MathLounge › Guides › Fractions

How to simplify fractions, step by step

Simplifying a fraction means writing the same amount with the smallest possible numbers. The fraction doesn't get smaller. The pieces just get bigger and there are fewer of them, so 6/8 = 3/4.

The rule: divide the top number and the bottom number by the same number. Keep going until no number except 1 divides both.

Take the free fractions check Free, takes a few minutes, no sign-up.

Worked examples

12/18. Both are even, so divide by 2: 12/18 = 6/9. Both 6 and 9 divide by 3: 6/9 = 2/3. Nothing else divides 2 and 3, so the answer is 2/3.
Faster: use the biggest number that divides both. 6 divides 12 and 18: 12 ÷ 6 = 2 and 18 ÷ 6 = 3, so 12/18 = 2/3 in one step.
Check. Multiply back: two times 6 is 12 and three times 6 is 18, so the fraction is the same amount.

Simplify these 6 fractions

6/8 = ?
10/15 = ?
8/20 = ?
15/25 = ?
14/35 = ?
16/36 = ?

Show answers

6/8 = 3/4
10/15 = 2/3
8/20 = 2/5
15/25 = 3/5
14/35 = 2/5
16/36 = 4/9

Tips for parents

Start with easy divisors: 2 (both even), 5 (both end in 0 or 5), 10, then 3.
If the top and bottom are the same, the fraction is 1.
Simplifying is really equivalent fractions in reverse, so it helps to practice both.

Questions parents ask

What grade learns to simplify fractions?

Children work with equivalent fractions in 3rd and 4th grade, and simplifying answers becomes routine in 5th and 6th grade.

Is a simplified fraction smaller?

No. It's exactly the same amount, written with smaller numbers.

Find out where your child is in a few minutes

Our free check shows which of 7 fraction skills are strong and which need work (grades 3 to 5). It runs in your browser, we don't ask for your child's name, and nothing your child types is saved.

Take the free fractions check

The check and its results are free. If you want a ready-made practice plan, the optional printable 4-week Fractions Fix-It Plan built from your child's results is $4.99, paid once, with a 30-day refund (see our Terms).