Addition Keywords
When you see these words in a math word problem, they signal that you need to add two or more numbers together. The result of an addition problem is called the sum. The numbers being added are called addends.
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All Addition Keywords
add
To combine two or more numbers together to get a larger total.
Worked Examples
Add 14 and 27.
Add 135 and 248.
Add the three test scores: 78, 92, and 85.
A baker adds 3 cups of flour to the 5 already in the bowl. How many cups now?
sum
The result you get after adding two or more numbers together.
Worked Examples
What is the sum of 45 and 38?
Find the sum of 120 and 56.
What is the sum of 7, 13, and 20?
The sum of two numbers is 100. One number is 63. What is the other?
plus
Another word for the addition operator (+); used to join two quantities.
Worked Examples
Six plus nine equals what?
Thirty-two plus seventeen is what number?
She scored 44 points plus a 10-point bonus. What is her total?
245 plus 378 equals?
total
The complete amount after combining or adding everything together.
Worked Examples
What is the total of 12, 15, and 8?
Find the total cost of items priced at $4 and $7.
A store sold 120 on Monday, 95 Tuesday, and 80 Wednesday. What is the total?
A school raised $560 in week one and $345 in week two. Total raised?
increased by
A value has been made larger by a certain amount — add that amount to find the new value.
Worked Examples
A number increased by 12 equals 30. What is the number?
The temperature increased by 5 degrees from 62°F.
A price was increased by $15 from $85. What is the new price?
Her reading speed increased by 30 wpm from 120 wpm. What is her new speed?
more than
A quantity that exceeds another by a specific amount — add to find the larger total.
Worked Examples
Lily has 6 more than Jake. Jake has 9 stickers. How many does Lily have?
Sam scored 14 more than his previous record of 82.
There are 25 more students this year than last year's 310.
A new bridge is 40 m more than twice the old one (50 m). How long is the new bridge?
altogether
Taking everything into account — the complete combined amount of all groups.
Worked Examples
There are 18 boys and 21 girls. How many students altogether?
She bought 3 pens, 4 notebooks, and 2 folders. How many items altogether?
A family drove 120 km day 1, 95 day 2, and 140 day 3. How far altogether?
Four friends collected 18, 22, 15, and 30 cans. How many cans altogether?
and
Joins two quantities; in math sentences it often signals addition.
Worked Examples
Thirty-five and eighty-six are what?
What is 400 and 250?
What is 3.5 and 2.25?
A bag holds 4 apples and 7 oranges. How many pieces of fruit?
combined
Two or more amounts added together into a single total.
Worked Examples
The two teams combined scored 77 points. Team A scored 42. How many did Team B score?
Their combined weight is 150 kg. One person weighs 68 kg. What does the other weigh?
Combined length of two ropes is 18.5 m. One rope is 7.2 m. How long is the other?
Three classes combined have 87 students. Two have 28 and 31. How many in the third?
added to
One number is joined to another — the key signal for addition.
Worked Examples
5 added to 18 equals what?
What happens when 30 is added to 70?
When 14.5 is added to 6.3, what is the result?
A savings of $250 is added to an account with $1,340. New balance?
in all
The grand total of everything counted together.
Worked Examples
There are 5 red, 7 blue, and 4 green marbles. How many in all?
She earned $25 on Monday and $30 on Tuesday. How much in all?
A fruit bowl has 8 apples, 6 bananas, 4 pears, and 3 oranges. How many in all?
Three shelves hold 45, 52, and 38 books. How many in all?
in addition
Something extra is being included on top of what already exists.
Worked Examples
He had 10 points. In addition he scored 8 more. What is his total?
The store has 200 red shirts. In addition, it has 85 blue shirts. How many total?
In addition to 45 km already driven, they drove 28 more km. Total?
join
Two groups come together to form one larger group — add to find the new total.
Worked Examples
14 children join a group of 23. How many now?
A flock of 60 birds is joined by 24 more. How many birds?
Two clubs join together. One has 45 members, the other 38. Total members?
together
Two or more amounts counted as one — add them.
Worked Examples
Tom and Anna together have 50 coins. Tom has 22. How many does Anna have?
Working together they painted 35 and 47 fence panels. How many panels total?
Two rivers together carry 1,200 gallons/min. One carries 740. How much does the other carry?
both
Refers to two items or groups being counted together — add them.
Worked Examples
Both boxes hold apples. One holds 16, the other 24. How many total?
