word problems

Word problems are math exercises presented as written narratives rather than equations.

A typical word problem describes a situation—trains leaving stations, people splitting costs, tanks filling with water—and asks the student to translate it into mathematical operations: If Maria has twelve apples and gives away four...

The term sometimes extends to any problem requiring interpretation of real-world scenarios.

Colloquially, word problems can mean difficulties with language or communication: We're having word problems—he says one thing and means another.