Maths & English Glossary

A situation or relationship that involves addition, subtraction or both, e.g. giving change from a simple money transaction.

Concerned with a sense of beauty or an appreciation of artistic expression.

A mathematical statement formed by combining numbers, variables and arithmetic operations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

A process that can be carried out systematically, using a well-defined set of instructions, to perform a particular task or solve a type of problem.

A clock with hours marked from 1 to 12 arranged in a circle and moving hands to show you the time.

The process of giving a numerical value (between 0 and 1) to represent the likelihood of an event occurring.

A measure being systematically moved away from the true value, leading to overestimating or underestimating that value.

Data relating to measurement of 2 variables. It can be categorical data, numerical data or a combination of both.

Running the individual sounds in a word together to make a word (e.g. sounding out /b/-/i/-/g/ to make ‘big’).

A plane divided into 4 regions (quadrants) by 2 perpendicular axes, the x-axis and the y-axis, which intersect at a point called the origin.

Data in discrete categories, e.g. data on blood groups with values of type A, B, AB or O.

A repeatable experiment involving chance where more than one outcome is possible, such as tossing a coin or rolling a die.

A sentence with one or more subordinate clauses. In the following example, the subordinate clause is shown in brackets: I took my umbrella [because it was raining].

A shape that is formed by combining other plane shapes. Composite shapes are often described as 'complex' when they are made up of many and different shapes.

In probability, an event that consists of more than one event occurring at the same time, e.g. tossing a coin and selecting a card.

A sentence with 2 or more main clauses of equal grammatical status, usually marked by a coordinating conjunction, e.g. [Ira came home this morning] [but he didn't stay long].

Consideration of whether the knowledge of the occurrence of one event, A, affects the probability of occurrence of another event, B.

Figures that are exactly the same shape and size, so they can be perfectly superimposed on each other.

A group of 2 or 3 consonants that are all pronounced individually (e.g. /b/ and /l/ in the word ‘black’; /s/, /p/ and /r/ in the word ‘spring’).

A set of values that define the position of a point or an object in a space. The coordinate system being used will govern the nature of the coordinates.

The intersection of a solid object with a plane. It may differ for a given solid depending on the orientation of the slicing plane.

Visual formats for organising, representing and summarising data. Also called visualisations.

The bottom number in a fraction. In the fraction 3/4, the denominator is 4. It represents the number of equal parts into which the whole is divided.

Two letters representing one sound. Vowel digraphs have 2 vowels (e.g. ‘oo’), consonant digraphs have 2 consonants (e.g. ‘sh’), vowel–consonant digraphs have one vowel and one consonant (e.g. ‘er’).

Comparing objects directly using a particular attribute, such as placing two pencils side by side to compare their lengths.

A relationship between two quantities where they increase or decrease at the same rate, maintaining a constant ratio.

Numerical data that can take only a countable number of values, e.g. the number of people in a car, or clothing sizes.

The choice of suitable approaches (mental, written, using digital tools), and methods within these. The means used for calculation reflect the purpose and context.

A scaling of a figure in which the corresponding lengths in the transformed figure are increased or decreased in proportion to the original figure. The 2 figures are similar.

An event for which all outcomes have the same probability of occurring.

Fractions that represent the same value despite having different numerators and denominators, such as 1/2 and 2/4.

Strategies used to estimate or find an approximate value for the amount, extent, duration, position or size of something.

The number of times that a particular event or outcome is predicted to occur using theoretical probability.

The power (or index) to which a number is raised, shown as a superscript. For example, in 2^3, the exponent is 3, meaning 2 multiplied by itself 3 times.

Rules for manipulating exponents. Also referred to as index laws.

Functions where a constant base is raised to a variable power, such as f(x) = 2^x. Used to model growth and decay.

Numbers that divide evenly into another number. For example, the factors of 12 are 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 12.

Particular vocal qualities a speaker selects and uses including volume, tone, pitch, pace and fluency to engage, and have an impact on, their audience.

The ability to read a text accurately with appropriate pace and phrasing. In writing, the ability to form letters with ease and automaticity.

The slope of a line. It is calculated as the gradient of a line segment it contains.

A morpheme that serves a grammatical function, such as '-ed' for past tense, '-s' for plural, or '-ing' for ongoing action.

A single letter that represents a sound (phoneme) in a word (e.g. the letter 'f' in the word 'fog').

A letter or group of letters that represent a single sound (phoneme) in a word (e.g. 'ph' in 'photo' represents the /f/ sound).

A way of identifying a region on a map using coordinates and grid lines to refer to specific features or locations.

A pattern where each term is either an increase or a decrease on the previous term. Change from term to term is predictable if the pattern is growing additively, multiplicatively or exponentially.

A teacher-led, scaffolded approach to the statistical investigation process including collecting, representing and analysing data, interpreting and communicating results.

The most common words used in written English text. Many of these words cannot be decoded using sound–letter correspondence and need to be learnt (e.g. ‘come’, ‘was’, ‘one’).

