4-Digit and 5-Digit Subtraction Worksheets

4 and 5-digit subtraction uses the standard algorithm that children learn in grade 4, with up to five columns and up to four borrows. The eight PDFs on this page have 4-digit problems with borrowing, 4-digit minus 3-digit, 5-digit problems and grid paper for long numbers, plus a riddle and story problems, and every sheet has an answer key.

They follow standard 4.NBT.B.4 of the Common Core standards for grade 4 number and operations in base ten, and the notes below show the steps, how many borrows to expect and how to check an answer.

About these worksheets

By grade 4, children subtract multi-digit numbers with the standard algorithm (Common Core 4.NBT.B.4). The steps do not change from 2-digit subtraction, but there are more places where a borrow can happen, so neat columns and careful checking matter more.

Tips for long subtraction

• Write each digit clearly in its own column; the grid paper sheets help.
• Cross out a digit you borrow from and write the new digit above it.
• Estimate first: 7,352 − 4,869 is about 7,000 − 5,000 = 2,000, so an answer near 2,500 makes sense.
• Check by adding the answer to the number taken away.

What is on this page

• 4-digit subtraction: two sets of 16 problems with regrouping.
• 4-digit minus 3-digit: numbers of different lengths.
• 5-digit subtraction: 12 problems, plus a grid paper version.
• A riddle and story problems with 4-digit numbers.

4 and 5-digit subtraction worksheets: what is in the set

There are 8 4 and 5-digit subtraction worksheets on this page, and every one has an answer key except for any cut-out games. There are two sets of 4-digit problems, one with numbers of different lengths, two with 5-digit numbers, grid paper for both lengths, a riddle and story problems.

4 and 5-digit subtraction: the steps column by column

4 and 5-digit subtraction follows the same steps as every other column subtraction: start at the ones, borrow when the top digit is too small, and remember that a digit you borrowed from is now one less. This table shows 7,352 − 4,869, where three columns borrow in a row:

The picture above shows the same four steps on a place-value board. Each borrow adds ten to the column on its right and takes one from the column on its left, so the number does not change: after all three borrows the columns hold 6 thousands, 12 hundreds, 14 tens and 12 ones, which is still 7,352. For 5-digit numbers, there is one more column and one more chance to borrow, as this table for 62,015 − 38,476 shows:

In this problem the 0 in the hundreds has to pass a borrow along, and the last borrow comes from the ten thousands, so the 6 becomes 5. The answer is 23,539. The large numbers place value page explains the names and values of the five columns.

4 digit subtraction worksheets: how many borrows to expect

The 4 digit subtraction worksheets use problems that borrow, so it is worth knowing how many borrows a typical problem needs. This table counts every subtraction of two numbers with the same number of digits, where the top number is the same as or bigger than the bottom number, for 4 and 5 digits:

A 4-digit subtraction needs 1.38 borrows on average, and a 5-digit subtraction needs 1.88. Only 18% of 4-digit subtractions and 10% of 5-digit subtractions need no borrowing at all, so a child who does these problems well is practicing the borrow itself, not just the subtraction facts. The more columns there are, the more important it is to cross out each digit and write the new one.

5 digit subtraction: how many problems are there?

5 digit subtraction has more problems than a person could ever do. There are 4,050,045,000 subtractions of two 5-digit numbers where the top number is the same as or bigger than the bottom number. A child who solved one every minute, day and night, would need about 7,706 years to finish them. That is why the worksheet engine makes new problems each time, and why the answer keys are made for every sheet.

The worksheets on this page, then, are not a list of problems to memorize. They are a way to practice the same steps with different numbers. Five columns need careful writing, so the grid paper sheet gives each digit its own box, and children can cross out and write the new digits in the margins.

How long is the answer to a 4-digit subtraction?

The answer to a 4-digit subtraction does not always have four digits. This table counts the answers by their length, using the fact that exactly 9,000 − d pairs of 4-digit numbers have a difference of d:

About one answer in five has fewer than four digits, so a child who always writes four digits in the answer will sometimes write zeros at the front. When the two numbers are close, such as 7,201 − 7,150, the thousands column gives 0 and the answer is 51. Teach children to estimate first, because 7,200 − 7,150 is clearly small.

