# Count the F's **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 12, 2007, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532 "2007-03-12T00:07:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/1 "2007-03-12T00:07:24Z")
I know this test has probably been here before, but I couldn’t find it after a search. Anyway maybe there are some new members who haven’t seen it. I also don’t understand how it “works”. Any one know? Don’t cheat and scroll down too quickly. Count every " F" in the following text: FINISHED FILES ARE THE RE SULT OF YEARS OF SCIENTI FIC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF YEARS… (SEE BELOW) HOW MANY ? WRONG, THERE ARE 6 – no joke. READ IT AGAIN ! Really, go Back and Try to find the 6 F’s before you scroll down Incredible or what? Go back and look again!! Anyone who counts all 6 “F’s” on the first go is a genius. Three is normal, four is quite rare. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/2 "2007-03-12T00:11:09Z")
[QUOTE=Mangosteen] Anyone who counts all 6 “F’s” on the first go is a genius. [/QUOTE] Well, then, I’m a genius. How does it ‘work’? Do you mean ‘Why do people not find six "F"s the first time?’ I would assume it’s because the 'F’s in ‘OF’ sound like Vs. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/3 "2007-03-12T00:11:38Z")
[QUOTE=Mangosteen] I also don’t understand how it “works”. Any one know? Don’t cheat and scroll down too quickly. [/QUOTE] I assume it’s just that people ignore the Fs in the word OF because OF is small and easily passed over. Also, the Fs are at the end of the word. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/4 "2007-03-12T00:12:47Z")
MPSIMS at best. Moved. **samclem**. GQ moderator ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/5 "2007-03-12T00:26:51Z")
the "F"s in the word “of” are pronounced as a V sound and psychologically a lot easier to miss. Regards FML ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/6 "2007-03-12T00:31:59Z")
What a let down! I counted 6 and was wondering what I missed. I just looked for the letter. I didn’t do the reading version of the search. I don’t even know what the thing says at this moment. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/7 "2007-03-12T02:30:55Z")
There is one F in this thread title. I win. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/8 "2007-03-12T03:08:39Z")
It’s a fairly standard “test”. The way I was shown it was to count them reading forward, most people miss the "of"s. But if you count them reading backward you pick up all of them. ---
**Author:** ![MissGypsy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8491ac/32.png) [@MissGypsy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissGypsy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/9 "2007-03-12T03:18:00Z")
Ok, help me out. I see five in the text presented, so which one am I missing? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/10 "2007-03-12T03:24:28Z")
[QUOTE=MissGypsy] Ok, help me out. I see five in the text presented, so which one am I missing? [/QUOTE] Did you get all three "of"s? If so, there’s two in the first line, one other in the third. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/11 "2007-03-12T03:45:33Z")
For those having trouble counting: **F** INISHED **F** ILES ARE THE RE SULT O **F** YEARS O **F** SCIENTI **F** IC STUDY COMBINED WITH THE EXPERIENCE O **F** YEARS… ---
**Author:** ![Andrew\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/da6949/32.png) [@Andrew\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andrew_Bird)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/12 "2007-03-12T03:56:21Z")
I got all six. I guess that makes me a genius. Only I can’t be a genius because I am too stupid to see how finding out I am genius is going to get me pussy. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/13 "2007-03-12T05:34:34Z")
I got all 6, but I already knew I’m a genius. ---
**Author:** ![Manatee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@Manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manatee)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/14 "2007-03-12T07:28:23Z")
Damn, our standards are low if being able to read and count to six are the benchmarks of genius. Look! I tied my shoes! Where’s my Nobel? ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/15 "2007-03-12T14:41:11Z")
I got seven! I’m smarter than all of y’all! ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/16 "2007-03-12T15:13:38Z")
I got six also. Very lame. I want my five seconds back. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/17 "2007-03-12T15:22:54Z")
[QUOTE=Manatee] Look! I tied my shoes! Where’s my Nobel? [/QUOTE] Um. Sure, but you’ve tied the left to the right. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![meek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce73a5/32.png) [@meek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/meek)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/18 "2007-03-12T15:37:19Z")
I thought I seen it [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=275603) before… . ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/19 "2007-03-12T16:01:55Z")
[QUOTE=Chefguy] I got six also. Very lame. I want my five seconds back. [/QUOTE] I’ve taken it before, did it again and still got three. I “win”. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![VanillaGorilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f9ae1b/32.png) [@VanillaGorilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VanillaGorilla)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2007, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532/20 "2007-03-12T16:25:05Z")
Have seen it several times before, don’t know how many F’s I counted the first time, but less than 6, I think. I also showed this to my father a while back, and he easily counted 6 F’s, and I believe this is because he doesn’t speak very good english, and so he never bothered to really _read_ the sentence, he just looked at the letters. Maybe the ones who counted 6 F’s did that too, even though they speak and read english well? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/count-the-fs/395532.md?page=2)