Compare Fractions
Which of these two is bigger? Start where the pieces are the same size and you only have to count them, then meet the case where the bigger number turns out to be the smaller amount.
No account, and the maths stays in your browser — more— less
This activity is for learning and practice. Anything it suggests is indicative only — it is not a formal assessment and not a substitute for a teacher or tutor.
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Set your country and age — change
Setting an age keeps the questions at the right level for that age. It does not lock anything — you can still try any topic, at any age, in any order. Levels are a guide only, not a curriculum.
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Saving your progress
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A bigger bottom number means a smaller fraction
This is the one that catches everybody, and it is not carelessness. Up to this point in a child’s maths, bigger numbers have always meant more — 8 sweets beats 3 sweets, every time. Then 1/8 turns out to be less than 1/3, and the rule they have relied on for years stops working.
It helps to say what the bottom number actually does: it is how many pieces the whole thing was cut into. Cut a cake into 8 and each slice is small. Cut it into 3 and each slice is big. The more people you share with, the less each one gets.
Three ways to decide, in order of effort
- Same bottom number? Then the pieces are identical — just count them. 5/8 beats 3/8.
- Same top number? Then you have the same number of pieces, so the bigger piece wins — and the bigger piece is the one with the smaller bottom number.
- Neither? Compare each one with a half first — that settles a surprising number of them — and if that does not do it, rewrite both with the same bottom number and go back to step 1.
Write the fraction, not a symbol
This tool asks you to write out the bigger fraction rather than choose between < and >. Those symbols are worth learning, but they are a separate thing to remember, and with only two of them a guess is right half the time — which tells nobody anything.
School levels
School levels are a guide only. They show where a skill is usually taught in each country and are not taken from, aligned to, or endorsed by any curriculum authority. Your school may cover it earlier or later.