Subtracting 2-Digit Numbers
Free 2-digit subtraction game: solve column differences like 57 − 23 digit by digit in your browser. For grades 1–2. No download, no sign-up.
Grade 1–2 · Free · No sign-up
How to play & why it works
Column subtraction with two-digit numbers — 57 − 23 — entered digit by digit, ones column first. The vertical format mirrors school workbooks so practice here transfers directly to written work.
Two-digit subtraction is where the column method earns its keep: it turns one hard problem into two easy facts. But it only works if the procedure is automatic — which column first, where each digit lands — and that automaticity is what short daily rounds build.
A habit worth building early: after answering, check by adding back. If 57 − 23 = 34, then 34 + 23 must be 57. The inverse check catches slips and quietly reinforces the addition-subtraction connection.
The free MathIt app follows with borrowing (regrouping), three-digit differences and mixed drills, plus streaks and live multiplayer.
Like the addition drill, these problems avoid borrowing so the procedure can settle first. The most common error at this stage is not arithmetic but direction: seeing 43 − 27 in the ones column, finding 3 − 7 impossible, and quietly answering 4 instead. Practising without borrowing makes that habit visible before it forms.
Every answer here can be checked by adding it back to the number you subtracted. Building that habit early gives children a way to catch their own mistakes, which matters more than any single fact.
Skills you'll practice
Keep practicing
Frequently asked questions
What does 'borrowing' or 'regrouping' mean in subtraction?
When the top digit in a column is smaller than the bottom one, you take ten from the next column left and add it to the current one. These rounds deliberately avoid that case so the basic procedure can be learned first.
How can my child check a subtraction answer?
Add the answer to the number that was subtracted. If 57 − 23 = 34, then 34 + 23 should give back 57. It catches most errors in a couple of seconds.
What if my child subtracts the smaller digit from the larger one regardless of position?
That is the most common two-digit subtraction error and it is worth correcting immediately — it produces right-looking answers that are wrong. Practising without regrouping first, as here, makes the habit easier to spot.
Get the full game
Adaptive difficulty, daily streaks, and live 2–5 player math battles — free on iOS and Android.