Grade 6 · Math

6th grade Write and read expressions with letters worksheet

6 printable versionsBuilding Confidence10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

Level: Building Confidence · On Level · Challenge Me

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Write and read expressions with letters

Grade 6 Math Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the best answer, or write your answer on the line.

Bo has k star stickers. A friend has 8 fewer than that. Draw the bars. What expression shows the number of stickers the friend has?
Esme sketches a bar for m and cuts 4 off the end. What expression shows 4 less than m?
Jun draws a bar of 15 and cuts y off the end. What expression means "Subtract y from 15"?
Kira draws a bar of 13 and cuts k off the end. What expression means "Take k away from 13"?
Milo packs 4 boxes. Each box has n beads and 5 stickers: one box is the bar n + 5. Use parentheses for the sum. What expression shows all the beads and stickers?
Noah draws one bar for the sum of k and 6. Use parentheses for the sum. What expression shows 2 times that sum?
Pia cuts yarn that is n meters long into 4 equal pieces (the cat is very interested). Draw a bar of n cut into 4 equal parts. What expression shows the length of one piece?
8.
Zee holds a card with 7x + 3 on it. What is the coefficient of x?
- x
- 7
- 7x
- 3
9.
Ari picks a card that shows 5n + 4. What is the coefficient of n?
- 4
- n
- 5
- 5n
10.
Kira holds a card with k − 9 on it. Which words match k − 9?
- 9 more than k
- 9 fewer than k
- k fewer than 9

6th grade Write and read expressions with letters worksheet – printable — Print: 1 2 3 4 5 6

About this worksheet

Writing and reading expressions. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

I can write an expression for "5 less than n", "subtract y from 15" or "3 times the sum of x and 2".
I can say which number is the coefficient and how many terms an expression has.
I can tell when a sum or a difference needs parentheses.

Standard: 6.EE.A.2a, 6.EE.A.2b

Words to know

expression: A group of numbers, letters and signs with no equal sign, like 3x + 2.

variable: A letter that stands for a number that can change.

term: One part of an expression, joined to the others by + or −.

coefficient: The number that multiplies a letter. In 7x it is 7, and in y it is 1.

sum, difference, product, quotient: The answers to adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing.

Common mistakes

Your child chose the wrong order or the wrong sign for subtraction words (5 less than n as 5 − n, subtract y from 15 as y − 15, or "Leo has k, 8 fewer than Mia" as k − 8 for Mia). Try asking "who has more?" and "if n is 12, what is 5 less than 12?" and see which way the subtraction goes.

Your child left a number out of the parentheses (3 times the sum of x and 2 as 3x + 2). Try asking "in 3 boxes that each hold x pencils and 2 erasers, how many pencils and how many erasers are there?"

Your child flipped a division (x divided by 4 as 4/x). Try asking "which amount is being shared, and how many equal parts is it shared into?" and write the shared amount first.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with write and read expressions with letters?

Are these 6th grade math worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More grade 6 math

See all grade 6 math

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