Riddles have always been a fun way to test logic, perception, and critical thinking, and this particular one is no exception. It’s been circulating widely across Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp, capturing the attention of people who love a good brain teaser. In fact, it’s even been used as a clever interview question to see how well someone can analyze a seemingly simple scenario. Let’s dive into the puzzle and figure out the correct answer—because it’s trickier than it looks at first glance.

Here’s the riddle: A boy was playing with a book and tore out the pages numbered 7, 8, 100, 101, 222, and 223. How many pages did he actually tear out of the book?

At first, most people would jump to the conclusion that six pages were torn out—after all, there are six individual numbers listed. But like many riddles, the trick lies in understanding the way books are physically put together. You have to think beyond the obvious and consider how books are structured.

Let’s look at how printed books typically work. Each physical sheet of paper in a standard book has two pages printed on it—one on the front, one on the back. That means that for each sheet, there’s an even-numbered page on one side and an odd-numbered page on the other. For example, one sheet might have page 1 on the front and page 2 on the back, or page 7 on one side and page 8 on the other.

So when the riddle says that the boy tore out pages 7 and 8, he likely removed a single sheet of paper, with 7 on one side and 8 on the reverse. That’s just one sheet torn out, even though two page numbers are listed.

Now let’s look at the next set of numbers: 100 and 101. At first glance, these look like two separate pages, but when you consider the actual layout of a book, they wouldn’t appear on the same sheet of paper. Let’s explore this more deeply.

Page 100 would be the back of the sheet that has page 99 on the front. Similarly, page 101 would be the front of a new sheet, with 102 on the back. So in order to tear out both page 100 and 101, the boy would have had to remove two sheets: one containing pages 99 and 100, and another with pages 101 and 102. So, that’s already three pages gone.

Next, we look at the numbers 222 and 223. Just like the previous pair, these pages would also be on separate sides of two different sheets. Page 222 is likely on the back of a sheet that has 221 on the front, and 223 is on the front of another sheet with 224 on the back. So again, two sheets were likely removed: one with 221 and 222, and one with 223 and 224. That adds two more sheets to the count.

Now let’s tally it up:

1. Pages 7 and 8: one sheet

2. Pages 99 and 100: second sheet

3. Pages 101 and 102: third sheet

4. Pages 221 and 222: fourth sheet

5. Pages 223 and 224: fifth sheet

So even though six individual page numbers were mentioned in the riddle, the boy actually tore out five physical sheets of paper, which accounts for ten page numbers (because each sheet has two pages). The riddle is designed to trip up anyone who focuses too much on the numbers alone without considering the physical structure of a printed book.

This puzzle is a great example of how a deeper understanding of everyday things—like how books are made—can change your perspective. It’s also a gentle reminder that the most obvious answer isn’t always the correct one. Many people rush to answer “six” without giving it a second thought. But once you break it down and visualize how pages are bound and numbered, the logic becomes clear.

Riddles like this are fun not just because they challenge your thinking, but because they help sharpen your attention to detail. Whether you’re prepping for a job interview, testing your kids’ logical skills, or just looking for something to challenge your brain over coffee, these little brain teasers do a great job of making you think twice.

So the next time someone throws a question like this your way, take a step back, think about how things work in the real world, and don’t be afraid to question your first instinct. And if you’re ever faced with a stack of torn pages, you’ll know exactly how to figure out how many sheets were actually removed.

Answer: The boy tore out 5 pages.