Find the Odd One Out Emoji (Hard): 30 Puzzles + Answers
Find the odd one out emoji puzzles (hard mode) hide one slightly different emoji in a grid of near-twins, like a 😃 in a sea of 😀. Below are 30 of them: easy warm-ups, hard grids, the hardest level and four "say why" puzzles, all copy-and-paste ready, with answers at the bottom.
If you're great at spotting the different emoji but lose it on number or logic questions, IQ Tester shows which kind of pattern-spotting you're strongest at: Find my weak spots.
How emoji odd-one-out puzzles work
The rules are simple:
- Every grid has exactly one emoji that's different.
- Answers are given as row and spot, counting from the top-left. "Row 2, spot 4" means second line, fourth emoji.
- No zooming for the first try. Then zoom all you want.
Heads up: emoji look different on iPhone, Android, Windows and in different apps. If a pair looks identical on your screen, that one's on your phone, not you. Try it on another device.
How to play with friends: copy a grid, paste it in the group chat, and the first correct "row, spot" reply wins. Fastest emoji challenge you'll ever set up.
| Level | Grid size | Typical difference |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 8 in a row | Different object |
| Hard | 2 rows of 6 | Tiny change in face or detail |
| Hardest | 4 rows of 5 | Nearly identical twins |
| Say why | 4 emojis | Different category |
Easy warm-ups
Find the different emoji in each line.
1.
🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎🍅
2.
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐺🐶🐶
3.
⚽⚽⚽⚽🏐⚽⚽⚽
4.
🌞🌞🌝🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞
5.
😺😺😸😺😺😺😺😺
6.
🚙🚗🚗🚗🚗🚗🚗🚗
7.
🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌳🌲🌲
8.
🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🟠
Hard emoji puzzles
Now the spot-the-odd-one-out emoji pairs get sneaky. Faces with slightly different eyes, clocks one hour apart, fish with stripes.
9.
😀😀😀😀😀😀
😀😀😀😃😀😀
10.
😃😄😃😃😃😃
😃😃😃😃😃😃
11.
🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙃
🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂
12.
😐😐😐😐😐😐
😐😐😑😐😐😐
13.
🕐🕐🕐🕐🕐🕐
🕐🕐🕐🕑🕐🕐
14.
🍏🍏🍏🍏🍏🍏
🍏🍏🍏🍏🍏🍐
15.
🐠🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟
🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟🐟
16.
🎵🎵🎵🎵🎵🎵
🎵🎵🎵🎵🎵🎶
17.
📗📗📗📗📗📗
📘📗📗📗📗📗
18.
🔁🔁🔂🔁🔁🔁
🔁🔁🔁🔁🔁🔁
19.
😓😓😓😓😓😓
😓😓😓😓😓😥
20.
🌑🌑🌑🌑🌑🌑
🌑🌚🌑🌑🌑🌑
Hardest find the odd one out emoji level
This is the hardest find the odd one out emoji set we could build. Bigger grids, tinier differences. Set a timer if you want bragging rights.
21.
😀😀😀😀😀
😀😀😀😀😀
😀😀😀😁😀
😀😀😀😀😀
22.
🕛🕛🕛🕛🕛
🕧🕛🕛🕛🕛
🕛🕛🕛🕛🕛
🕛🕛🕛🕛🕛
23.
😕😕😕😕😕
😟😕😕😕😕
😕😕😕😕😕
😕😕😕😕😕
24.
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
🌕🌕🌖🌕🌕
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕
25.
😗😙😗😗😗
😗😗😗😗😗
😗😗😗😗😗
😗😗😗😗😗
26.
🔉🔉🔉🔈🔉
🔉🔉🔉🔉🔉
🔉🔉🔉🔉🔉
🔉🔉🔉🔉🔉
Find the odd one out and say why
These four aren't about looks. Every emoji is different; one doesn't belong to the group. You have to find the odd one out and say why.
27. 🐧 🦅 🦜 🦇
28. 🕷️ 🐜 🐝 🦋
29. 🐋 🐬 🦭 🦈
30. 🍅 🥒 🌶️ 🥕
If you like the "say why" kind, you'll love our critical thinking questions for teens, which push the same "what's the rule?" thinking further.
Answers
Here's every find the odd one out answer. No peeking before you've tried, we're trusting you.
