# A Simple Test That You Will Probably Fail **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 16, 2004, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356 "2004-04-16T13:33:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/41 "2004-04-17T01:41:45Z")
I got six; and I got six the first time I saw it, years ago. Of course, I do quite a bit of proofreading at work myself. ---
**Author:** ![Sample\_the\_Dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Sample\_the\_Dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sample_the_Dog)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/42 "2004-04-17T01:55:13Z")
> [@The Tim](#): > > This is related to that nifty study about internal letter ordering being less important to reading than having the correct first and last letter. Reading occurs a tiny bit above the word level. Yaeh, I saw taht sudty, too. The bsaic pemrsie was taht as lnog as you get the frist and lsat ltetres rhigt, the hamun mnid wlil flil in the rset and you can raed it amsolt lkie it was wirtetn nromlaly. I cnat rmebemer werhe the sutdy was dnoe. Deos aynnoe konw? ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/43 "2004-04-17T01:57:12Z")
Dammit! I’ve seen this before, KNEW it was the "of"s that threw people off, and STILL came up with only 5! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/44 "2004-04-17T02:50:46Z")
The first time I did it, I got three. The second time I did it I got four…but I counted the f in find and was sure I was right. When I read about the f’s in the three ofs it took me a little bit of time to even find the third one, it’s quite embaressing. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/45 "2004-04-17T02:56:45Z")
I only got the three obvious ones, then didn’t look further because before I read the spoiler I was expecting a “trick” answer: counting the "F"s hidden within the "E"s in the sentence. ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/46 "2004-04-17T03:15:51Z")
I got six without cheating and looking at the spoiler. Did I get it right?? I’m not gonna look at the rest of the thread either, in the interest of honor, until somebody else posts after me with the right answer! ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/47 "2004-04-17T03:44:54Z")
I got 4. I only counted one of the "of"s. I guess I’ll move to the middle of the room, seems to be lots of room there. ---
**Author:** ![ebok47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@ebok47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ebok47)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/48 "2004-04-17T03:50:31Z")
SandyHook, I got five too. 1. I missed the last “of”. ---
**Author:** ![Nightime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Nightime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightime)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/49 "2004-04-17T03:54:14Z")
I got 6. For those that got less, were you reading the words? I just scanned the lines for F’s, without trying to actually understand what the words meant. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/50 "2004-04-17T06:39:57Z")
yup… 3. And I scanned each line. Go igure. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/51 "2004-04-17T12:32:58Z")
Failed to. And of course I expected there would be a trick, but couldn’t figure out which it was. I read the spoiler, tried again, but still failed. I assumed that’s the tricky part was about the wording of the question, or some play with the words used. That’s weird. And I didn’t really paid attention to the meaning of the text, as a poster suspected. I just tried to count the “F”. ---
**Author:** ![nocturnal\_tick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3d9bf3/32.png) [@nocturnal\_tick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nocturnal_tick)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/52 "2004-04-17T15:07:08Z")
> [@Sample\_the\_Dog](#): > > Yaeh, I saw taht sudty, too. The bsaic pemrsie was taht as lnog as you get the frist and lsat ltetres rhigt, the hamun mnid wlil flil in the rset and you can raed it amsolt lkie it was wirtetn nromlaly. I cnat rmebemer werhe the sutdy was dnoe. Deos aynnoe konw? Form [tihs wstibee](http://www.mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk/personal/matt.davis/Cmabrigde/) Cmgadbrie Uvtsnieriy rveceies the cdeirt. For smoe rsoaen I culod raed the frsit mgsesae but mnie smees hderar to udrtnsaned. ---
**Author:** ![Watcher\_of\_the\_Skies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/45deac/32.png) [@Watcher\_of\_the\_Skies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Watcher_of_the_Skies)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/53 "2004-04-17T15:46:13Z")
Yeah, you got me - I only counted three and I counted several times. Yikes. ---
**Author:** ![Tokyo\_Mann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@Tokyo\_Mann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tokyo_Mann)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/54 "2004-04-17T16:57:51Z")
Damn. Just three. I was going to blame the time (2 am) and the beer (Sapporo) but it looks like I’ve got company. ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/55 "2004-04-17T17:29:39Z")
yup… 5. And I scanned each line. Go figure… ---
**Author:** ![modro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@modro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/modro)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/56 "2004-04-17T17:37:40Z")
I am seeing 4 (Haven’t read the responses yet) ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/57 "2004-04-17T17:52:34Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I got all six, but that’s because I went through the words backwards. I’ve found that’s the best way to spellcheck your writing (if you’re short a spellchecker, that is). Same here. I got all six, and I went through it backwards. That is how I was taught to do it, because then your brain doesn’t automatically fill in what it expects to see. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/58 "2004-04-18T02:19:33Z")
> [@Nightwatch Trailer](#): > > I got seven. Go back and look at it again, _very_ closely. Heh heh. That’s how many I counted. I thought THAT was the trick question part. ---
**Author:** ![Sinshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Sinshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinshine)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/59 "2004-04-18T02:36:56Z")
Six. But then, knowing it to be a trick, I was ignoring the sense of the statement in favour of the shape of the letter F. My job requires me to scan work orders for pertinent information and glaring errors. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2004, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356/60 "2004-04-18T04:27:11Z")
> [@clayton\_e](#): > > yup… 3. And I scanned each line. Go igure. ’ Like you and Retvim I only “saw” three, even after scanning the lines several times, but I cheated and used a spell checker’s search feature which flagged all 6. Maxes yeu wanoder whuxt othexor prxxxessing triexs tuihe brien placzys oxn yoeiou. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-simple-test-that-you-will-probably-fail/240356.md?page=4)