Concept 2 of 7
Odd One Out
Today's big idea
Name the property that exactly three of them share, and the fourth is the misfit.
A reason that rules out two of the four is the wrong reason, however true.
How it works
👀 What's going on?
Four things are put in front of you and one of them does not belong. Finding it feels like a guess until you notice that the question is really about the other three.
💡 Here's the trick
Look at the group above. Three of the items are fruit and one is not, so the vegetable is the misfit. The way in is to name what the three share, out loud, as a property. Once the shared property has a name, the odd one falls out on its own.
🪄 How to do it
- 1.Read all four items in the group above before deciding anything.
- 2.Hunt for a property that exactly three of them share.
- 3.The item without that property is your answer.
✍️ Try it
Which is the odd one out in Cow, Goat, Sheep, Tiger? Then try 12, 18, 24, 29.
Three of the animals are kept on farms and a Tiger is wild. In the numbers, three are even and 29 is odd, so it is the misfit.
⚠️ Watch out
You might be thinking the first difference you spot is the answer. Check that your reason leaves out exactly one item. Take Cat, Dog, Cow, Fish. The reason has four legs rules out only Fish, which works. The reason is a pet rules out Cow as well, so it cannot be right.
🌟 Why this matters
Picking out the thing that does not belong is ordinary sorting, from the odd sock to the tin in the wrong cupboard. Naming the shared property is what turns a guess into a reason.
Exam tip: Say your reason as a sentence, then test it against all four items before answering.
Watch me solve one
Quanta solves it
“Watch how I think through one of these — then you try.”
THE PROBLEM
“Apple · Mango · Banana · Carrot — which is the odd one out?”
- 1
List all four
Apple, Mango, Banana, Carrot.
- 2
Name what 3 share
Apple, Mango, Banana are all FRUITS.
- 3
Spot the misfit
The 4th — Carrot — is a vegetable.
- 4
Answer ✓
Odd one out = Carrot
Now you try one — same steps, different story 👇
See it in action
⚡ Time to play!
Tap the three that belong together to drop them in the basket. The one left behind is the misfit.
SORT · ROUND 1 OF 3
Quick check
✅ VERIFICATION
Which of these groups has NO odd one out?
⚡ Finish the activity above first to answer.
Keep going!
Up next: Alphabet Group Odd-One-Out
Same step everywhere → family. Different step → odd.