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Subtraction within 20

Never negative, with answer keys on separate pages.

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Subtraction Within 20

  1. 9 - 6 =
  2. 12 - 4 =
  3. 17 - 12 =
  4. 19 - 10 =
  5. 8 - 2 =
  6. 16 - 2 =
  7. 19 - 5 =
  8. 19 - 13 =
  9. 15 - 14 =
  10. 9 - 1 =
  11. 11 - 4 =
  12. 14 - 6 =
  13. 17 - 13 =
  14. 13 - 5 =
  15. 12 - 0 =
  16. 16 - 6 =
  17. 12 - 11 =
  18. 18 - 14 =
  19. 9 - 2 =
  20. 19 - 8 =

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Subtraction Within 20, Answer Key

  1. 9 - 6 =3
  2. 12 - 4 =8
  3. 17 - 12 =5
  4. 19 - 10 =9
  5. 8 - 2 =6
  6. 16 - 2 =14
  7. 19 - 5 =14
  8. 19 - 13 =6
  9. 15 - 14 =1
  10. 9 - 1 =8
  11. 11 - 4 =7
  12. 14 - 6 =8
  13. 17 - 13 =4
  14. 13 - 5 =8
  15. 12 - 0 =12
  16. 16 - 6 =10
  17. 12 - 11 =1
  18. 18 - 14 =4
  19. 9 - 2 =7
  20. 19 - 8 =11

Created for free at puzzleandprint.com

Or take one that is already made

Four sheets at different lengths. Every one is a two-page PDF, the worksheet, then the answer key on its own page.

Warm up20 problemsDownload PDF ↓Everyday50 problemsDownload PDF ↓Timed test100 problemsDownload PDF ↓Second set50 problemsDownload PDF ↓

Subtraction lags addition for most children by a good few months, and the usual reason is that it is being counted backwards rather than recalled. Practice is what closes that gap, but only once the idea itself has landed. A page of subtraction will not teach a child what subtraction means.

Every problem on these sheets is ordered so the larger number comes first, which means the answer is never below zero. That is deliberate: negative numbers are a later topic, and meeting one by accident on a practice sheet is confusing rather than instructive.

The sheets run from twenty problems to a hundred. Fifty is the everyday size. Borrowing across ten (15 − 8 and its neighbours) is where most children slow down, so it is worth watching which ones cause the pause.

The generator will take any range you set if you want to narrow it, and the answer key prints separately so you can hand out the sheet without it.

Common questions

Will any of these give a negative answer?

No. Every problem is ordered so the larger number comes first, so nothing drops below zero. Negative numbers are a later topic, and meeting one by accident on a practice sheet is confusing rather than instructive.

My child is much slower at subtraction than addition. Is that normal?

Yes, usually by a good few months, and the common cause is that it is being counted backwards rather than recalled. Watch which problems cause the pause: borrowing across ten, around 15 − 8, is where most children slow down.

Will subtraction give negative answers?

No. The two numbers are ordered before the problem is written, so the larger one always comes first and the answer is never below zero. The range you set is still respected.

Do division problems come out evenly?

Always. The divisor and the answer are chosen first and the dividend is calculated from them, so there is never a remainder and never a division by zero. That is built into how the problems are made rather than something filtered out afterwards.

How do I drill one times table?

Choose multiplication and set one of the two numbers to the same value at both ends, 7 to 7, for example. The other number stays a range, so you get 7 × 1 through 7 × 12 in a random order.

Where is the answer key?

On page two of the PDF, laid out in the same order as the worksheet so you can mark down the columns.

Will the same problem appear twice?

Only if your ranges cannot make enough different problems to fill the page, 1 to 3 by 1 to 3 gives nine possibilities, so a 20-problem page must repeat. The tool warns you when that happens and suggests widening a range.

Do I need an account?

No. No sign-up and no watermark, and the worksheet is generated in your browser rather than on a server.