Units whose values are decided on in a given context, e.g. the use of a pace to measure distance (non-uniform unit); the use of paperclips to measure length (uniform unit).

A text type that provides factual information to inform or explain a topic to the reader.

A whole number, which can be positive, negative or zero. For example, -3, 0, 7 are all integers, but 2.5 is not.

Associations or connections between one text and other texts that may be overt or less explicit. They can take the form of direct quotation, parody, allusion or structural borrowing.

A number that cannot be expressed as a simple fraction. Its decimal expansion goes on forever without repeating, such as pi or the square root of 2.

Elements of language that support meaning, including grammar, vocabulary, figurative language, punctuation and images. Choices vary by purpose and audience.

A recurring combination of letters that represents particular sounds in words (e.g. 'ight' in 'light', 'night', 'sight').

Graphs that represent the changing relationship between 2 variables. They use lines to connect individual data points, and are generally used to show how something changes over time.

Equations where the variable is only raised to the power of 1. The general form is ax + b = 0, where a and b are constants.

An algebraic expression where the variable is only raised to the power of 1, such as 3x + 2.

Mathematical statements using inequality signs (less than, greater than) with linear expressions, such as 2x + 1 > 5.

A structural or language technique used to shape meaning, and for aesthetic or stylistic purposes (e.g. narrative structure, characterisation and setting, rhetorical devices, and figurative language).

Past and contemporary texts across a range of cultural contexts which are valued for their form and style and are recognised as having artistic value.

Scales where successive endpoint values of intervals increase by a constant factor (multiplicatively). Contrast with linear scales in which the increase is a constant amount.

A vowel that is pronounced the same as the name of the letter (e.g. be, go).

The process of using mathematics to represent, analyse and solve real-world problems, then interpreting and communicating the results in context.

A statistic that is used to summarise a data set. There are 3 common measures of centre for a data set: mode, median and mean.

The most frequently occurring value in a set of data. There can be more than one mode.

The smallest meaningful or grammatical unit in a language. Morphemes are not necessarily the same as words (e.g. the word ‘cats’ has 2 morphemes: ‘cat’ for the animal and ‘s’ to show more than one).

Understanding of how words are built from meaningful parts (morphemes) such as prefixes, suffixes and base words, and using this knowledge to read, spell and understand unfamiliar words.

A combination of 2 or more communication modes (e.g. print, image and spoken text, as in film or computer presentations).

Features from two or more communication modes such as written text, images, sound and gesture, combined for purpose and audience.

A multiple of a number is the product of that number and any whole number. For example, multiples of 3 are 3, 6, 9, 12, and so on.

The results of multiplying pairs of single-digit numbers (0 to 9). Knowing these by heart is foundational to arithmetic.

Problems or contexts that involve multiplication or division, e.g. calculating the number of seats in a theatre that has 30 rows of 24 seats.

Words consisting of more than one syllable.

A text that tells a story by sequencing events, real or imagined, typically using an orientation, complication and resolution.

The counting numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so on. Some definitions also include 0.

Plane figures that can be folded to form a polyhedron. More specifically, 2-dimensional representations comprising joined shapes (the faces) that can be folded (along edges) to form the object.

A set of points (vertices or nodes) some of which are joined by lines or curves (edges) which sometimes enclose regions (faces), e.g. road networks, a family tree or the edges lining a tennis court.

A line that gives a pictorial representation of real numbers.

A mathematical statement using numbers, operations and symbols such as equals or inequality signs. For example, 3 + 4 = 7 or 5 > 2.

The designation of a number in a given language, e.g. the number ‘three’ is designated by the Hindu-Arabic numeral 3, the Roman numeral III, and the Chinese numeral 三.

Data expressed as numbers. It can be discrete (countable values like number of children) or continuous (measurable values like height).

Language used to convey evidence-based ideas and conclusion, minimising the emotions, personal opinions and judgements of the speaker or writer.

Categorical data that has a ranking or order such as Likert scales, clothing sizes, placegetters in a race.

A data value that appears to stand out from the other members of the data set by being unusually high or low.

A quadrilateral in which opposite sides are parallel and equal in length.

A factor for which a specific value defines a condition or constraint for a function or relation.

A number that is the square of a whole number. For example, 9 is a perfect square because 3 x 3 = 9.

The smallest unit of sound in a word (e.g. the word ‘is’ has 2 phonemes: /i/ and /s/; the word ‘ship’ has 3 phonemes: /sh/, /i/, /p/).

Understanding of the relationships between letters and sounds in a language; the correspondence between the sounds (phonemes) and the letter patterns which represent these sounds (graphemes).

Grouping words together meaningfully when reading aloud, using punctuation and meaning as guides for natural pauses.

The ratio of the circumference of any circle to its diameter, approximately 3.14159. Denoted by the Greek letter pi.

The value of a digit as determined by its position in a number relative to the ones (or units) place. For integers, the ones place is occupied by the rightmost digit in the number.

