[VanessaC]

Can you solve this tricky Year 1 homework question that has adults stumped?​

In the world of raising children (and grandchildren), homework is often a shared responsibility.

Parents are expected to guide their children through the maze of learning, helping them understand complex concepts and solve tricky problems.

But what happens when the homework question leaves the parents scratching their heads? This is exactly what happened when a seemingly innocent Year 1 homework question stumped an entire community of parents online.

The question was shared in a Facebook group by a mother who was perplexed by her six-year-old daughter’s homework task.

'So…my six-year-old daughter who’s in year one got this homework question,' the mum wrote.

The question was simple: 'Which word is the odd one out?'

A mum was left scratching her head with her Year 1 child’s homework. Image source: Freepik.

The words to choose from were ‘friend’, ‘toothbrush’, ‘desk’, ‘silver’, and ‘egg’.

Sounds simple, right? Well, not quite.

'It’s confusing in my opinion, to say the least, especially considering the age it’s aimed at…but I’d love to hear your answers,' the mum added.

'I think it’s something you’d find in a Puzzler magazine personally, but let me know your thoughts.'

The question sparked a whirlwind of theories and interpretations, with over 4000 people chiming in with their unique takes.

Some parents pointed to 'friend' as being the odd one out, noting that unlike the others, it’s not an object.

Others argued for 'silver', stating it’s an adjective, while the others are nouns.

'Silver isn’t a noun but I don’t know the context in which the homework is asking. If it’s confusing for adults it would be incredibly confusing for children,' one commented.

However, some countered this by pointing out that 'silver' could also be a noun if it was a physical object.

The debate didn’t stop there.

Some parents argued for 'egg' and 'toothbrush'.

The former was singled out as the only edible word.

'Egg is the only item you can eat…not saying little people wouldn’t eat or try to eat the other objects, but they are not food,' another replied.

Meanwhile, 'toothbrush' was noted for being the only word without an 'e', a compound word, and the only item not typically shared.

The mother eventually revealed the teacher's answer: 'silver', because the rest are nouns.

Key Takeaways

• A Year 1 homework question about identifying the odd word out has confused parents and the internet.
• The words given were friend, toothbrush, desk, silver, and egg, leading to a multitude of theories and answers.
• The topic generated over 4000 responses on a Facebook group with different interpretations and justifications for various words being the odd one out.
• The correct answer, according to the child's teacher, was 'silver' because all the other words were nouns, settling the debate among the perplexed parents.

What was your guess? Did you guess the answer correctly? Let us know in the comments below!

 

[Wandiwa]

I said silver as its the only word that is not the name of something (noun) ie you can physically touch all the other items.

 

[TrishBin]

Friend is the odd one out out. It is alive. Silver can be both an adjective and a noun as in lump of silver. Toothbrush, egg and desk are nouns. Also friend is alive (we assume, it may not be a person but could be a pet). Going any further is stretching the basis of the English language.

 

[Sloopy]

A fine example of how poorly today's teachers have been educated!

 

[VickieCheryl]

Yes I got it correct I chose silver because you could use all the other things

 

[mOiOz]

TOOTHBRUSH - the only word that is made up of 2 separate words.
It's also the only one that doesn't have an "E".

 

[Gerlinde Turchin]

Silver is a noun - the element/metal is called silver.

 

[SuziQ]

I would answer egg as it is the only word with odd number of letters

 

[Rosie2023!]

Egg is the odd one out. It can be eaten.

The rest are useful objects.

 

[Mrtnst]

Seems to me that the real odd one is the teacher.

Surely a teacher is smart enough to know silver can also be a noun, which invalidates the whole question.

Reminds me of the university philosophy professor who set a end of year paper that just asked:
WHY?

To which one student replied:
WHY NOT?

The professor tried to fail the student, but the Department of Education declared it a valid answer and the student got a degree.
(I believe that this is a true story.)

 

[maxtyson]

Well got me.I answered without pros and cons.Then friend is what I still think..even if that isnt friendly,we are talking about 6 year olds like me in my second childhood.

 

[Ariadne]

Silver is a noun - the element/metal is called silver.

Seems to me that the real odd one is the teacher.

Surely a teacher is smart enough to know silver can also be a noun, which invalidates the whole question.

Reminds me of the university philosophy professor who set a end of year paper that just asked:
WHY?

To which one student replied:
WHY NOT?

The professor tried to fail the student, but the Department of Education declared it a valid answer and the student got a degree.
(I believe that this is a true story.)

The teacher needs to brush up on the periodic table. Silver - transition metal, atomic number 47, atomic mass 107.87
This homework task is a clear example of misinformation. Small wonder so many students reach high school with the "science is boring" mindset.

 

[Bor!a2911]

Silver.

 

[wjs1957]

silver. noun. sil·ver ˈsil-vər. : a white metallic element that is sonorous, ductile, very malleable, capable of a high degree of polish, and chiefly monovalent in compounds, and that has the highest thermal and electric conductivity of any substance. symbol Ag see Chemical Elements Table. Egg is correct IMHO.

 

[Bob’s Buddy]

I believe friend as it is the only living thing.

 

[Ashmenou]

I said silver as its the only word that is not the name of something (noun) ie you can physically touch all the other items.

Me too

 

[mark godwin]

friend breaths , everything else is just inanimate stuff . is there an answer ????????????????

 

[mark godwin]

I would answer egg as it is the only word with odd number 3

i don,t refer to my friends as useful objects , but i do see the logic .

 

[anouch]

those poor little grade "1" kids ,,if this is what they are being taught now heaven help them when they get to high school,,the good old school days of yesteryear definitely are gone,,,and I say the answer is Friends

 

[Kayer02]

I said Toothbrush due to the fact it didn't have an E..
Looks like it's back to school for me....