place-value Vocabulary
JamWise Education TeamยทUpdated March 2026
The place-value strand is a core part of the K-8 math curriculum. It encompasses 20 vocabulary terms that students encounter as they progress from kindergarten through 8th grade. Each term builds on previous knowledge, creating a spiral of deepening understanding that prepares learners for increasingly complex concepts.
Understanding place-value vocabulary is essential for classroom discussions, assessments, and real-world application. Below you will find every term organized by grade level, so teachers and parents can quickly identify which words are appropriate for their students and explore definitions tailored to each developmental stage.
1st Grade
(5 terms)
Digit
A single number symbol: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9.
Ones
Single things. The digits on the right side of a number.
Place value
What a digit is worth based on where it sits in a number.
Tens
Groups of ten. The tens place in a number.
Two-digit number
A number with a tens place and a ones place. Like 25 or 43.
2nd Grade
(8 terms)
Expanded form
Writing a number to show the value of each digit. Like 300 + 40 + 5.
Hundreds
Groups of one hundred. The hundreds place in a number.
Numeral
A written symbol that stands for a number. Like 7 or 42.
Standard form
Writing a number the regular way. Like 345.
Thousand
The number 1,000. Ten groups of one hundred.
Three-digit number
A number with a hundreds place, a tens place, and a ones place. Like 247.
Value
How much something is worth.
Word form
Writing a number using words. Like three hundred forty-five.
3rd Grade
(7 terms)Digit
Any of the symbols 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 used to write numbers.
Expanded form
A way to write a number that shows the value of each digit. 452 = 400 + 50 + 2.
Place value
The value of a digit based on its position in a number. In 352, the 3 is in the hundreds place and means 300.
Rounding
Replacing a number with a nearby number that is easier to work with. 48 rounds to 50.
Standard form
The usual way of writing a number using digits. The standard form of three hundred forty-two is 342.
Whole number
Any of the counting numbers (1, 2, 3, ...) and zero. Whole numbers have no fractions or decimals.
Word form
A way of writing a number using words instead of digits. The word form of 58 is fifty-eight.
4th Grade
(4 terms)
Multi-digit number
A number with two or more digits, like 47, 385, or 1,024.
Place value
The value of a digit based on its position. In 45,678, the 4 is worth 40,000 because it is in the ten-thousands place.
Rounding
Changing a number to the nearest ten, hundred, thousand, or other place value to make it simpler. 3,472 rounds to 3,500.
Whole number
A number without fractions or decimals: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on.
5th Grade
(4 terms)
Base (of an exponent)
The number that gets multiplied by itself when using an exponent. In 5 squared, 5 is the base.
Exponent
A small number written above and to the right of a base number that tells how many times to multiply the base by itself. In 10 to the power of 3, the exponent is 3 and it means 10 x 10 x 10.
Place value (decimals)
In a decimal number, each place is worth 10 times the place to its right. The tenths place is 1/10, hundredths is 1/100, thousandths is 1/1000.
Powers of ten
Numbers you get by multiplying 10 by itself: 10, 100, 1000, 10000. Each power of ten is 10 times the one before it.