the video and have a go. Ready? The answer is three thousand, eight hundred and fifty-six. The hundreds digit 7 goes up by one to make 8, and the other digits stay the same.
Pause and try again
In the number five thousand and forty-nine, what is the value of the digit 4? Pause the video and have a go. Ready? The answer is 40. If you write T H T O above it, the zero is in the hundreds, so the 4 sits in the tens place.
What you've learned
Well done! You've learned that a four-digit number has thousands, hundreds, tens and ones, and each digit's value depends on its place. To find 100 or 1,000 more or less, just change the right digit by one. And remember, zeros hold a place, so always count them. Keep practising, and you'll be a place value star!