The signs <, > and =
To compare two numbers, we use three signs:
- < means "is smaller than": 4 < 9 reads "4 is smaller than 9".
- > means "is bigger than": 9 > 4 reads "9 is bigger than 4".
- = means "is equal to": 6 = 6.
These three signs let us write the result of a comparison in a single line, without needing a full sentence.
The crocodile trick
The most common trick used at school to never mix up < and >: imagine the sign is the mouth of a hungry crocodile. The crocodile is greedy: it opens its mouth wide towards the bigger number (it wants to eat as much as possible), and its pointy end touches the smaller one.
Method for comparing two numbers
- Count the digits. The number with more digits is the bigger one (as long as there are no unnecessary leading zeros). Example: 154 (3 digits) is bigger than 98 (2 digits) → 154 > 98.
- Same number of digits? Compare digit by digit, starting from the left (the digit with the most value). As soon as one digit differs, you have your answer.
- All digits the same? The two numbers are equal.
Worked example: compare 4,267 and 4,271.
- Same number of digits (4 each) → compare digit by digit.
- Thousands: 4 = 4. Hundreds: 2 = 2. Tens: 6 < 7 → we already have the answer, no need to go further.
- So 4,267 < 4,271.
Ordering a list of numbers
Ordering means putting several numbers back in a certain sequence:
- Ascending order: from smallest to largest. Example: 12, 45, 78, 90.
- Descending order: from largest to smallest. Example: 90, 78, 45, 12.
Simple method: compare the numbers two at a time (using the method above), spot the smallest (or largest), place it, then repeat with the numbers that remain.
Comparing decimal numbers
The method is almost the same, with one extra step: first compare the whole-number part (before the decimal point), then — if it's equal — the tenths, then the hundredths. Watch out: 7.5 is bigger than 7.45, even though 45 > 5: you must compare the tenths first (5 vs 4), not the whole number written after the point. The full detail is explained in the decimal numbers lesson.
Mistakes to avoid
- Comparing by how the number is written out in words rather than its value ("nine" has 4 letters, so does "one hundred", but 100 is far bigger than 9!).
- Stopping at the first different digit counting from the right instead of the left.
- Forgetting to check the number of digits before comparing one by one.
- Mixing up the direction of the sign: always check that the point touches the smaller number.
Worked exercises
Compare 358 and 385 with < or >
Order in ascending order: 67, 12, 90, 45
Compare 1,200 and 998
Now it's your turn!
On EasyMaths, your child practises comparing and ordering numbers that get bigger and bigger, with kind marking and exercises that never repeat.
Start the exercises →Frequently asked questions
How do you remember which way the < and > signs go?
The sign always opens towards the bigger number, like the mouth of a hungry crocodile who wants to eat the larger amount. 3 < 8: the point touches the small number (3), the open side faces the big one (8).
How do you compare two numbers that don't have the same number of digits?
The number with more digits is always bigger (unless it has unnecessary leading zeros). No need to compare digit by digit: 154 has 3 digits, 98 has 2, so 154 > 98.
What do ascending and descending order mean?
Ascending order goes from the smallest to the largest number. Descending order goes from the largest to the smallest. "Ascend" means to go up, "descend" means to go down.