Okuzeka
Mathematics vocabulary · Numbers and Operations

Fraction

Meaning in mathematics, with examples

/ˈfrækʃən/nounCore term

In mathematics, fraction means: A number that shows part of a whole, written as one number over another, such as ¾, where 3 is the numerator and 4 is the denominator.

In Turkish: kesir, kesirli sayı

How it is used

You simplify, add, compare and convert fractions. Learn the spoken forms: ½ is 'a half' or 'one half', ⅓ 'one third', ¾ 'three quarters' (US also 'three fourths') and 5/8 'five eighths'. Longer ones are read with 'over': 'x over y'.

Example sentences

  1. Convert the fraction to a decimal before you compare the two prices.

  2. Always give your final answer as a fraction in its simplest form.

Common collocations

  • simplify a fraction
  • proper fraction
  • improper fraction
  • equivalent fractions
  • convert a fraction
  • numeratorThe number above the line in a fraction, which shows how many parts you have; in 3/8, the numerator is 3.
  • denominatorThe number below the line in a fraction, which shows how many equal parts the whole is divided into; in 3/8, the denominator is 8.
  • simplifyTo write a fraction or expression in its shortest and clearest form without changing its value, for example writing 6/8 as 3/4.
  • decimal pointThe dot that separates the whole-number part of a number from its decimal part, as in 3.75; English uses a point where Turkish uses a comma.
  • ratioA comparison of two or more quantities that shows how big one is compared with the other, written like 3:2 and read 'three to two'.

More terms: Numbers and Operations

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: