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Comparing numbers within 20

Part of MathsCounting and orderingYear 1

How do you compare numbers to 20?

A boy thinking. A thought bubble on top of his head shows 'a greater than sign, an equals to sign and a less than sign.

When you compare numbers, you find out which is bigger and which is smaller.

You can use the words 'less than', 'greater than' or 'equal to' to compare numbers.

Each phrase has a matching symbol that you can use.

> means 'greater than'

< means 'less than'

= means 'equal to'

A boy thinking. A thought bubble on top of his head shows 'a greater than sign, an equals to sign and a less than sign.
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Quiz: Comparing numbers within 20

Test out your knowledge of comparing numbers within 20 with this quiz, then read on to complete the page.

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Comparing numbers using cubes

When you compare sets of objects, you can use cubes to help you.

Here are two towers. How many cubes are in each tower?

To the left there is a vertical stack of 3 cubes. To the right there is a vertical stack of 6 cubes.

There are 3 green cubes and 6 blue cubes.

The number of green cubes is 'less than' the number of blue cubes.

There is a large less than sign. Two lines starting one above the other come to the same point on the left - forming an arrow shape. Within the sign on the left there is a vertical stack of 3 cubes. Within the sign on the right there is vertical stack of 6 cubes.

You can check you’re using the right symbol, because the blocks will fit inside the symbol in the correct order.

You can write it like this:

3 < 6

You could also say the number of blue cubes is 'greater than' the number of green cubes.

There is a large greater than sign. Two lines starting one above the other come to the same point on the right - forming an arrow shape. Within the sign on the left is a vertical stack of 6 cubes. Within the sign on the right is a vertical stack of 3 cubes.

You can write it like this:

6 > 3

If the number of cubes is the same in each tower you use the equals symbol (=).

The number of cubes in the first pink block below is 'equal to' the number of pink cubes in the second block below.

A large equals to sign is present. Within the sign 2 vertical stacks of 2 cubes are next to each other.

You can write it like this:

2 = 2

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Comparing using a number line

Here are Lily and Charlie. They have both made a number using counters.

Can you count what number Lily has made?

Underneath an image of a child's head a 2 by 5 rectangular grid, each square filled with a circle. To the right, another 2 by 5 rectangular grid, only 6 squares are filled with a circle.

Lily has made 16.

What number has Charlie made?

Next to an image of a boys's head. A 2 by 5 rectangular grid, each square filled with a circle. To the right, another 2 by 5 rectangular grid, only 3 squares are filled with a circle.

Charlie has made 13.

Let’s put these numbers on a number line.

A number line from 0 to 20 going up in steps of 1. The numbers 13 and 16 are both highlighted. Two hands are placed underneath the numbers 13 and 16.

16 is further along the number line. This means that 16 is greater than 13.

You can write it like this:

16 > 13

13 comes before 16 on the number line. You can say 13 is less than 16.

You can write it like this:

13 < 16

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Comparing three numbers

Fatima, Harry and Amir have been to the beach.

Fatima has collected 4 shells. Harry has collected 7 shells. Amir has collected 6 shells.

Three rows are shown, each with a child's face at the start followed by a sequence of shells. In the first row, there are 4 shells. In the second row, there are 7 shells. In the third row, there are 6 shells.

How would you compare these numbers?

You could say:

Amir has more shells than Fatima.

Amir has fewer shells than Harry.

This is how you write it:

6 > 4

6 < 7

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Example 1

These three children each have some cubes. Can you count the number of cubes they have?

Three children stand in a row across the screen. Next to each child is a tower of cubes. The tower on the left has 5 cubes, the tower in the middle has 7 and the one on the right has 5 cubes.

Betty has 5 blue cubes. Lesley has 7 green cubes. Thomas has 5 pink cubes.

Now, let’s compare these numbers.

Three rows of number sentences. From top to bottom, they read: “5 empty square 7”, “7 empty square 5” and “5 empty square 5”.

What are the correct symbols to use to compare these numbers?

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Example 2

These two children each have some crayons. Can you count how many they have?

Two rows are shown, each with a child’s face at the start followed by a sequence of crayons. In the first row, there are 15 crayons. In the second row, there are 11 crayons.

Isma has 15 crayons and Lilly has 11 crayons. Now let’s use a number line to compare these two numbers.

The numbers 11 and 15. In between them is an empty square box. Below is a number line from 0 to 20, increasing in steps of one.

Which symbol is missing from the picture above?

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Example 3

Charlie has 9 strawberries and Fatima has 13 strawberries.

Lesley has more strawberries than Charlie, but fewer strawberries than Fatima.

3 rows of children's faces are shown followed by a row of different amounts of strawberries. The first row has 9 strawberries. The second row has 13 strawberries. The third row has no strawberries but a question mark.
A number line running from 0 to 20 going up in steps of 1.

How many strawberries could Lesley have?

There is more than one correct answer. Find all the correct answers.

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Play the new maths game and help the Canine Crew to solve everyday problems.

New game! The Canine Crew: Measuring Mass
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