Skip Counting in Math: Definition & Examples

Definitionnoun phrase

What is skip counting in math?

Skip counting is counting forward or backward by the same number each time instead of by 1, such as 2, 4, 6, 8 or 5, 10, 15, 20. Each jump adds the same amount, so skip counting by 5 six times reaches 6 × 5 = 30. It is a quick way to count groups and learn multiplication facts.

In Spanish: contar salteado
Also called: counting by, count by 2s, 5s, 10s, skip count
Grade level: K-5

KindergartenGrade 1Grade 2Grade 3CCSS K.CC.A.1CCSS 2.NBT.A.2CCSS 3.OA.C.7

Skip Counting in a picture

Every skip is the same size. The number of skips times the size of each skip tells where you land.

Formal definition and notation

Skip counting by k from a starting number a lists a, a + k, a + 2k, a + 3k, …; counting backward lists a, a − k, a − 2k, …. Starting from 0, the numbers named are the multiples of k, and the nth number said is n × k. Any skip-counting list is an arithmetic sequence with common difference k.

Symbol	Read it as	Meaning
k, 2k, 3k, …	k, two k, three k, and so on	skip counting by k from 0: the multiples of k
a + (n − 1)k	a plus n minus one times k	the nth number when you start at a and count by k

Key facts

Counting by 2s from 0 gives the even numbers; counting by 2s from 1 gives the odd numbers.
Counting by 10s from any number changes only the tens digit (and higher): 23, 33, 43, 53.
Counting by 5s from 0 always ends in 0 or 5.
Skip counting backward is repeated subtraction: 50, 45, 40, 35 counts down by 5s.
Skip counting to find a product: 4 × 6 is the 4th number when counting by 6s: 6, 12, 18, 24.

Finding the nth number in a skip count

nth number = a + (n − 1) × k

a: the first number you say
k: the size of each skip
n: the position in the list (1st, 2nd, 3rd, …)

Starting from 0 and saying only the jumps, the nth number is simply n × k: the 7th number counting by 4s is 28.

Try it: count by any number

Interactive

Each row adds one more group of 5. Change the second number to skip count by 2s, 3s or 10s and watch the column of multiples.

This interactive needs JavaScript. The worked examples below show the same ideas step by step.

Skip Counting examples, step by step

Example 1: Counting by 10s

Warm-up

Skip count by 10s from 30 to 100. How many numbers do you say after 30?

30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100.
After 30 you say 40 through 100: that is (100 − 30) ÷ 10 = 7 numbers.

Answer: You say 7 more numbers: 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100.

Example 2: Counting coins

Core

How much money is 3 quarters, 4 dimes and 2 nickels? Skip count.

Quarters by 25s: 25, 50, 75.
Continue with dimes by 10s: 85, 95, 105, 115.
Continue with nickels by 5s: 120, 125.

Answer: The coins are worth 125 cents, which is 1.25 dollars.

Example 3: A skip count that does not start at 0

Test-style

Ana skip counts by 4s starting at 7: 7, 11, 15, 19, … What is the 10th number she says?

The first number is a = 7 and each skip is k = 4.
The 10th number is 9 skips after the first: 7 + 9 × 4.
7 + 36 = 43.

Answer: The 10th number is 43.

Common mistakes

✗ MistakeUsing 10 skips for the 10th number: 7 + 10 × 4 = 47.

✓ InsteadThe 1st number has no skip yet, so the 10th has 9 skips: 7 + 9 × 4 = 43.

Count the jumps, not the numbers. Between the 1st and 10th number there are only 9 jumps.

✗ MistakeCounting by 5s from 3 and expecting 5, 10, 15: 3, 5, 10, 15.

✓ InsteadFrom 3, every jump adds 5: 3, 8, 13, 18, 23.

The pattern 5, 10, 15 only appears when you start at 0 or another multiple of 5.

✗ MistakeLosing track when counting by 10s past 100: 80, 90, 100, 200.

✓ Instead80, 90, 100, 110, 120.

A jump of 10 adds 1 ten. After 100 comes 110, not 200, which would be a jump of 100.

Not to be confused with

Skip Countingvs.Multiples

Multiples of 3 are 3, 6, 9, 12, … Skip counting by 3s from 0 lists them, but skip counting can also start elsewhere (2, 5, 8, 11).

Skip Countingvs.Repeated addition

Repeated addition writes the sum, 5 + 5 + 5 = 15. Skip counting says the running totals out loud: 5, 10, 15.

Quick check: 3 questions

Question 1 of 3

Which list shows skip counting by 4s?

Show answer and explanation

Answer: A. Each number is 4 more than the one before: 4, 8, 12, 16. Choice B counts by 2s, C counts by 1s, and D multiplies by 4 each time.

Question 2 of 3

Count back by 10s from 125. What are the next three numbers?

Show answer and explanation

Answer: B. Subtract 10 each time: 115, 105, 95. Choice A counts back by 1s, C by 5s, and D subtracts 100 first.

Question 3 of 3

Skip counting by 6s from 0, what is the 8th number?

Show answer and explanation

Answer: C. The nth number counting by k from 0 is n × k = 8 × 6 = 48. 42 is the 7th, 54 is the 9th, and 14 adds 8 and 6.

Skip Counting: frequently asked questions

Why is skip counting important?

