Tally Charts & Frequency Tables
What is a tally chart?
- Tally charts are a quick way to count data
- Each time you count an item, draw a vertical line
- Do this the first four times
- The fifth time, draw a diagonal line through the four vertical lines
- Continue counting in sets of five
- For example
- Counting different coloured flowers in the garden
Colour | Tally |
Blue | |
Red | |
Yellow |
What is a frequency table?
- A frequency table counts how many times an item appears
- Tally charts can be converted into frequency tables
- Find the totals
- Count up in 5's then add any extras
- means 5 + 5 + 2 = 12
- Find the totals
- The tally chart above gives the following frequency table:
Colour | Frequency |
Blue | 5 |
Red | 12 |
Yellow | 3 |
Worked example
Susie asks pupils in her class to select their favourite type of pet.
Write the results in a frequency table.
Dog | Cat | Dog | Dog | Dog |
Rabbit | Dog | Rabbit | Cat | Cat |
Cat | Dog | Dog | Rabbit | Dog |
Cat | Cat | Dog | Dog | Dog |
It helps to use a tally chart initially
Type of pet | Tally |
Dog | |
Cat | |
Rabbit |
Then write the tally chart as a frequency table
Type of pet | Frequency |
Dog | 11 |
Cat | 6 |
Rabbit | 3 |