When we count two groups, one might have more, one might have fewer, or they might be equal — exactly the same. Comparing numbers just means asking: which is bigger?

We write the answer with three little signs:

> means greater than, < means less than, and = means equal to. So 5 > 3 reads “five is greater than three”, and 2 < 4 reads “two is less than four”.

Here is the trick that makes it easy: the > and < signs are like a hungry mouth that always opens toward the bigger number. The pointy end points at the smaller one.

Press play. Two rows of dots appear side by side — one row may have more than the other. We count them, then the correct sign grows in between, its open mouth turning toward the larger pile. Replay it: each time the two numbers are different, so the sign may flip.

Khan Academy explains the greater-than and less-than symbols here: