Mathematical Signal Words
Certain words and phrases signal which mathematical operation a problem is asking you to use — the foundation of translating any word problem into an equation.
This is a free explanation of Mathematical Signal Words — a preview, not the full interactive lesson. The lesson, practice, quizzes, and AI Tutor are inside the app.
Addition is signaled by sum, total, more than, increased by. Subtraction is signaled by difference, less than, decreased by. Multiplication is signaled by product, times, of, per. Division is signaled by quotient, divided by, ratio. And is, equals, gives, and results in all mean equals (=).
The word “is” (or “equals”) tells you where to put the equals sign; the other signal words tell you which operations to use. Assign a variable first — write “Let x = …” before writing any equation.
Watch the order carefully with “less than,” which reverses direction: “five less than three times a number” is 3n − 5, not 5 − 3n. It subtracts from the other quantity, not the other way around.
Worked example
Translate and solve: “Five less than three times a number is 16. Find the number.”
- Name the unknown: let n = the number.
- Translate piece by piece: “three times a number” is 3n; “five less than that” is 3n − 5 (less than reverses direction).
- The word “is” means equals, so the equation is 3n − 5 = 16.
- Solve: add 5 to both sides to get 3n = 21; divide by 3 to get n = 7. Check: 3(7) − 5 = 16.
The number is 7.
On the test: Word problems appear in nearly every section of the GED & HiSET — the math is rarely the hard part; the translation is.
Inside the app, Mathematical Signal Words comes with:
Read the explanation here for free — then practice it for real, with everything you need in one place.
- Practice sets — Open-book practice questions at your level, easiest-first — as many as you want, never scored.
- Quizzes — Scored quizzes on the whole lesson, so you know when you’re ready to move on.
- Skills Check — A concept-by-concept map of what you’ve mastered and what to focus on next.
- Worked examples — Tap the Brain Button on any example for alternative step-by-step explanations.
- Glossary — Plain-English definitions of every key term in the lesson.
- Formula sheet — The GED® & HiSET® formula sheets, on screen while you practice.
- Practice calculator — An on-screen calculator to build your calculator skills before test day.
- Math-fact flashcards — Quick drills for addition, multiplication, perfect squares, and square roots.
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