Class 4 Maths
Subtraction Class 4 Maths Worksheet with Quiz and Activities
Subtract 4-digit and 5-digit numbers with and without borrowing, subtract across zeros, check answers by adding, estimate differences and solve word problems. On WitKnowLearn you get the Subtraction Class 4 online quiz, online activities and interactive games, maths labs and a practice sheet, all on one page.
Flip the cards and try the Borrow Machine Lab, then tap the Games, Labs or Challenges carriage.
Subtraction Class 4 Online Quiz
20 questions · tap an answer to move on · full review at the end
5,678 - 2,345 = ?
Flip the cards, try the Borrow Machine Lab, then play the games, do the labs and take the challenges. Earn up to 3 stars in every activity.
Fact cards: tap a card to flip it
Borrow Machine Lab
Solve three big column subtraction sums. Drag a digit into each answer box, starting from the ones place. When the top digit is smaller than the one below it, borrow 1 from the next place on the left. A wrong digit shows a hint for that column.
🚂 Sum 1 of 3: 5,342 - 2,718. Start from the ones place. If the top digit is smaller, borrow 1 from the left.
- 🚂5,342 - 2,718
Fill every answer box. - ⬜7,005 - 3,468
Waiting at the station… - ⬜52,603 - 27,458
Waiting at the station… - ⬜What did we find?
Solve all 3 sums to unlock.
Challenge marks: 0 / 15 (0 of 5 challenges done)
Finish all 5 challenges to see your comment.
Practice sheet
Type your answers in the boxes. For word answers write in small letters. Press Check when you finish.
ASubtract these numbers
BFill in the blanks
CEstimate: round each number to the nearest thousand and subtract
DSolve the word problems
Subtraction Class 4 Activities
Borrow digits, pop differences of 1,000, check by adding and solve story sums. Earn up to 3 stars in every activity.
What is subtraction?
Subtraction means taking away to find how many are left, or finding the difference between two numbers. The number we take from is the minuend, the number we take away is the subtrahend and the answer is the difference. In 5,342 - 2,718 = 2,624, the difference is 2,624.
Think of subtraction like a train 🚂 dropping passengers at every station. Each stop takes some people away, and fewer are left on board!
Kinds of subtraction sums
| Kind | Example | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| ✅ Without borrowing | 8,765 - 4,321 | 4,444 |
| 🔁 With borrowing | 5,342 - 2,718 | 2,624 |
| 0️⃣ Across zeros | 7,005 - 3,468 | 3,537 |
| 🔢 5-digit numbers | 52,603 - 27,458 | 25,145 |
| 🎯 Estimation | 6,890 - 2,120 | about 5,000 |
How to subtract big numbers
- Write the bigger number on top, in columns: TTh, Th, H, T, O.
- Start from the ones place on the right.
- If the top digit is smaller, borrow 1 from the left. It adds 10 to this place.
- Check by adding the difference and the number you took away.
More examples
This Subtraction worksheet for Class 4 turns taking away large numbers into a train ride with online activities and interactive games. Flip the cards, solve sums in the Borrow Machine Lab, then play the games, do the maths labs and try the challenges.
Maths Subtraction Class 4
Subtraction means taking away a number from another number to find how many are left, or finding the difference between two numbers. In Class 4, children subtract 4-digit and 5-digit numbers in columns, with and without borrowing (regrouping), including numbers with zeros. They also learn the subtraction words, how to check an answer by adding, how to estimate a difference by rounding and how to solve word problems. This guide explains each idea in simple language for Class 4 students, parents and teachers. It goes with the Subtraction worksheet for Class 4 on WitKnowLearn, which also gives an online quiz, online activities and interactive games on the same page.
Introduction to Class 4 Maths: Subtraction
Subject: Maths, Class 4. Topic: Subtraction of large numbers. This page is built around the learning goals schools test for the topic in any board; it is not a copy of a single textbook chapter.
What is there in this topic
- Minuend, subtrahend and difference
- Subtracting 4-digit and 5-digit numbers in columns
- Borrowing (regrouping) in ones, tens, hundreds and thousands
- Subtracting across zeros
- Rules of subtraction and checking by adding
- Estimating a difference, mental subtraction and word problems
Learning objectives
These objectives are written for this page from the topic's goals; they are not copied from any one book.
- Subtract numbers up to 5 digits with and without borrowing.
- Check a subtraction answer by adding.
- Estimate a difference and check if an answer makes sense.
- Solve real-life word problems using subtraction.
Learning outcomes
After this page a child can:
- Work out 52,603 - 27,458 = 25,145 in columns.
- Subtract across zeros, as in 7,005 - 3,468 = 3,537.
- Check 5,342 - 2,718 = 2,624 by adding 2,624 + 2,718.
- Estimate 6,890 - 2,120 as about 5,000.
