Which one doesn't belong in these pictures? See if your eyes can spot the difference!
Stare at a visual puzzle long enough, and it can feel like you’ll never find the solution. You’d think that would be a reason to give up, but the challenge is what makes “which one doesn’t belong?” pictures and other puzzles exciting. And discovering the solution? That’s a thrill.
Research also says that solving puzzles enhances memory, and a 2023 study found that puzzle games can even improve cognitive function. Want to keep your mind sharp well into old age? Try your hand with this series of puzzles in which all the images look the same—but they’re not.
While logical reasoning puzzles test your deduction skills, in visual puzzles, it’s all about observation. So put on your thinking cap and try to find out: Which one doesn’t belong in the pictures? Spot the difference in as many objects in the images below.
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Can you solve these “which one doesn’t belong” pictures?
Work your way through these “Which one doesn’t belong?” pictures and see how quickly you can solve them. These are not as easy as you might think! Keep going through each section in detail till you notice a pattern and are able to spot the differences. The answers are right below the images, so if you get stuck, just keep scrolling.
Which flower branch doesn’t belong?
In this image, all of the illustrations already look slightly different, but there is one that doesn’t belong. Can you figure out which flower branch isn’t like the others?
Answer: Flower branch number two doesn’t belong with the rest. On all the other branches, the top flower has the same number of petals as the number of flowers on the branch.
Which cyclist doesn’t belong?
Nine cyclists are competing in a race, but one of them doesn’t belong. Make sure to look closely at their numbers, their shirts and their bikes.
Answer: Cyclist 32 isn’t the same as the others. All riders with an even number have a punctured back wheel; those with an odd number have a punctured front wheel. Well, that is, except for number 32, an even-numbered cyclist with a front-wheel puncture.
Which carnival mask doesn’t belong?
These sparkly carnival masks might appear the same at a glance, but in reality, one is different from the rest. Can you spot which one it is?
Answer: Mask No. 3 doesn’t belong. On all the other masks, the pointed side of the eye cutouts aims outward.
Which candy doesn’t belong?
These 12 sweet candies might all look similar, but one is different from the rest. How quickly can you figure out which one doesn’t belong? Make sure to look at their placement, wrappers and colors.
Answer: Candy No. 8 is the odd one out. There are two types of candy with alternating colored waves: yellow and red, and yellow and blue. But on the eighth candy, the color alternates every two grains. This one is so tough to spot, it’s almost an optical illusion!
Which star doesn’t belong?
Look closely at all 12 stars. Which one doesn’t belong in the picture? Count how many points each star has and make sure to look at their placement in the sky. Think about finding a hidden object, and you’ll get the answer.
Answer: Star No. 8 doesn’t belong with the others. If you look closely, you can see that all the other stars are reflected in the water—except the eighth star.
Which English muffin doesn’t belong?
These tasty treats are topped with olives, ham, cheese and salami. While they differ from one another, one stands out a little more than the rest. Study the different illustrations for a while to see if you can figure it out.
Find it yet? Here’s a hint: It has to do with the number of toppings on each English muffin.
Answer: If you look closely, you’ll notice that English muffin No. 6 has three different toppings: an olive, a slice of ham and a slice of cheese. All the other muffins have only two different toppings.
Which lipstick kisses don’t belong?
Which one doesn’t belong in this picture? Let’s make this even trickier: Two kiss marks do not belong, and guess based on the knowledge that the woman had only four lipstick colors.
Answer: Kisses No. 4 and 7 do not belong with the rest. She has only blue, green, red and pink lipsticks.
Which Christmas tree doesn’t belong?
Let’s spot the difference, holiday edition! In this image, there are six different Christmas trees. One of them isn’t like the others. Can you figure out which one doesn’t belong in the picture? Make sure you look closely at the decorations and the different snow patterns on the trees.
Answer: The Christmas tree that isn’t like the others is No. 2. If you look closely, you’ll notice that for every other tree, the colored lights on the left side match the lights on the right side. But the two lights on the bottom branches of Christmas tree number two are different colors.
Which wheel doesn’t belong?
