wunder beta

📖 Length Word Problems

Read length stories carefully, decide whether to add or subtract, and solve everyday problems with centimetres.

4
lessons
~15 min
to learn
🔢 Math
subject
Ages 6–12
level
Start the course →

What you’ll learn

  1. Reading a Word ProblemFollow a plan to read a length problem and decide what it is asking.A word problem is a story with maths inside. A good plan is to read carefully, find the lengths, decide whether to add or subtract, and answer with the unit.
  2. Adding LengthsSolve problems that join lengths together by adding.When lengths are placed end to end, we add them to find the total. For example, a 15 cm string joined to a 20 cm string makes 35 cm.
  3. Finding the DifferenceSolve 'how much longer' problems by subtracting to find the difference.To find how much longer one length is than another, subtract the shorter from the longer. The answer is the difference — the extra length.
  4. Solve It YourselfChoose the right operation from clue words and solve length problems.Clue words guide the choice: 'altogether' and 'total' mean add, while 'how much longer' and 'difference' mean subtract. Reading carefully leads to the right answer with its unit.

Questions this course answers

A rope is 20 cm and another rope is 30 cm. Joined end to end, how long are they?

Joining lengths means adding: 20 + 30 = 50 cm.

A blue ribbon is 25 cm and a red ribbon is 15 cm. How much longer is the blue ribbon?

'How much longer' means subtract: 25 − 15 = 10 cm.

To find how much longer one thing is than another, you should...?

Finding how much longer is a difference, which you find by subtracting.

Words like 'altogether' or 'in total' usually tell you to...?

'Altogether' and 'in total' mean you combine the lengths by adding.

A path is 50 cm and a shorter path is 35 cm. What is the difference in their lengths?

The difference is found by subtracting: 50 − 35 = 15 cm.

Grounded in trusted sources

  • Khan Academy Kids
  • BBC Bitesize — KS2 Maths
  • Britannica Kids
  • PBS Kids — early math

Every Wunder lesson is built from real, reputable sources — never invented.

Related Math courses

➕Adding and Subtracting Measurements🕵️Breaking Down Word Problems📏Line Plots with Fractions🧩Making and Sorting Shapes🔢Mean, Median, Mode, and Range📐Measuring and Comparing Lengths📐Measuring and Drawing Angles🥤Measuring How Much Containers Hold

Wunder is a personalized learn-anything platform — tell it any topic and it builds a beautiful, fact-checked course in minutes, with narration, a knowledge check, and a college-style University track.

Browse more Math courses · All topics · Home

© 2026 Wunder Learning LLC · Terms & Privacy