YourHomeschool YourHomeschool Curriculum By state Workbooks Games Open the Tutor
Curriculum › Grade 4 › Mathematics

Read, Write, and Compare Big Numbers

  • Grade 4
  • Mathematics
  • 4.NBT.A.2
  • Number & Operations in Base Ten
  • Free lesson

Aligned to 4.NBT.A.2 — Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.

What this lesson teaches

Every digit has a value based on its place. Expanded form shows each digit times its place value added together. To compare two numbers, line them up and check digits from left to right until they differ.

Worked examples

Example 1

Number: 3,472. Expanded form: 3,000 + 400 + 70 + 2. Number name: three thousand, four hundred seventy-two. Compare 3,472 and 3,427: thousands match (3=3), hundreds match (4=4), tens differ (7 > 2), so 3,472 > 3,427.

Example 2

Number: 80,406. Expanded: 80,000 + 400 + 6. Name: eighty thousand, four hundred six. The zeros hold the empty places open.

Example 3

Compare 9,899 and 10,001. The second has a ten-thousands digit and the first does not, so 10,001 is larger even though it starts with a 1.

Practice questions

  1. Write 6,205 in expanded form and in words.
  2. Compare using >, <, or =: 8,140 and 8,410.
  3. Order these from least to greatest: 5,032; 5,320; 5,023.

Watch the lesson

Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.

▶ Watch this lesson

En español

Leer, escribir y comparar números grandes

Cada cifra tiene un valor según su posición. La forma desarrollada muestra cada cifra por su valor posicional, todo sumado. Para comparar dos números, alinéalos y revisa las cifras de izquierda a derecha hasta que sean diferentes.

Ejemplo 1: Número: 3,472. Forma desarrollada: 3,000 + 400 + 70 + 2. Nombre: tres mil cuatrocientos setenta y dos. Compara 3,472 y 3,427: los miles son iguales (3=3), las centenas son iguales (4=4), las decenas cambian (7 > 2), entonces 3,472 > 3,427.

Ejemplo 2: Número: 80,406. Desarrollado: 80,000 + 400 + 6. Nombre: ochenta mil cuatrocientos seis. Los ceros mantienen abiertos los lugares vacíos.

Ejemplo 3: Compara 9,899 y 10,001. El segundo tiene dígito de decenas de millar y el primero no, así que 10,001 es mayor aunque empiece con 1.

More Number & Operations in Base Ten lessons

Place Value to a Million and Multi-Digit Arithmetic4.NBT.A.1Rounding Big Numbers4.NBT.A.3Adding and Subtracting Big Numbers4.NBT.B.4Division with Remainders4.NBT.B.6

Teach this lesson today

An AI tutor that guides with questions instead of just giving answers — all K–12 core subjects, every child in the family.

Start free — no card required