Tallies are a way of keeping track of a count or score by marking a line for each number counted, usually in groups of five, to make it easier to keep track of the total.
Go Back
Tally marks are a simple way of counting or keeping track of things. It is a representation of numbers or objects just like a number would be. Tally marks are a system of lines that indicate a quantity as a visual representation and are made up of five vertical lines, four of which are grouped together with a fifth line drawn diagonally across the middle. The five vertical lines represent the number five and each line thereafter represents an additional five.
Here is an example of a tally mark group followed by the number it represents:
||| | = 5
|||| | = 10
||||| | = 15
|||||| | = 20
Tally marks can be used to keep track of and count items, people, or activities, such as scores in a game. They are also commonly used in polling and surveys to keep a record of responses to questions. In this way, tally marks can be a useful tool to data scientists, researchers, and statisticians.
Tally marks provide an easy and efficient way to count larger numbers without having to write out the number. For instance, if you had to count up to 100, you would only have to write the tally marks 20 times (add the fifth line each time you complete the set of four).
Tally marks are a simple and efficient way of counting or keeping track of things. They are used in a variety of situations from counting objects in a group or keeping track of scores in a game to recording responses to surveys and polls.