Meaning & use
subitising
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“subitising” is a form of “subitise”.
Meaning
verbintransitiveBritishtechnical
The act of instantly recognizing how many objects there are without counting them one by one.
Grammar: Usually intransitive; can take an object in phrases like 'subitising numbers'.
Patterns
- subitising numbers
- subitising to five
Subitising helps children see that four dots are four without counting.
The teacher asked the class to practice subitising with dice.
Subitising is an important early math skill.
Word forms
| base form (British) | subitise |
|---|---|
| base form (American) | subitize |
| third person singular | subitises |
| past tense | subitised |
| past participle | subitised |
| -ing form | subitising |
Common combinations
- subitising activities
- Teachers use subitising activities with cards and counters.
- subitising to five
- Most children can begin subitising to five by age four.
- develop subitising skills
- Games help develop subitising skills in young learners.
Synonyms and how they differ
- instant recognition
- A general phrase; 'subitising' is the specific technical term used in math education.
Opposites
Word family
- subitise verb
- British spelling of the verb meaning to recognize a number without counting.
- subitize verb
- American spelling of the same verb.
- subitisation noun
- British spelling of the noun for this skill.
- subitization noun
- American spelling of the noun for this skill.
Commonly confused: subitising or estimating?
subitising vs estimating
Estimating means making a rough guess about a quantity; subitising means recognizing an exact small number instantly.
Practice
What is subitising?
Choose one answer.
Subitising is immediate recognition of a small quantity, not counting or calculating.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “subitising”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.