Word Problem Solver
How the word problem solver works
Type your word problem above. The solver detects the problem type (percentage, distance, age, and more), extracts the numbers, sets up the equation, and solves it step by step. For problems it cannot parse automatically, it gives you a guided 4-step method instead of guessing.
Guided templates
Percentage: “What is 20% of 150?” → (20 ÷ 100) × 150 = 30. Distance: “A train travels 60 mph for 2 hours, how far?” → 60 × 2 = 120 miles. Age: identify who is how many times older, write the equation, solve for x.
The 4-step method
1. Read carefully: underline the numbers and the question. 2. Define a variable: let x = the unknown. 3. Translate: “is” → =, “of” → ×, “per” → ÷. 4. Solve: use the equation solver.
Frequently asked questions
Percentage problems (“what is X% of Y”), distance/speed/time, and other template-matched types with numbers it can extract. Anything else gets an honest guided method, never a guessed answer.
Understanding arbitrary English reliably requires AI; this solver is deterministic and will not invent an answer. The guided method teaches you to set up the equation yourself.
Replace phrases with symbols: “is” → =, “of” → ×, “per” → ÷, “more than” → +, “less than” → −. Then solve the equation normally.
Formulas that sit inside common word problems
Most word problems hide one of a few short formulas. Naming the formula first tells you which quantity is unknown and which operation will find it. Write it down, then slot the given values in one at a time.
Units are part of the formula. Miles per hour times hours gives miles, and a percent must become a decimal share, such as 0.25 for 25 percent, before it multiplies the whole.
Example: Sara is twice as old as Ben, and their ages add to 36
Step 1, Define the variable: Let x be the age of Ben, in years. Then the age of Sara is 2x.
Step 2, Translate the total: Together their ages add to 36, so x + 2x = 36.
Step 3, Solve the equation: Combine the terms to get 3x = 36, then divide by 3, so x = 12.
Step 4, Answer the question asked: Ben is 12 years old and Sara is 2 x 12 = 24 years old. Check: 12 + 24 = 36, which matches the total given.
Common mistakes
- Answering the wrong unknown: Solving for x is not always the finish. If x was the age of Ben, state the age of Sara separately when the question asks for both.
- Mixing up units: A speed in miles per hour needs time in hours. Convert minutes to hours first, so 30 minutes becomes 0.5 hours.
- Using the percent as a whole number: 25 percent of a price is 0.25 times the price, not 25 times it. Divide the percent by 100 before multiplying.
When to use this calculator
Use it when a problem is stated in sentences and you want the setup shown, not just a final number: percent questions, travel times, and simple age comparisons fit well. It is free to use, and comparing its equation with your own draft helps you learn the translation step.
More questions
Ignore the extras once you have chosen a formula. Word problems often include a date, a name, or a second measurement for realism. If a value does not fit the formula you named, it is probably a distractor.
Link the unknowns first, for example by writing the second amount as x + 5 or 2x, so everything uses one variable. If no link is given, the problem needs two equations, one for each fact stated.
A number can solve the equation yet fail the story, such as a negative age. Reading the result back in the words of the problem catches those impossible answers.