True or false: comparing large numbers
22 October 2026
When your child is learning to compare and order large numbers, they may be asked to decide if a statement is true or false. This helps them practise looking at each digit carefully and understanding which number is bigger or smaller.
Example question
True or false? 5,432,187 > 5,432,718
Count the digits in both numbers. Both have 7 digits.
Compare the digits from left to right.
First digit: 5 vs 5 (equal)
Second digit: 4 vs 4 (equal)
Third digit: 3 vs 3 (equal)
Fourth digit: 2 vs 2 (equal)
Fifth digit: 1 vs 7 (1 is less than 7)
Key insight: The first number is smaller because 1 is less than 7.
The correct answer is false.
| Step | First Number | Second Number | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| First digit | 5 | 5 | equal |
| Second digit | 4 | 4 | equal |
| Third digit | 3 | 3 | equal |
| Fourth digit | 2 | 2 | equal |
| Fifth digit | 1 | 7 | 1 < 7 |
After working through this example, your child will be able to spot the first place where numbers are different and use that to decide if a statement is true or false. They can now try more questions like this to build confidence for 11+ maths. For more support, you can always search for maths.com uk resources together.
