Place Value

Read a Three-Digit Number

Read 374 by identifying its hundreds digit (3), tens digit (7), and ones digit (4). Each digit's place tells you how much it contributes to the total.

place-value Each digit in a number has a place: hundreds, tens, and ones. The place tells you how much each digit is worth. In 374, the 3 is worth 300, the 7 is worth 70, and the 4 is worth 4.

Example

Read 374 by naming each digit's place value.

highlighted = computed this step

Step 1 — Set up

Start with the place-value chart.

hundredstensones374\begin{array}{c|c|c}\text{hundreds}&\text{tens}&\text{ones}\\3&7&4\end{array}
Start with 374hundredsdigit 3100100100value 300tensdigit 710101010101010value 70onesdigit 41111value 43 hundreds + 7 tens + 4 onesSplit the number into hundreds, tens, and ones.

Step 2 — Read places

Read 374: 3 hundreds, 7 tens, and 4 ones.

hundredstensones374\begin{array}{c|c|c}\text{hundreds}&\text{tens}&\text{ones}\\\hl{3}&\hl{7}&\hl{4}\end{array}
374: 3 hundreds, 7 tens, 4 oneshundredsdigit 3100100100value 300tensdigit 710101010101010value 70onesdigit 41111value 43 hundreds + 7 tens + 4 onesEach digit gets its value from its column.

Step 3 — Hundreds value

Hundreds: 3 x 100 = 300.

hundredstensones374,3⋅100=300\begin{array}{c|c|c}\text{hundreds}&\text{tens}&\text{ones}\\3&7&4\end{array},\quad 3\cdot 100=\hl{300}
3 hundreds = 300hundredsdigit 3100100100value 300tensdigit 710101010101010value 70onesdigit 41111value 43 hundreds + 7 tens + 4 onesThe first digit names 3 hundreds.

Step 4 — Tens value

Tens: 7 x 10 = 70.

hundredstensones374,7⋅10=70\begin{array}{c|c|c}\text{hundreds}&\text{tens}&\text{ones}\\3&7&4\end{array},\quad 7\cdot 10=\hl{70}
7 tens = 70hundredsdigit 3100100100value 300tensdigit 710101010101010value 70onesdigit 41111value 43 hundreds + 7 tens + 4 onesThe middle digit names 7 tens.

Step 5 — Ones value

Ones: 4 x 1 = 4.

hundredstensones374,4⋅1=4\begin{array}{c|c|c}\text{hundreds}&\text{tens}&\text{ones}\\3&7&4\end{array},\quad 4\cdot 1=\hl{4}
4 ones = 4hundredsdigit 3100100100value 300tensdigit 710101010101010value 70onesdigit 41111value 43 hundreds + 7 tens + 4 onesThe last digit names 4 ones.

Step 6 — Result

Add the place values: 300 + 70 + 4 = 374.

374=300+70+4374=300+70+4
Read 374: three hundred seventy fourhundredsdigit 3100100100value 300tensdigit 710101010101010value 70onesdigit 41111value 4three hundred seventy fourSay the parts together: three hundred seventy four.