Subtraction Class 4 resources on this page
| Resource | What it does |
|---|---|
| Subtraction Class 4 online quiz | 20 questions in three levels with a full answer review |
| Flip cards | Six cards on subtraction, borrowing, zeros, checking, estimation and word problems |
| Borrow Machine Lab | Solve three column sums by dropping digits into the answer boxes |
| 5 interactive games | Borrow or no borrow, 1,000 bubbles, difference memory, subtraction gaps, quick estimate |
| 5 maths labs | Mental maths, check by adding, word problems, missing numbers, add or subtract |
| 5 challenges | Marked out of 3 each with a total out of 15 |
| Practice sheet | 16 questions with answer boxes and a live score |
How to subtract in columns
| Step | Example: 5,342 - 2,718 |
|---|---|
| 1. Ones | 2 is smaller than 8, so borrow 1 ten: 12 - 8 = 4 |
| 2. Tens | 4 lent 1, so it is 3: 3 - 1 = 2 |
| 3. Hundreds | 3 is smaller than 7, so borrow 1 thousand: 13 - 7 = 6 |
| 4. Thousands | 5 lent 1, so it is 4: 4 - 2 = 2 |
| Answer | 2,624 |
Rules of subtraction
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| A number minus 0 is the same number | 5,678 - 0 = 5,678 |
| A number minus itself is 0 | 3,456 - 3,456 = 0 |
| A number minus 1 is the number just before it | 2,000 - 1 = 1,999 |
| Order matters | 500 - 200 is not the same as 200 - 500 |
| Check by adding | difference + subtrahend = minuend |
Types of questions
- Subtract in columns
- Fill in using the rules
- Estimate the difference
- Find the missing number
- Word problems
Solved examples
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Correct |
|---|---|
| Taking the smaller digit from the bigger one | Always take the bottom digit from the top digit; borrow if the top digit is smaller. |
| Forgetting the digit that lent 1 | Make the digit on the left 1 less after borrowing. |
| Trouble with zeros | Borrow across zeros: each 0 becomes 9 and the ones get 10 more. |
| Not checking the answer | Add the difference and the subtrahend to get back the minuend. |
Daily life
We subtract every day: the change we get at a shop, how many pages are left in a book, how many more runs a team needs to win, or how far is left on a train journey. Good subtraction skills make all of these quick and correct.
Tips for parents and teachers
- Use shopping and change money for real subtraction practice.
- Ask the child to estimate first, then subtract, then compare.
- Practise borrowing with place-value blocks or bundles of sticks.
- Always ask the child to check the answer by adding.
- Let the child retry the challenges to earn 3 stars.
Related Class 4 Maths Worksheets
- Addition Worksheet Class 4
- Large Numbers Worksheet Class 4
- Multiplication Worksheet Class 4
- Division Worksheet Class 4
- Geometry Worksheet Class 4
- Factors and Multiples Worksheet Class 4
- Fractions Worksheet Class 4
- Measurement Worksheet Class 4
- Thousands Around Us Worksheet Class 4
- Tables and Shares Worksheet Class 4
- Smart Charts Worksheet Class 4
- Equal Groups Worksheet Class 4
Frequently Asked Questions
What is subtraction in Class 4 maths?
Subtraction means taking away one number from another to find how many are left or how much bigger one number is. In Class 4, children subtract 4-digit and 5-digit numbers, with and without borrowing.
What are minuend, subtrahend and difference?
The number we subtract from is the minuend, the number we take away is the subtrahend and the answer is the difference. In 9,000 - 4,000 = 5,000, 9,000 is the minuend, 4,000 is the subtrahend and 5,000 is the difference.
What is borrowing in subtraction?
When the top digit in a column is smaller than the digit below it, we take 1 from the next place on the left. That 1 is worth 10 in this place. Borrowing is also called regrouping.
How do we subtract across zeros?
Borrow from the first non-zero digit on the left. Each zero in between becomes 9 and the ones get 10 more. So 7,005 becomes 6 thousands, 9 hundreds, 9 tens and 15 ones.
How do we check a subtraction answer?
Add the difference and the subtrahend. If you get the minuend, the answer is right. For 5,342 - 2,718 = 2,624, check 2,624 + 2,718 = 5,342.
How do we estimate a difference?
Round each number, for example to the nearest thousand, and subtract the rounded numbers. 6,890 - 2,120 is about 7,000 - 2,000 = 5,000.
Which words in a word problem tell us to subtract?
Words like left, remaining, how many more, how much less, difference and taken away usually mean we need to subtract.
Does this page have Subtraction Class 4 questions and answers?
Yes. The 20-question Subtraction Class 4 online quiz shows the correct answer and a reason for every question at the end, and the practice sheet has a Show answers button for all 16 questions.
Which class is this worksheet for?
It is made for Class 4 maths. It is also good for revision in Class 5.
What can children do on this page?
On WitKnowLearn they get an online quiz, online activities and interactive games: a borrow machine lab, borrow-or-no-borrow sorting, 1,000 bubbles, difference memory, check-by-adding and word problem labs, all on the screen.
Can my child use these activities on a phone?
Yes. All drag activities work with a finger on phones and tablets and with a mouse on computers. Tapping also works, and the practice sheet takes number answers with or without commas.
What is included on this page?
A 20-question online quiz with review, flip cards, the Borrow Machine Lab, 5 interactive games, 5 maths labs, 5 marked challenges, a 16-question practice sheet, a complete guide, 12 related Class 4 maths worksheets and these FAQs.
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