A set of tricky common-sense quizzes that catch you off guard. A collection of trick questions with answers that make you say, “Ah, that makes sense.”
You’re visiting a grave with a candle and incense, but there’s only one match.
Which do you light first? Can you get this one right? The simpler a question seems at first glance, the more likely it hides a linguistic trap.
Trick common-sense quizzes shake up fixed ideas and put your mental flexibility to the test.
In this article, we’ve gathered a rich collection of common-sense quiz questions packed with gotchas—the kind that make you blurt out, “They got me!” Enjoy sharing them with friends and family to liven things up, or tackle them solo at your own pace.
Treat your brain to some pleasantly stimulating time!
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A set of trick common-sense quizzes that catch you off guard. A collection of deceptive questions with satisfying answers (1–10)
What is the smallest thing on Earth?
See the answer
yu
This quiz isn’t a scientific question about physical size or mass; it’s a wordplay trick question that focuses on how the word “Earth” is written. When you write “ちきゅう” in hiragana, the smallest character is “ゅ,” right?
What is something that’s called “white” even though it’s black?
See the answer
castle
Even if its color is black, as a building it is called a “shiro” (castle), so the answer is “城.” It’s a question that makes you think it’s about color, but the key point is that it’s written as “しろ.” By the way, a black castle is sometimes likened to a crow and nicknamed “烏城” (Crow Castle), but the intended reading is still “しろ,” making it a trick question.
Among kindergarteners, elementary school students, and adults, which is the biggest?
See the answer
kindergarten
A kindergarten isn’t a person; it’s the name of a building. Elementary school students and adults are people, but a kindergarten is a large building that many people can go into. That’s why, in a size comparison, the kindergarten is the biggest. The key to this riddle is noticing the meanings of the words.
A set of trick common-sense quizzes that catch you off guard. A collection of misleading questions with satisfying answers (11–20)
Which one borders the largest number of prefectures?
See the answer
sea
People who know a lot might actually get tripped up by this question. In fact, the prefecture that borders the most other prefectures is Nagano. However, if you look closely at the wording, it only asks, “Where is it?” So, without limiting it to prefectures, the answer is “the sea”!
Circle, cross, triangle, square. Which one do you need for driving a car?
See the answer
square; qualifications; vision (field of view)
When people think about this question, many imagine a car, so more might choose “circle.” They probably picture tires or a steering wheel. But the answer is “square.” The reason is that you need a “license” (shikaku) to drive a car!
At a gravesite visit you have candles and incense but only one match. Which should you light first?
See the answer
match
You might find yourself thinking about how to solve it: should you light the incense directly with a match so the candle doesn’t get blown out by the wind, or is it better to light the candle first because the match might burn out? But the answer is: the match. Whether you light the candle or the incense, you start by lighting the match. What a sly little question.
What kind of clock only shows the correct time twice a day?
See the answer
A broken clock
Since a clock makes two full rounds in a day, even a broken clock points to the correct time twice. This answer might be anticlimactic for those who tried hard to find it from the problem statement, but those who approached it expecting a trick question may have gotten it right.