Both friends saved money. Ana saved $75 and Ben $90. Total savings?
Both machines produce bolts. One makes 340/hr, the other 280. How many combined per hour?
raise
To increase a value by adding a specific amount.
Worked Examples
The price was raised by $5 from $20. New price?
The worker's wage was raised by $2.50 from $14.00/hr. New wage?
The charity raised $3,400 in week one and $2,100 in week two. Total raised?
additional
Extra amount added on top of what already exists.
Worked Examples
She received an additional 15 points on her score of 75.
The store ordered an additional 200 units on top of 500 already in stock.
An additional 35 minutes were added to the 2-hour drive. Total journey time?
addend
Any number being added in an addition problem.
Worked Examples
In 8 + 5, name each addend.
What is the missing addend? 14 + ? = 30
If both addends are equal and their sum is 48, what is each addend?
perimeter
The total distance around a shape — found by adding all side lengths.
Worked Examples
A rectangle has sides of 6 cm and 4 cm. What is the perimeter?
A triangle has sides of 5 m, 8 m, and 7 m. Find its perimeter.
A square garden has sides of 12 m. What is the perimeter?
gain
To receive or earn an additional amount — add to the original.
Worked Examples
A player gained 15 points and now has 82. How many did they start with?
A company gained 450 new customers on top of 3,200 existing. How many total?
A puppy weighs 4.2 kg and gains 0.8 kg. New weight?
An investor gained $1,200 profit on a $5,000 investment. Total value?
deposit
Money added to an account — add the deposit to the existing balance.
Worked Examples
Maya deposits $350 into her account that already has $1,200. New balance?
A business deposits $4,500 on Monday and $2,800 on Wednesday. Total deposited?
After a deposit of $600, the balance is $2,900. What was the original balance?
collect
To gather or accumulate — add each collected amount.
Worked Examples
Jake collected 24 stamps on Monday and 18 more on Friday. How many total?
Students collected 140 cans in January, 175 in February, 160 in March. Total?
A park collected $1,450 in ticket fees. It already had $3,000. New total?
grow
To increase in size or amount — add the amount it grew.
Worked Examples
A plant was 12 cm tall and grew 5 cm. How tall is it now?
The town population grew by 2,400 from 18,600. New population?
A business grew revenue by $80,000 from last year's $320,000. This year's revenue?
extend
To make longer or larger by adding to something existing.
Worked Examples
A 45 cm rope is extended by 20 cm. How long is it now?
A deadline is extended by 3 days from the 12th. What is the new deadline?
A fence of 80 m is extended by 35 m. Total length?
put together
To combine amounts — signals addition.
Worked Examples
Put together 23 red blocks and 14 blue blocks. How many?
Two groups are put together: 55 people and 40. How many total?
Put together $4.75 and $3.50. Total?
more
A greater amount than something else — signals addition.
Worked Examples
She had 9 apples and got 6 more. How many does she have?
A store had 250 items and received 80 more. How many now?
Alex has 5 more stickers than Ben. Ben has 12. How many does Alex have?
After adding 400 more seats, a stadium holds 12,000. How many before?
how many altogether
Asks for the total count by adding all groups.
Worked Examples
There are 9 cats and 7 dogs. How many animals altogether?
A store sold 34 toys Saturday and 41 Sunday. How many altogether?
Five classes have 28, 31, 27, 30, and 29 students. How many altogether?
running total
A continuously updated total as new amounts are added.
Worked Examples
The running total after scoring 10, 15, and 8 points is?
A cash register running total is $45.20 after adding a $12.80 item. Total before?
accumulate
To build up gradually by adding amounts over time.
Worked Examples
Mia accumulates 50 reward points per week. After 4 weeks, how many points?
Dust accumulates at 2 mm per year. After 6 years, how thick is the layer?
earn
To receive an amount in return for work — add to existing total.
Worked Examples
Olivia earns $120 on Saturday and $95 on Sunday. How much did she earn in total?
A freelancer earns $800 in January and $650 in February. Total earned?
A student earns 15 merits in week one and 22 in week two. Total merits earned?
score
Points or marks obtained — add to find the total or cumulative score.
Worked Examples
A team scores 3 touchdowns at 7 points each. What is their score?
A student scored 78 on quiz 1 and 84 on quiz 2. Combined score?
Before the break the score was 45. After the break 18 more points were scored. Final score?