A 3-dimensional solid with two identical parallel polygonal faces (called bases) connected by rectangular faces. Named by the shape of its bases, such as triangular prism or rectangular prism.

A noun that names a specific person, place, thing, day, month or festival (e.g. 'Australia', 'October'). Always written with a capital letter.

In a right-angled triangle, the square of the hypotenuse (longest side) equals the sum of the squares of the other two sides: a^2 + b^2 = c^2.

An equation where the highest power of the variable is 2, in the general form ax^2 + bx + c = 0.

An algebraic expression where the highest power of the variable is 2, in the general form ax^2 + bx + c.

A function whose rule is a quadratic expression. Its graph on the Cartesian plane produces a U-shaped curve called a parabola.

A four-sided polygon. Examples include square (a regular quadrilateral, all sides and angles equal), rectangle, kite and trapezium.

A subset of a population chosen so that every member has an equal chance of being selected.

A comparison of 2 quantities measured in different units, e.g. the rate of distance to time, known as speed, because distance and time are measured in different units (such as kilometres and hours).

A number that can be expressed as a fraction where both the numerator and denominator are integers and the denominator is not zero. Includes integers, fractions and terminating or recurring decimals.

All numbers on the number line, including both rational numbers (fractions, integers) and irrational numbers (such as pi).

Checking the results of calculations or operations to see if they are reasonable in the context, e.g. the sum of 2 odd natural numbers must be an even number.

A text type that retells events or experiences in time order, typically including who, what, when, where and why.

A decimal that contains a sequence of digits that repeats forever, such as 0.333... (one-third) or 0.142857142857... (one-seventh).

One of the denominators is a multiple of the other denominator of a pair of fractions.

A pattern where there is an identifiable repeating unit such as beads arranged in a sequence of red, green, blue, red, green, blue …; days of the week or months of the year.

Use of language that is intended to have an effect on an audience such as evoking an emotion or persuading an audience by appealing to logos, ethos, pathos and kairos.

Convex polyhedra that have 2 congruent and parallel faces and all remaining faces are congruent rectangles.

The set of all possible outcomes of a chance experiment, e.g. the set of outcomes (also called sample points) from tossing 2 heads is {HH, HT, TH, TT}, where H represents a ‘head’ and T a ‘tail’.

A process by which a subset of a population is selected for the purposes of data analysis. This subset is called a sample.

A graph displaying two-variable (bivariate) data as dots, where each dot's position on the horizontal and vertical axes represents the values of the two variables.

A way of writing very large or very small numbers using powers of 10. For example, 3,200 is written as 3.2 x 10^3.

To break a word into its individual sounds (phonemes), e.g. saying /c/-/a/-/t/ for the word 'cat'.

Punctuation marks that show where sentences begin and end, such as capital letters, full stops, question marks and exclamation marks.

The overall form of a data distribution when displayed visually, which may be symmetrical, skewed to one side, or have multiple peaks.

Counting from a given starting value using multiples of a fixed natural number, e.g. {2, 4, 6, ...} or {7, 12, 17...}.

A statistic that indicates how widely the values of a data set are distributed. Common measures of spread include range, interquartile range, quantiles and percentiles.

The result of multiplying a whole number by itself. For example, 1, 4, 9, 16, 25 are the first five square numbers.

A value that, when multiplied by itself, gives the original number. For example, the square root of 25 is 5.

A structured process of posing a question, collecting and analysing data, then interpreting and communicating the results.

Instantly recognising how many objects are in a small group without counting them one by one. For example, seeing 3 dots on a die and immediately knowing it's 3.

Use of language which reflects the opinions, interpretations, emotions and judgement of the writer or speaker.

A word, or part of a word, pronounced as a unit usually consisting of a vowel alone or a vowel with one or more consonants (e.g. ‘bat’ has one syllable; ‘bat-ting’ has 2 syllables).

The form a verb takes to show when something happens. Present tense ('Jo has a cat') shows now; past tense ('Jo had a cat') shows before.

A repeated pattern where shapes fit together to completely cover a surface with no gaps or overlaps, such as a honeycomb pattern.

The way a text is organised internally, including its overall framework and how parts connect to form a coherent whole. Varies by purpose and text type.

A statement which has been derived from given statements using agreed rules of deduction (proof).

The 24 divisions of the globe, where each change of 15 degrees longitude corresponds to one hour. As time zones often align with national or regional boundaries this is an approximate relationship.

Relationships between the angles and sides of right-angled triangles. The 3 basic ratios are sine, cosine and tangent.

A fraction with 1 as the numerator, such as 1/2, 1/3, 1/4 or 1/5.

The characteristic that elements of a data set differ, e.g. the maximum temperature recorded at different suburbs of a town on a given day.

Visual components of a text which may include placement, salience, framing, representation of action or reaction, shot size, social distance and camera angle.

Two successive vowels that represent a single phoneme (e.g. /ai/ in the word ‘rain’; /ea/ in the word ‘beach’; /ee/ in the word ‘free’).