Math Vocabulary for 6th Grade

92 terms

JamWise Education Team·Updated March 2026

In 6th grade, students in the middle school (6-8) band encounter 92 essential math vocabulary terms. These words form the foundation for classroom discussions, reading comprehension, written assignments, and standardized assessments. Mastering this vocabulary gives students the language they need to express their understanding with clarity and confidence.

Below you will find every math term for 6th grade, organized by topic where applicable. Each term links to a detailed definition page with grade-level explanations, related vocabulary, and connections to JamWise learning resources.

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expressions

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Coefficient

The number that multiplies a variable in an expression. In 7x, the coefficient is 7.

Cubed

Raised to the third power. 4 cubed means 4 × 4 × 4 = 64. It is written as 4³ and represents the volume of a cube with edge length 4.

Dependent variable

The variable whose value depends on another variable. In the equation y = 3x, the value of y depends on what x is.

Distributive property

A rule that says multiplying a number by a sum is the same as multiplying by each addend and then adding. a(b + c) = ab + ac.

Equation

A math sentence that uses an equal sign to show that two expressions have the same value. For example, 3x + 5 = 11.

Equivalent expressions

Two expressions that have the same value no matter what number you substitute for the variable. For example, 2(x + 3) and 2x + 6 are equivalent.

Evaluate

To find the value of an expression by replacing each variable with a given number. To evaluate 3x + 2 when x = 4, substitute 4 for x to get 14.

Exponent

A number that tells how many times the base is used as a factor. In 5 cubed (5³), the exponent is 3, meaning 5 × 5 × 5.

Expression

A combination of numbers, variables, and operations like addition or multiplication. For example, 3x + 5 is an expression.

Formula

An equation that shows the relationship between different variables. A = l × w is a formula for the area of a rectangle.

Independent variable

The variable you can freely choose a value for. In y = 3x, you pick x and then calculate y.

Inequality

A math sentence that compares two expressions using symbols like <, >, ≤, or ≥ to show they are not always equal.

Inverse operations

Operations that undo each other. Addition and subtraction are inverse operations. Multiplication and division are inverse operations.

Order of operations

The rules for the sequence in which to evaluate an expression: parentheses first, then exponents, then multiplication and division left to right, then addition and subtraction left to right.

Solution to an equation

A number that makes an equation true when you substitute it for the variable. The solution to x + 4 = 10 is x = 6.

Solution to an inequality

Any value that makes an inequality true. The inequality x > 3 has infinitely many solutions, including 4, 5, 3.5, and 100.

Squared

Raised to the second power. 5 squared means 5 × 5 = 25. It is written as 5² and represents the area of a square with side length 5.

Term

A part of an expression that is separated by plus or minus signs. In 4x + 3y - 7, there are three terms: 4x, 3y, and 7.

Variable

A letter that represents a number whose value can change. In the expression 3x + 5, the letter x is a variable.

geometry

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Area

The number of square units that cover a flat surface without gaps or overlaps. Area is measured in square units like square centimeters.

Compose

To put two or more shapes together to form a new shape. You can compose two triangles to make a rectangle.

Decompose

To break a shape apart into simpler shapes. You can decompose a trapezoid into a rectangle and two triangles.

Edge

A line segment where two faces of a three-dimensional figure meet. A cube has 12 edges.

Face

Each flat surface of a three-dimensional figure. A cube has 6 faces, and each face is a square.

Net

A two-dimensional pattern that you can fold up to make a three-dimensional figure. A cube has a net made of six connected squares.

Parallelogram

A four-sided figure with two pairs of parallel sides. Rectangles and rhombuses are special types of parallelograms.

Polygon

A closed flat shape made of straight line segments that do not cross each other. Triangles, rectangles, and hexagons are all polygons.

Polyhedron

A three-dimensional figure whose faces are all flat polygons. Prisms and pyramids are types of polyhedra.

Prism

A three-dimensional figure with two identical parallel bases connected by rectangular faces. A cereal box is a rectangular prism.

Pyramid

A three-dimensional figure with one base that is a polygon and triangular faces that meet at a single point called the apex.

Surface area

The total area of all the faces of a three-dimensional figure. Imagine unfolding a box and measuring every flat surface.

Vertex

A point where two or more edges meet in a three-dimensional figure, or where two sides meet in a polygon. A cube has 8 vertices.

Volume

The amount of space inside a three-dimensional figure, measured in cubic units. The volume of a rectangular prism is length × width × height.

number-system

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Absolute value

The absolute value of a number is its distance from 0 on the number line. It is always zero or positive. The absolute value of -5 is 5.

Additive inverse

A number and its opposite. Their sum is always zero. The additive inverse of 5 is -5, because 5 + (-5) = 0.