It is the bridge from counting to multiplication. Counting 4 bags of 5 apples as 5, 10, 15, 20 is the same as finding 4 × 5 = 20. Skip counting also helps with telling time by 5-minute marks, counting money, reading number patterns and finding multiples for fractions.

What numbers do kids learn to skip count by first?

Usually 10s, 5s and 2s, because the patterns are easy to hear and see: the tens digit grows by 1, the ones digit alternates 5 and 0, or the numbers are all even. The Common Core asks kindergartners to count by tens to 100, and second graders to skip count by 5s, 10s and 100s within 1,000.

Can you skip count from any starting number?

Yes. The skip stays the same, but the numbers change. Counting by 10s from 7 gives 7, 17, 27, 37, and counting by 3s from 2 gives 2, 5, 8, 11. Only when you start at 0 (or a multiple of the skip) do you land on the multiples.

Practice and tools

Sequence CalculatorList the terms of any skip-counting pattern

Sources

Updated November 2026·Reviewed by the Effortless Math team·Standards: CCSS K.CC.A.1, CCSS 2.NBT.A.2, CCSS 3.OA.C.7

Cite this entry

Effortless Math Team. “Skip Counting.” Effortless Math Dictionary. Updated November 2026. https://www.effortlessmath.com/math-dictionary/skip-counting/

Flashcard

TermSkip Countingcount by 2s, 5s, 10s

DefinitionCounting by the same jump instead of by 1: 5, 10, 15, 20. Six jumps of 5 land on 30, so 6 × 5 = 30.

Study the full deck

Browse all terms in the Math Dictionary · More number system terms · Random term

NumberA number is an amount or value used to count, measure, order and compare. We write numbers with digits (7), words (seven) or other symbols, but the number itself is the amount: 7 dots, the word seven and the numeral 7 all show the same number. Numbers include whole numbers, fractions, decimals and negatives.Number System · Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2MultipleA multiple of a number is the result of multiplying that number by any whole number. The multiples of 4 are 4, 8, 12, 16, and so on, continuing without end. Every number is a multiple of itself and of 1. To test a number, divide: if the remainder is 0, it is a multiple.Number System · Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6Arithmetic SequenceAn arithmetic sequence is a list of numbers in which you add the same amount each time to get the next term. That fixed amount is the common difference, d. In 4, 7, 10, 13, … the common difference is 3. The nth term is a_n = a₁ + (n − 1)d.Functions · Grade 8, Algebra 1, Algebra 2Common DifferenceThe common difference is the fixed amount added to each term of an arithmetic sequence to get the next term, written d. Find it by subtracting any term from the term after it: in 7, 11, 15, 19, d = 11 − 7 = 4. A positive d makes the terms increase, a negative d makes them decrease.Functions · Grade 8, Algebra 1, Algebra 2Even NumberAn even number is an integer that can be divided by 2 with no remainder, so it can be split into two equal groups or into pairs. Even numbers end in 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8, such as 14, 236 and −10. Zero is even. Every even number can be written as 2n for some integer n.Number System · Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4Odd NumberAn odd number is a whole number that cannot be split into two equal groups: dividing it by 2 always leaves a remainder of 1. Odd numbers end in 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9, such as 7, 23 and 409. Every odd number can be written as 2k + 1, one more than a multiple of 2.Number System · Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4SubtractionSubtraction is the operation that finds how much is left when you take one amount away from another, or how far apart two numbers are. It is written with a minus sign: 9 − 4 = 5. The answer is called the difference. Subtraction undoes addition, so you can check 9 − 4 = 5 by adding 5 + 4 = 9.Operations · Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3Repeated AdditionRepeated addition is adding the same number again and again. It is one way to understand multiplication: 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 4 × 3 = 12. The number of times you add is one factor, and the number being added is the other. It only works when all the addends are equal.Operations · Grade 2, Grade 3MultiplicationMultiplication is the operation that combines equal groups to find a total. The fact 4 × 6 = 24 means 4 groups of 6, or 6 + 6 + 6 + 6. The numbers you multiply are called factors, and the result is the product. Order does not matter: 6 × 4 is also 24.Operations · Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4Counting NumbersCounting numbers are the numbers you say when you count objects one by one: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on, without end. They start at 1, not 0, and include no fractions, decimals or negative numbers. Adding 0 to the counting numbers gives the whole numbers.Number System · Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2AdditionAddition is the operation that puts amounts together to find the total. The numbers you add are called addends, the answer is the sum, and the sign is the plus sign, +. For example, 7 + 5 = 12. On a number line, adding a positive number means moving to the right.Operations · Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 2Multiplication TableA multiplication table is a grid that lists the products of pairs of numbers, usually 1 to 10 or 1 to 12. To read it, find one factor along the top row and the other down the left column; the box where they meet is the product. Row 6 meets column 7 at 42, since 6 × 7 = 42.Operations · Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4

Skip Counting

What is skip counting in math?

Skip Counting in a picture

Formal definition and notation

Key facts

Finding the nth number in a skip count

Try it: count by any number

Skip Counting examples, step by step

Example 1: Counting by 10s

Example 2: Counting coins

Example 3: A skip count that does not start at 0

Common mistakes

Not to be confused with

Quick check: 3 questions

Skip Counting: frequently asked questions

Why is skip counting important?

What numbers do kids learn to skip count by first?

Can you skip count from any starting number?

Related terms

Practice and tools

Sources

Flashcard

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