Column Subtraction – Written Method
Column subtraction organises digits by place value so you can subtract any two numbers systematically, column by column, from right to left.
Setting Up Column Subtraction
Write the minuend on top and the subtrahend beneath, right-aligned. Draw a line and subtract each column starting from the ones.
Try It Yourself: 865 − 324
Press each step below (or use Auto Play) to subtract 865 − 324 one column at a time, right to left. Every top digit here is already bigger than the digit below it, so no borrowing is needed.
Column being subtracted
Answer digit
865 − 324 = ?
Click Step 1 or Auto Play to begin!
865 − 324 = 541
Every column subtracts cleanly because each top digit is at least as big as the digit below it.
Every column subtracts cleanly because each top digit is at least as big as the digit below it.
Worked Examples (No Borrowing)
Example 1
78 − 35 ---- 43
Ones: 8−5=3. Tens: 7−3=4. Answer: 43
Example 2 – Three Digits
865 − 324 ----- 541
Ones: 5−4=1. Tens: 6−2=4. Hundreds: 8−3=5. Answer: 541
Different-Length Numbers
542 − 31: write as 542 − 031 → 511
Key Takeaways
- Right-align digits; always start from the ones column.
- Work from right to left through each place value.
- Pad shorter numbers with leading zeros.
- If a column requires subtracting a larger digit from a smaller one, you must borrow.
Practice: Column Subtraction
Two numbers are set up in column form below. Subtract them, starting from the ones column. If you get it wrong (or leave it blank), we'll go through each column together.
Subtract using column subtraction.