Look for keywords that signal the operation:
Addition: sum, total, add, plus, more than, increased by, combined, together, in all, altogether, additional, join, both.
Subtraction: difference, subtract, minus, less than, decreased by, remain, left, fewer, take away, reduce, lose, spend, give away, how many more (comparing).
Multiplication: product, multiply, times, each, per, twice, double, triple, groups of, rows of, packs of, every.
Division: divide, quotient, per, each, split, share, equal parts, half, third, quarter, cut into, distribute, among.
Note: Some words like "each" and "per" can signal either multiplication or division depending on context. Our tool uses contextual analysis to determine the most likely operation.

"More than" can be tricky!
In most arithmetic contexts, "X more than Y" means Y + X (addition). For example, "5 more than 8" means 8 + 5 = 13.
However, when the question asks "How many more...than...", it signals a comparison using subtraction. For example, "How many more apples does Tom have than Sarah?" means Tom's apples − Sarah's apples.
Our tool analyzes the full sentence structure to determine which interpretation applies.

Word problems are crucial because they:
1. Develop reading comprehension — Students must understand the text before solving.
2. Build real-world connections — Math is applied to everyday situations like shopping, cooking, and planning.
3. Enhance critical thinking — Students learn to extract relevant information and ignore distractions.
4. Prepare for standardized tests — Most math exams include word problems.
5. Strengthen logical reasoning — Multi-step problems require sequencing and planning.

The word "each" is context-dependent:
• When paired with "total" or "altogether" and describing repeated groups, it usually signals multiplication. Example: "There are 6 rows with 8 chairs each. How many chairs in total?" → 6 × 8 = 48.
• When paired with "share", "split", or "distribute", it usually signals division. Example: "12 cookies shared among 4 friends. How many does each get?" → 12 ÷ 4 = 3.
Our solver examines surrounding words to determine the correct operation.

Currently, this tool is optimized for single-step word problems involving two numbers and one operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division). For multi-step problems, we recommend breaking them down into individual steps and solving each step separately. We are continuously improving the solver to handle more complex, multi-step scenarios in future updates.

If the automatic parser selects the wrong operation, you can switch to the Manual Builder tab, where you can explicitly choose the operation and input the numbers yourself. The manual mode will generate a proper English word problem and step-by-step solution using your selected operation. This ensures you always get accurate results.

Yes! The tool supports decimal numbers (like 3.5, 12.75) in both the auto-parser and manual builder. For fractions written as English words (like "half", "quarter", "third"), the auto-parser attempts to convert them to decimal equivalents. For explicit fractions like "1/2" or "3/4", you can enter them in the manual builder using decimal form (0.5, 0.75) for accurate calculations.