Common factor

A number that divides evenly into two or more numbers. For example, 3 is a common factor of 6 and 15.

Coordinate plane

A flat surface formed by two number lines that cross at a right angle. The horizontal line is the x-axis and the vertical line is the y-axis.

Factors

Numbers that are multiplied together to get a product. The factors of 12 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 12.

Greatest common factor

The greatest common factor (GCF) of two whole numbers is the largest number that divides evenly into both. The GCF of 12 and 18 is 6.

Integer

The set of whole numbers and their opposites: ... -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3 ... Integers do not include fractions or decimals.

Least common multiple

The least common multiple (LCM) of two whole numbers is the smallest number that is a multiple of both. The LCM of 4 and 6 is 12.

Long division

A step-by-step method for dividing numbers that builds the answer one digit at a time. It works for dividing large numbers and decimals.

Negative number

A number that is less than zero. Negative numbers appear to the left of zero on a horizontal number line.

Opposite

Two numbers that are the same distance from 0 on a number line but on different sides. The opposite of 4 is -4.

Positive number

A number that is greater than zero. Positive numbers appear to the right of zero on a horizontal number line.

Quadrant

One of the four sections of a coordinate plane created by the x-axis and y-axis. Quadrants are numbered I, II, III, and IV going counterclockwise from the upper right.

Rational number

A number that can be written as a fraction or the opposite of a fraction. This includes integers, fractions, and terminating or repeating decimals.

Reciprocal

The reciprocal of a number is 1 divided by that number. The reciprocal of 3 is 1/3, and the reciprocal of 2/5 is 5/2. A number times its reciprocal always equals 1.

Sign

Whether a number is positive or negative. Positive numbers have a positive sign (+), negative numbers have a negative sign (-). Zero has no sign.

ratios

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Double number line diagram

A pair of parallel number lines with 0 lined up, used to show equivalent ratios between two quantities.

Equivalent ratios

Two ratios that describe the same relationship. If you multiply both numbers in a ratio by the same factor, you get an equivalent ratio.

Percent

Percent means 'per 100' or 'for each 100.' It is represented by the % symbol. 25% means 25 out of 100.

Ratio

A ratio compares two quantities using division. You can write it as 3 to 2, 3:2, or 3/2.

Speed

How fast something is moving, measured as distance divided by time. If you bike 12 miles in 2 hours, your speed is 6 miles per hour.

Tape diagram

A group of rectangles put together to represent a relationship between quantities. Tape diagrams help you see how quantities compare.

Unit price

The cost for one item or one unit of measure. If 6 apples cost $3, the unit price is $0.50 per apple.

Unit rate

A rate that tells how many of one quantity there are per one unit of another quantity. For example, 60 miles per 1 hour.

statistics

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Average

Another name for the mean. To find the average, add all the values in a data set and divide by the number of values.

Box plot

A graph that shows the spread of a data set using five key values: minimum, first quartile, median, third quartile, and maximum.

Categorical data

Data where the values are categories or labels rather than numbers. Favorite color, type of pet, and brand of shoe are examples of categorical data.

Distribution

The way data values are spread out. A distribution shows how often each value occurs in a data set.

Dot plot

A graph that shows data as dots stacked above values on a number line. Each dot represents one data point.

Frequency

The number of times a particular value shows up in a data set. If the score 85 appears 4 times, its frequency is 4.

Histogram

A bar graph that groups data into ranges (bins) and shows how many values fall in each range. The bars touch each other because the ranges are connected.

Interquartile range

The IQR measures how spread out the middle half of a data set is. It is the difference between the third quartile (Q3) and the first quartile (Q1).

Mean

The average of a set of numbers. Add all the values and divide by how many values there are. The mean of 2, 4, and 6 is 4.

Mean absolute deviation

The MAD measures how spread out values are from the mean. You find the distance of each data point from the mean, then average those distances.

Measure of center

A single number that represents a typical value in a data set. The mean and median are both measures of center.

Median

The middle value in a data set when the numbers are arranged in order. If there is an even number of values, the median is the average of the two middle values.

Mode

The value that appears most often in a data set. A data set can have one mode, more than one mode, or no mode at all.

Numerical data

Data made up of numbers that represent quantities. Heights, weights, and test scores are examples of numerical data.

Quartile

One of three values (Q1, Q2, Q3) that divide an ordered data set into four equal groups. Q2 is the same as the median.

Range

The difference between the largest and smallest values in a data set. If scores go from 65 to 95, the range is 30.

Statistical question

A question that you expect to get different answers from different people or situations. 'How tall are the students in our class?' is statistical because heights vary.

Variability

The tendency of data values to differ from each other. High variability means the data is spread out; low variability means the data is clustered together.