A simple frequency table organizes categorical data by listing categories and recording how many observations belong to each, using tally marks and corresponding numerals; each observation is counted once, and the frequencies together equal the total number of data items. The table supports comparing which categories are more or less common, without involving relative frequencies, percentages, or other advanced statistical summaries.
A frequency table shows the different categories and how many times each category appears.
Example: A class names a favorite fruit:
apple, banana, apple, orange, banana, apple, grape, orange, banana, apple, apple, banana
Step 1: List each category once.
The categories are apple, banana, orange, and grape.
Step 2: Read the data from left to right.
Add one tally mark each time you see a fruit. A group of five tally marks is shown as four straight marks crossed by a fifth mark.
| Fruit | Tally marks | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Apple | ` | |
| Banana | ` | |
| Orange | ` | |
| Grape | ` | ` |
Step 3: Check the table.
The frequencies are
There are fruit names in the list, so every observation was counted once. Apple is the most common fruit, and grape is the least common fruit.
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