What is half of two plus two?

How to think about it

1. The quick reading is “half of (two plus two)”, which is half of four, or two.
2. The riddle intends “(half of two) plus two”. Take the half first, as the hint suggests.
3. Half of two is one. Then add two.
4. One plus two is three.

Why “Three” is the answer

Taking “half of two” first gives one, and adding two gives three. In arithmetic, “of” acts like multiplication and binds more tightly than addition, so the intended reading is (½ × 2) + 2 = 3. The riddle is a reminder that spoken math can be ambiguous and that order matters, which is why written formulas use parentheses.

Common wrong answers

• Two. That is half of four, which comes from adding first and halving second; the riddle halves first.
• Four. Four is just two plus two with the “half” ignored.