What does denominator mean?
Word: Denominator
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Denominator means the number below the line in a fraction, which shows how many equal shares the whole is cut into.
How do you spell denominator?
Syllables: de - nom - i - na - tor
Tricky part: The middle is the hard stretch. The weak vowel just after the m is an i, though many children write an e in that spot.
Watch out for: denomenator, dinominator
Memory tip: Picture the letter i as the little stroke in a fraction: a denominator needs that thin i standing right after its m.
Denominator in a sentence
Example 1: To add 1/4 and 1/3, Priya first found a common denominator.
Example 2: Our teacher drew a pizza cut into eight slices to show what the denominator means.
Example 3: The denominator of 3/7 is 7, so the whole has been shared into seven equal parts.
Fun Fact
The word goes back to a Latin verb meaning to name, which suits its job: it names the kind of fraction you have, such as thirds, quarters or tenths.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
den_min_tor
a) o, e
b) o, a
c) u, a
d) a, a
Show answer
b) o, a. The stressed beat is nom, and the beat near the end is the nay sound, spelt with a lone a.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
Ravi copied the wrong denominater from the board and lost one mark in his maths test.
a) board
b) mark
c) copied
d) denominater
Show answer
d) denominater. The ending matches the one in calculator and indicator.
Mingle-Mangle
Form a meaningful word from the jumbled letters:
mtoardeinno
a) nomination
b) denominator
c) domination
d) denomination
Show answer
b) denominator. The r among these letters rules out the other three, which all finish in n.
Spell-o-Spell
Choose the correctly spelt word:
a) paralel
b) diamater
c) perimiter
d) denominator
Show answer
d) denominator. Perimeter has an e after the m, parallel a double l in its middle, and diameter an e after the m as well.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which two fractions share the same denominator?
a) 4/6 and 4/8
b) 2/9 and 7/9
c) 2/9 and 2/7
d) 3/5 and 5/3
Show answer
b) 2/9 and 7/9
2. The fraction of a cake on your plate changes its denominator from 4 to 8. What happens to the size of each slice?
a) It becomes twice as big
b) It stays the same size
c) It becomes four times as big
d) It becomes half as big
Show answer
d) It becomes half as big
