Here’s a deceptively simple equation made entirely of nines. At first glance, you might rush through the subtraction and division and land on the wrong result—90% of solvers do. The catch? It’s all about applying the order of operations (division before subtraction) and moving strictly left to right. In this post, we’ll walk through each step, explain the common missteps that mislead most people, and reveal the correct answer. Think you’ve got it? Read on to see if your calculation holds up, then share your result and challenge a friend to try!

99% of people give the wrong answer

Are you ready for a deceptively simple math puzzle that trips up almost everyone? Below is a string of nines with subtraction, division, and addition — yet most readers leap to the wrong result. Take a moment, focus on the order of operations (PEMDAS/BODMAS), and see if you can beat the odds.

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Common pitfalls

• Left-to-right neglect. Many solve “9 ÷ 9 + 9” incorrectly by combining operations out of sequence.
• Ignoring division precedence. People often treat subtraction and division as equals, rather than doing division first.
• Rushing through repeated terms. Seeing several nines makes you assume symmetry, which invites mistakes.

Step-by-step solution

The expression is: 9 – 9 ÷ 9 + 9 – 9 ÷ 9

First division: 9 ÷ 9 = 1

Second division: the last 9 ÷ 9 = 1

Rewrite: 9 – 1 + 9 – 1

Left-to-right:

• 9 – 1 = 8
• 8 + 9 = 17
• 17 – 1 = 16

So the correct answer is 16.

Conclusion

Did you get it right? Share your result in the comments below! If this trick question tested your focus, try more of our puzzles to keep your mind sharp and sharpen your logical skills.