Number Line Generator
Print number lines for whole numbers, decimals or fractions: pick the start, end and spacing, hide some or all of the labels for students to fill in, draw jumps with their sizes, and mark points. Lines are drawn as crisp vector graphics, with an answer key of completed lines. Free, no sign-up.
Leave blank to use the default title.
In the print dialog choose the paper size above, set the scale to 100%, and turn off headers and footers. The answer key starts on its own page, so print page 1 for students.
Number Lines
How to Use the Number Line Generator
- 1. Choose the kind of number line. Whole numbers (including negatives), Decimals or Fractions. Set the start and end, and for whole numbers and decimals the distance between ticks. For fractions, choose the denominator — the number of ticks per whole.
- 2. Decide which labels show. Show all of them, only the first and last, or hide a quarter, half, three quarters or all of them. Hidden labels print as empty boxes for students to fill in.
- 3. Add jumps and points if you want them. Type jumps one per line, such as
0 to 3, and the generator draws an arc with its size. Type points to mark, such as2; 5; 8. - 4. Print. Number lines are wide, so landscape is the default. Lines with hidden labels print a second page with every line completed as an answer key.
Whole Numbers, Decimals and Fractions
Whole-number lines can start anywhere, so a line from −6 to 6 in steps of 2 works for integers and a line from 0 to 100 in steps of 10 works for counting by tens. Decimal lines divide the range exactly: 0 to 1 in steps of 0.1 gives eleven ticks labelled 0.0 to 1.0, and 0 to 1 in steps of 0.25 labels them 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.00. The step has to divide the range evenly, so 0 to 1 in steps of 0.3 is refused rather than drawn wrongly.
Fraction lines place a tick every 1/d from one whole number to the next, for denominators from 2 to 20. Labels can be simplified mixed numbers (1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1 1/4), simplified improper fractions (5/4), or the same denominator throughout (0/4, 1/4, 2/4 … 4/4). The last form shows that 2/4 and 1/2 mark the same point, which the simplified forms hide.
Labels for a line from 0 to 2 with four ticks per whole
Mixed numbers, simplified
0, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1 1/4, 1 1/2, 1 3/4, 2
Improper fractions, simplified
0, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, 1, 5/4, 3/2, 7/4, 2
Same denominator throughout
0/4, 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, 7/4, 8/4
Jumps and Marked Points
A jump is an arc from one value to another with its size written above it, the picture behind adding and subtracting on a number line. Typing 0 to 3, then 3 to 7, draws +3 and +4 and shows that 3 + 4 = 7; typing 7 to 5 draws a backward jump of −2. Jump sizes on decimal and fraction lines are worked out exactly, so 0.2 to 0.5 reads +0.3 and 1/2 to 1 3/4 reads +1 1/4. Jumps and points appear on every line on the page, so use a single line when you want a specific demonstration.
Marked points are dots, optionally named A, B, C and so on, for questions like "What number is point B?" Pair them with hidden labels so that students must read the scale. Entries outside the line, or that cannot be read, are listed rather than silently dropped.
Skills by Setting
| Skill | Settings | What it builds |
|---|---|---|
| Counting and ordering | 0 to 20, label every tick, hide half | Placing whole numbers on an equally spaced scale |
| Addition and subtraction | Jumps like 0 to 3 and 3 to 7 | Sums and differences as lengths |
| Skip counting | Step 2, 5 or 10; label every tick | Counting by a unit other than 1 |
| Fractions as numbers | Fractions, denominators 2 to 12 | Seeing a fraction as a point, not a shape |
| Decimals | 0 to 1 in steps of 0.1 or 0.01 | Place value to tenths and hundredths |
| Negative numbers | −10 to 10 | Opposites and distance from zero |
Placement varies by curriculum, so check your own standards. In the Common Core State Standards, grade 2 asks students to represent whole numbers as lengths from 0 on a number line and show sums and differences within 100 (2.MD.B.6). Grade 3 asks them to understand a fraction as a number on the number line (3.NF.A.2). Grade 4 uses decimal notation for fractions with denominators 10 or 100 (4.NF.C.6), and grade 6 asks them to understand a rational number as a point on the number line (6.NS.C.6). Everything runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I make a number line with negative numbers?
- Choose Whole numbers and type a negative start, such as −10, and a positive end, such as 10. Use a step of 1 for every integer or 2, 5 or 10 for sparser ticks. Negative labels use a true minus sign. You can also use negative decimals.
- How do I make a blank number line for students to fill in?
- Under Labels shown, choose to hide a quarter, half or three quarters of the labels, or choose No labels — empty boxes. Hidden labels print as boxes under their ticks. Keeping the first and last labels visible, as Hide half does, gives students a scale to work from.
- How do I make a fraction number line?
- Choose Fractions, set the start and end (whole numbers), and pick the denominator. A denominator of 4 puts four ticks in every whole. Choose how labels are written: mixed numbers, improper fractions, or all over the same denominator.
- Why is my step rejected?
- The distance between ticks must divide the range evenly so that the last tick lands exactly on the end. A line from 0 to 10 can step by 1, 2 or 5 but not 3. The generator also stops at 150 ticks, so use a larger step for very long lines.
- How do I draw jumps?
- Type one jump per line in the form 0 to 3, using to, a comma, > or an arrow between the numbers. Each jump becomes an arc with its size above it. Both ends must lie on the line. The same jumps are drawn on every line on the page.
- How many number lines fit on a page?
- In landscape, 3 to 5 lines fit comfortably without jumps; with jumps each line is taller, so 2 is a safe choice. You can choose 1 to 8 lines and switch to portrait if you prefer.