Multi digit subtraction worksheets: estimate first, then check

Multi digit subtraction worksheets are easier to check when children estimate by rounding to the nearest thousand. This table shows six problems with the estimate beside the exact answer:

The estimate is never more than 1,000 away from the exact answer, since each rounding moves a number by at most 500. An answer that is far from the estimate has an error, and in practice the wrong answers are often 10, 100 or 1,000 away because a borrow was missed. The estimating with rounding page explains the method, and the rounding to the nearest 10 and rounding to the nearest 100 pages give practice. A second check is to add the answer to the number taken away:

Subtraction with regrouping 4 digit: zeros in the top number

Subtraction with regrouping 4 digit problems are hardest when the top number contains zeros, since the borrow has to pass through them. About 8% of 4-digit subtractions and 13% of 5-digit subtractions have a borrow that passes through a zero. This table shows four of them:

When a zero lends, it first becomes 10 and then gives 1 to the column on its right, so it ends up as 9. There is a whole page on this skill, subtracting across zeros, and the 3-digit subtraction page has the same idea with one zero.

4th grade subtraction worksheets: what the standard asks for

These 4th grade subtraction worksheets match standard 4.NBT.B.4, which asks children to fluently add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm. The standard names numbers up to 1,000,000. In grade 3, children subtract within 1,000, so the new work in grade 4 is the longer columns, and the idea that a borrow can pass along many places.

Common mistakes with 4 and 5-digit subtraction

The most common mistake is to subtract the smaller digit from the bigger in each column. This table shows five mistakes, what went wrong and the fix:

4 and 5-digit subtraction word problems

Large numbers come up in the sizes of stadiums, towns, libraries and journeys. Ask children to estimate first, to solve in columns and to check by adding:

Games and activities for 4 and 5-digit subtraction

Children learn 4 and 5-digit subtraction best when they play with it. These games use things that are found at home or in a classroom:

• Bank of place value: use coins and bills worth 1, 10, 100 and 1,000 to show 7,352, and trade as you take 4,869 away
• Borrow bingo: call problems that borrow once, twice or three times, and mark the answers
• Estimate race: find the estimate first, and score a point if the exact answer is within 1,000 of it
• Biggest difference: roll eight dice, make two 4-digit numbers, and try to make the biggest difference
• Check it: swap worksheets and check each answer by adding
• The riddle: solve the problems and use the answers to decode a riddle

Extra support and extra challenge with 4 and 5-digit subtraction

For children who need more support: use graph paper or the grid paper sheet, so that every digit has its own box and the columns stay straight. Start with 4-digit numbers that need one borrow, then two, then three, and then use the sheets with 5 digits. Cross out each digit you borrow from and write the new digit above it. Say the place of each digit aloud.

For children who need more challenge: ask for a missing digit in 7,☐52 − 4,869 = 2,483, for the number that makes the biggest answer from two 5-digit numbers that use the digits 0 to 9 once each, and for the difference between the biggest and smallest 5-digit numbers that can be made with 3, 8, 1, 9 and 4. Move on to subtracting across zeros and to 6-digit numbers.

How to tell that a child is ready to move on from 4 and 5-digit subtraction

Before moving on from 4 and 5-digit subtraction, check that the child can do all four of these things:

1. The child writes the digits of long numbers in the right columns.
2. The child borrows in several columns in a row, and writes the new digits.
3. The child estimates by rounding before solving.
4. The child checks the answer by adding it to the number taken away.

When all four are true, 4 and 5-digit subtraction is secure, so move on to subtracting across zeros, or to larger numbers in the subtraction worksheets pages and the addition and subtraction word problems page.

A 20-minute lesson on 4 and 5-digit subtraction

A short lesson is the best way to introduce 4 and 5-digit subtraction. This 20-minute plan can be used in a classroom, at a tutoring session or at home, and it uses the worksheets at the end:

Where 4 and 5-digit subtraction fits across the grades

No skill stands alone. This table shows what children learn before and after 4 and 5-digit subtraction, with the standard that goes with each step:

This page is the main page for long subtraction. The whole sequence is on the subtraction worksheets page.

Helping at home with 4 and 5-digit subtraction

Parents do not need to be experts to help with 4 and 5-digit subtraction. These suggestions work well, and each takes only a few minutes:

• Use a calculator only to check, after the child has done the problem by hand.
• Ask “how many borrows?” before each problem.
• Check every answer by adding it back, and estimate first.
• Use graph paper, so each digit has a box.
• Praise the neat columns as much as the answer.

How to check progress in 4 and 5-digit subtraction

A teacher or parent can check progress in 4 and 5-digit subtraction with the answer key and a few questions. This table shows three common situations, what they mean and what to do next:

A five-day plan for 4 and 5-digit subtraction

Most children need about a week of short sessions for 4 and 5-digit subtraction. This plan follows the order of the worksheets on this page:

When the plan for 4 and 5-digit subtraction is complete, move on to subtracting across zeros. The whole sequence is on the subtraction worksheets page.