This puzzle from The Australian 1% Club has stumped many—test your mind and see if you can solve it without overthinking
Think you can crack this brainteaser? It’s left plenty of people stumped so let’s see if you’ve got what it takes.
It’s a puzzle , one that at first glance seems almost too easy, yet only a few can get the answer right without overthinking it.The riddle to solve is: “What occurs once in a month, twice in a millennium, and three times in nearly any given day?”
The puzzle comes from the Australian 1% Club a TV quiz show where contestants are challenged with tricky questions that only the top 1% of the population could answer correctly, testing their knowledge.
At first, it may seem like a tough one, but the answer is anything but complicated. In fact, it’s more about how you approach the question than anything else. Brainteasers like this are more than just fun, they are clever tools that challenge our cognitive flexibility, encouraging us to think in ways you might not normally consider.
Brainteasers like this one do more than just entertain; they improve pattern recognition, boost problem-solving skills, and even help maintain cognitive sharpness. For those who train their minds regularly, the benefits are huge. Not only do these puzzles enhance your mental flexibility, but they also help your memory and concentration. Solving them requires you to think outside the box, which can make a world of difference in every area of life, from professional challenges to personal growth.
Back to the riddle. It’s a brilliant example of how even the simplest challenges can make you look at things differently. Most people miss the answer because they get stuck on complex explanations, trying to overcomplicate things and then they will end up missing the obvious clue right in front of them.
If you don’t want the answer and don’t want a clue then look away now. But if you are stumped and want to know a hint, here it is: it’s a single letter that appears in certain words more often than you might think. Still stumped? Well the answer is just below.
The answer is the letter “N” found once in “month,” twice in “millennium,” and three times in “morning,” “afternoon,” and “evening.” It’s a small detail, but spotting it requires just the kind of mental shift these brainteasers are meant to train.
The moral of the story? Sometimes, the key to solving life’s challenges isn’t in complex reasoning, but in seeing things from a fresh simple perspective.