Blue and red, red and blue. Which wheel is different from the other few? Out of these five wheels, one of them doesn’t belong in the picture. How quickly can you figure out which one it is?
Answer: The wheel that doesn’t belong is No. 4. The symbol turns in the opposite direction.
Which snowboard doesn’t belong?
Which one doesn’t belong in the picture? Out of these six snowboards, one isn’t like the rest. Don’t worry—you don’t have to be a pro snowboarder to figure this one out.
Answer: The snowboard that doesn’t belong is No. 4. On all the boards, the top of the longest stroke of the X is on the right, but this is reversed on the fourth board.
Which bowling ball doesn’t belong?
There are six blue bowling balls, but one of them doesn’t belong. Can you figure out which one it is? This one is tricky because they all look very, very similar.
Answer: Ball No. 4 has two large finger holes; the other balls have only one large hole.
Which snowflake doesn’t belong?
In reality, every snowflake has a unique pattern, but in this puzzle, only one is different. Can you spot it? Make sure you look closely at each individual snowflake—one of them is not like the others. Which one doesn’t belong in the picture?
Answer: The sixth snowflake is not like the others. The star in the center has six points, whereas all the other snowflakes’ stars have five points.
Which lollipop doesn’t belong?
This one is a bit more challenging because these lollipops all look slightly different. But of the seven sweets, one doesn’t belong with the rest. Can you find the one that is different?
Answer: The one that’s different from all the rest is lollipop No. 5. For all the other lollipops, the second and fourth rings (starting from the outer edge) are identical colors.
Which duck doesn’t belong?
All these duckies are looking pretty snazzy in this puzzle from PlumbNation, but only one of them is sporting a tiny tuft of feathers. Identify what’s altered in this picture. Can you pick it out of the crowd?
Answer: We circled the odd duck out below.
Which piece of plumbing equipment doesn’t belong?
If you think word searches are tough, try this puzzle from heating oil supplier Heatable. There are all sorts of plumbing tools—but one of them is not like the others. In fact, it’s broken! Which one doesn’t belong in this picture?
Answer: We circled the broken tool below.
Which three Christmas trees don’t belong?
It’s a triple whammy with this puzzle from Christmas Tree World: You’re challenged to find not one but three Christmas trees without stars on top. It’s harder than you’d think!
Answer: We circled the different trees below.
Which spider doesn’t belong?
Arachnophobes beware! It’s difficult to spot the difference between these nearly identical animals. Most of these creepy-crawlies have even sets of fangs. Some have two, and some have four. Some are hiding their choppers, while others are baring rows of teeth. But only one is missing a fang. Can you spot it? This spooky puzzle is courtesy of greeting card manufacturer Scribbler.
Answer: We circled the odd spider below.
Which snowman doesn’t belong?
These snowmen are all looking pretty dapper, but one of them is missing a button! Most of them are rocking three buttons, but only one has two in this head-scratcher from eyewear company Feel Good Contacts. Can you find out which one doesn’t belong in the picture?
Answer: We circled the snowman below.
Which Frosty doesn’t belong?
The wintry brain-teasing fun continues. While all these smiling snowmen look uniform, one is a little different from the rest. Hint: Look at the colors.
Answer: We circled the snowman below.
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Reader’s Digest is known for our humor and brain games, including quizzes, puzzles, riddles, word games, trivia, math, pattern and logic puzzles, guessing games, crosswords, rebus, hidden objects and spot-the-difference challenges. We’ve earned prestigious ASME awards for our entertainment content and have produced dozens of brain-teaser books, including Word Searches, Word Power, Use Your Words, Fun Puzzles and Brain Ticklers, Mind Stretchers, Ultimate Christmas Puzzles and more. Our 10 published volumes of Mind Stretchers were edited by Allen D. Bragdon, founder of The Brainwaves Center and editor of Games magazine. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- JMIR Aging: “Tablet-Based Puzzle Game Intervention for Cognitive Function and Well-Being in Healthy Adults: Pilot Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial”
- Feel Good Contacts: “Christmas Challenges”
- Heatable
- PlumbNation
- Scribbler
- Christmas Tree World
