Math Drill Pages

4 Digit Addition Word Problems

Eight 4th grade addition word problems, each with two 4-digit numbers and a 4-digit answer. Four stories put two amounts together, two ask how much is "more than" a given amount, and two ask for the starting amount. Every problem needs regrouping in at least one column.

Grade
Grade 4
Problems
8
Time
About 20 minutes
Standard
4.NBT.B.4, 4.OA.A.3
Download PDF (US Letter) Download PDF (A4)

Two pages: the worksheet, then the answer key. No sign-up needed.

Worksheet preview

Word problems Solve. Show your work.

  1. A hiking club climbed 3,576 feet on its first hike. On its second hike it climbed 1,218 feet more than that. How many feet did it climb on the second hike?

    4,794

  2. A stadium sold 1,304 tickets on Friday and 1,038 tickets on Saturday. How many tickets did it sell on the two days?

    2,342

  3. A factory shipped 3,805 rolls of tape this week. It has 5,451 rolls left. How many rolls did it have at the start of the week?

    9,256

  4. Lake Pine is 4,799 feet above sea level. Mount Gray is 3,915 feet higher than the lake. How high is Mount Gray?

    8,714

  5. Kim walked 6,187 steps before lunch and 2,876 steps after lunch. How many steps did she walk that day?

    9,063

  6. Ben spent 3,986 points in a game store. He has 2,241 points left. How many points did he have before he spent any?

    6,227

  7. A school collected 5,891 cans in the first week of a food drive and 2,074 cans in the second week. How many cans did it collect?

    7,965

  8. A family drove 2,992 miles in June and 3,875 miles in July. How many miles did they drive in the two months?

    6,867

Tips for teachers and parents

  • Ask your student to underline the question and circle the two numbers before writing anything.
  • Have students rewrite the numbers in a column, lining up ones under ones. Most errors in story problems come from copying the numbers out of line.
  • Estimate first by rounding to the nearest thousand. For 2,992 + 3,875, about 3,000 + 4,000 = 7,000, so an answer near 6,867 makes sense.
  • In the "how many at the start" stories, nothing is taken away in the math. Ask: was the start amount bigger or smaller than what is left? Bigger, so add.

Common mistakes

  • Subtracting in a "how many did it have at the start" story because the story says something was spent or shipped. Acting it out with a smaller number (spent 3, has 5 left) shows that the start was 8.
  • Forgetting to add a carried digit in the hundreds or thousands. Comparing the answer with the estimate catches it.

What to practice next

Try the 4-digit subtraction word problems, then the 4th grade multi-step word problems.

Frequently asked questions

What size are the numbers in these word problems?

Every story uses two 4-digit numbers, and every sum is also a 4-digit number (9,999 or less).

Are these addition word problems with regrouping?

Yes. Every problem needs at least one carry, and some need two or three.

Is there an answer key?

Yes, page 2 of the PDF has the answers to all 8 problems.