How many letters are in the English alphabet?

Why this works

At first glance, this riddle seems to play a sly trick on your expectations, leading you to ponder the standard 26 letters of the English alphabet. However, the clever twist lies in its playful manipulation of language rather than numbers. When it asks how many letters are in the phrase “the English alphabet,” it invites you to explore the actual words instead of their symbolic meanings. Counting the letters in ‘the’ gives you 3, while ‘English’ has 7, and ‘alphabet’ boasts 8, all adding up to the surprising total of 18. This riddle is especially satisfying because it showcases the beauty of language, where words can be deconstructed to reveal unexpected truths. It plays on the dual meaning of "letters," referring not just to the characters we write, but also to the words that form the question itself. Such wordplay has deep roots in literature and riddles, harkening back to ancient cultures that valued cleverness and wit in storytelling and communication. Interestingly, riddles like this one have been used throughout history as a form of entertainment and mental exercise, with the earliest known riddles dating back to the ancient Sumerians. This illustrates not only the timeless appeal of puzzles but also how language can be a source of endless amusement and insight in our everyday lives.