At first glance, it looks incredibly easy.
A handwritten note on a plain envelope asks a short question:
“I’m between 4 and 6. I am not 5. What am I?”
Most people immediately answer “5” without thinking twice. But the riddle clearly says it is NOT 5 — and that’s where things start getting interesting.
Simple riddles like this have exploded in popularity online because they force people to slow down and think differently. Instead of looking for the obvious answer, you have to pay attention to wording, perspective, and hidden meaning.
Many people spend several minutes trying to solve it. Some guess numbers, others think about time, dates, symbols, or even positions on a keyboard. The simplicity of the sentence is exactly what makes it so tricky.
Why Do Riddles Like This Go Viral?
Brain teasers and riddles have always fascinated people because they challenge our assumptions. They often appear simple, but they’re designed to trick the brain into following the most obvious path first.
Psychologists say riddles work because our minds naturally search for familiar patterns. When we see “between 4 and 6,” the brain instantly jumps to the number 5 — even when the clue specifically tells us not to.
That moment of confusion is what makes riddles fun to share with friends and family online.
The Answer
The answer is: the decimal point.
In the number 4.6, the decimal point is literally between 4 and 6 — and it is not 5.
Sometimes the smartest answers are the ones hiding in plain sight.