Easy answers
| # | Odd one | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🍅 tomato | Spot 8 |
| 2 | 🐺 wolf | Spot 6 |
| 3 | 🏐 volleyball | Spot 5 |
| 4 | 🌝 full moon face | Spot 3 |
| 5 | 😸 grinning cat | Spot 3 |
| 6 | 🚙 SUV | Spot 1 |
| 7 | 🌳 round tree | Spot 6 |
| 8 | 🟠 orange circle | Spot 8 |
Hard answers
| # | Odd one | Where | What's different |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 😃 | Row 2, spot 4 | Bigger eyes |
| 10 | 😄 | Row 1, spot 2 | Smiling eyes |
| 11 | 🙃 | Row 1, spot 6 | Upside down |
| 12 | 😑 | Row 2, spot 3 | Eyes closed as lines |
| 13 | 🕑 | Row 2, spot 4 | Two o'clock, not one |
| 14 | 🍐 | Row 2, spot 6 | Pear, not green apple |
| 15 | 🐠 | Row 1, spot 1 | Tropical fish |
| 16 | 🎶 | Row 2, spot 6 | Two notes, not one |
| 17 | 📘 | Row 2, spot 1 | Blue book |
| 18 | 🔂 | Row 1, spot 3 | Has a tiny "1" |
| 19 | 😥 | Row 2, spot 6 | Relieved-sad, not sweaty |
| 20 | 🌚 | Row 2, spot 2 | New moon has a face |
Hardest answers
| # | Odd one | Where | What's different |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 😁 | Row 3, spot 4 | Smiling eyes, teeth showing |
| 22 | 🕧 | Row 2, spot 1 | Half past twelve |
| 23 | 😟 | Row 2, spot 1 | Worried, not confused |
| 24 | 🌖 | Row 2, spot 3 | Not quite full moon |
| 25 | 😙 | Row 1, spot 2 | Smiling eyes while kissing |
| 26 | 🔈 | Row 1, spot 4 | Fewer sound waves |
"Say why" answers
- 27. 🦇 Bat. It's a mammal; the others are birds.
- 28. 🕷️ Spider. It has eight legs and isn't an insect; the others are insects.
- 29. 🦈 Shark. It's a fish; whales, dolphins and seals are mammals.
- 30. 🥕 Carrot. It's a root; tomatoes, cucumbers and chili peppers are all botanically fruits. (Yes, really.)
Tips to spot the odd one faster
The hard emoji puzzles get easier when you stop staring at everything at once.
- Scan in a Z. Left to right, then drop a row. Don't jump around.
- Pick one feature. Eyes only. Then mouths only. Faces have three or four parts that can change.
- Unfocus slightly. Lean back and let the grid blur a little. Color and shape outliers sometimes pop.
- Check the corners first. People skip edges and over-check the middle.
- Count in chunks. For answers, count spots in pairs or threes so you don't lose your place.
- Say the category out loud. For "say why" puzzles, naming each item ("bird, bird, bird, mammal") makes the outlier obvious.
Tip 6 is the same skill IQ-style pattern questions use: find the rule, then the thing breaking it. Our puzzles that look easy but are actually hard shows how your brain cheats on these.
Here's the catch, though. Being fast at emoji grids doesn't tell you if you're good at other patterns, like number series or logic rules. And timing yourself on a screenshot isn't a very fair way to judge.
IQ Tester mixes pattern questions with number series, verbal analogy and logic, 20 untimed questions, easiest first. At the end it shows how you did in each category, so you know if pattern is really your thing or just emoji. Find my weak spots
Turn your emoji eye into a real score
You've beaten find the odd one out emoji hard mode; now see how your pattern brain stacks up against the other three kinds of reasoning. IQ Tester gives you your band and three of your four category strengths for free in a few minutes, and you can challenge a friend head-to-head and share a card, just like sending these grids.
FAQ
How do you play the find the odd one out emoji game?
Make a grid of the same emoji and swap one for a near-twin, like 🕐 and 🕑. Send it to friends and the first person to reply with the right row and spot wins. You can copy and paste any grid in this post.
What is the hardest find the odd one out emoji?
Faces with tiny eye changes are the hardest, like 😀 vs 😁 or 😗 vs 😙, especially in a big grid. Clock pairs like 🕛 and 🕧 are brutal too, because the difference is one hand.
Why can't I find the odd one out on my phone?
Emoji designs differ between iPhone, Android and apps, and on some phones two emoji look almost the same. If you're sure every one matches, try viewing the grid on another device.
What does "find the odd one out and say why" mean?
It means the items all look different, but one doesn't belong to the group, and you have to explain the rule. In 🐧 🦅 🦜 🦇, the bat is the odd one out because it's a mammal, not a bird.
Are odd one out puzzles good for your brain?
They're good practice for focus and pattern spotting, and they're fun. They mostly make you better at that kind of puzzle, though, so mix in other types, like number series and logic, if you want broader practice.