New riddle

[Kris.Parker1]

At first glance I would have to say 30; however, to be more technical I would have to say six (the word thirty has six letter the number 30 has two numbers. Hmmmn. I wait with baited breath for the answer to this one...

[echnidna]

And it is as relevant as the diameter of the hole in a lifesaver

[Tristan Croll]

While Bob's answer is technically entirely correct, there is another, less obvious answer that I was after...

[outback]

10

[AlexS]

None - it only contains numbers ?

[Bob Willson]

The correct answer is "A post box." The number of letters contained in the box is unable to be acsertained without opening the box and counting the letters.


OR


42

[simon c]

A real riddle:

How many letters does the correct answer to this question contain?

Four, because the word four has four letters

[gemi_babe]

I must be really dumb cause I don't see how the answer could be possible and make sense:confused:

[simon c]

Gemi,

not had it confirmed that I am right but I feel pretty confident that it is four.

The question is:
How many letters does the correct answer to this question contain?

So the correct answer is a number that has the same number of letters as the number itself so:
one has 3 letters
two has 3 letters
three has 5 letters
four has 4 letters
five has 4 letters
six has 3 letters
etc

So the answer is four

[Bob Willson]

The question is:
How many letters does the correct answer to this question contain?

So the correct answer is a number that has the same number of letters as the number itself so:

It requires quite a leap of logic to say that the correct answer is a number that has the same number of letters as the number itself. I, along with the beautiful dancer, cannot follow that line of reasoning.

[outback]

How the hell do we get to four to get to 4. :confused:

I can't not see no logic there at all!

[Tristan Croll]

Simon C has it. In order to satisfy the question, the answer must describe itself - i.e. it must contain the same number of letters as the number it states. This answer insn't unique, though. Another possible answer is:

"This correct answer to the question contains fifty-four letters."

[Bob Willson]

In order to satisfy the question, the answer must describe itself - i.e. it must contain the same number of letters as the number it states.

Sorry Tristan, but I still do not see why the answer MUST describe itself. Nor why it must have the same number of letters as the number states. I am sure that I must be missing something. Could you please put it into VERY simple logic form for me.

The question is:
How many letters does the WRONG answer to this question contain?
Is the answer still four or any number BUT four?

[Tristan Croll]

Ok, the question is asking "how many letters" so the answer has to be a number, right? Now, if I was to answer "three" then I would in essence be saying that the word "three" contains three letters, which is obviously wrong. The only number that does fit is "four".
I'll admit it is a bit ambiguous as written. Another possible answer, for example, is 0 (the number zero obviously contains zero letters).
How about an improvement:
The answer to this question is the name of a number. How many letters does it contain?

How many letters does the WRONG answer to this question contain?

There is no answer to this question. In order to be a correct answer, it would have to simultaneously be incorrect.

Maybe we should move on. My head hurts.

[outback]

I'll admit it is a bit ambiguous as written. Another possible answer, for example, is 0 (the number zero obviously contains zero letters).

OK, call me stupid if ya wanna. BUT when I went to school I'm pretty sure the number four, "4" contained zero letters, which kinda doesn't fit with your explaination.