Place value - integers
Place value is like the secret code of numbers – it tells us whether a digit is worth just a few ones, or thousands, or even millions. Without place value, £5 and £50 would look the same, and that could cause big problems when shopping or handling money! Jump to the questions
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Topic guide
What this worksheet practises
This worksheet provides basic practice on identifying the column names and values of digits in large whole numbers (integers). Being able to read and construct large numbers correctly is an essential foundational skill.
Key method
You must memorise the names of the place value columns, working from right to left.
- The columns group into sets of three (Hundreds, Tens, Units).
- Units (Ones) block: Hundreds, Tens, Units.
- Thousands block: Hundred Thousands, Ten Thousands, Thousands.
- Millions block: Hundred Millions, Ten Millions, Millions.
- Commas are placed every three digits from the right to help visually separate these blocks.
Worked example
1) What column is the 4 in the number 7,492,015?
2) Write the number "Three hundred and five thousand, two hundred and ten" in figures.
Example 1:
Count from the right: Units(5), Tens(1), Hundreds(0), Thousands(2), Ten Thousands(9), Hundred Thousands(4). The 4 is in the Hundred Thousands column.
Example 2:
Step 1: Write the thousands block. "Three hundred and five" = 305.
Step 2: Put a comma to separate the blocks: 305,
Step 3: Write the units block. "Two hundred and ten" = 210.
Step 4: Combine them.
The number is 305,210.
Common mistakes to avoid
A very common mistake when writing numbers from words is missing out the placeholder zeroes. If asked to write "Four thousand and six", students sometimes write 406 or 46. You must remember that "thousands" implies there are four digits. The correct answer requires zeroes in the hundreds and tens columns: 4,006.
How to check your answer
When writing a number from words, look at the highest "block" word used (e.g. Thousand, Million). A number in the thousands must have at least 4 digits. A number in the millions must have at least 7 digits. If your written number is too short, you have missed a placeholder zero.