How Many Holes Does This Shirt Have?

At first glance, the question seems simple—especially if you’re looking at a t-shirt with two big tears. But this brain teaser invites you to think a bit deeper: How many holes does the shirt actually have?


Common Answers (and Why They Miss the Full Picture)

  • Just two? Many people point to the two visible rips and stop there—but those are only a part of the story.

  • Six? Add in the neck and two arm holes plus the bottom opening, and you might end up here—but even that isn’t the full answer.


The Clever Twist: It’s Eight Holes

Here’s the more complete breakdown:

Feature Count
Neck opening 1
Left arm sleeve opening 1
Right arm sleeve opening 1
Bottom torso opening 1
Two front tears (each hole counts separately front/back) 2×2 = 4

Total: 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 4 = 8 holes

These two tears act like four holes because you can see background through both sides of the fabric—front and back.

At first glance, the question seems simple—especially if you’re looking at a t-shirt with two big tears. But this brain teaser invites you to think a bit deeper: How many holes does the shirt actually have?


Common Answers (and Why They Miss the Full Picture)

  • Just two? Many people point to the two visible rips and stop there—but those are only a part of the story.

  • Six? Add in the neck and two arm holes plus the bottom opening, and you might end up here—but even that isn’t the full answer.


The Clever Twist: It’s Eight Holes

Here’s the more complete breakdown:

Feature Count
Neck opening 1
Left arm sleeve opening 1
Right arm sleeve opening 1
Bottom torso opening 1
Two front tears (each hole counts separately front/back) 2×2 = 4

Total: 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 4 = 8 holes

These two tears act like four holes because you can see background through both sides of the fabric—front and back.

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