Six Girls Only Five Pairs of Legs The Viral Optical Illusion That Has Everyone Stumped

Optical illusions have a way of humbling us, reminding us that even when our eyes insist they’re telling the truth, our brains may be filling in the gaps all wrong. A now-viral image featuring six girls seated on a couch has sent the internet spiraling into confusion for exactly this reason. Although six people are clearly visible, only five pairs of legs seem to appear beneath them. The Queensland Brain Institute explains illusions as moments when “our brain and eyes try to speak to each other in simple language but the interpretation gets mixed up,” and that is exactly what’s happening here.

In the photo, the girls sit shoulder to shoulder, and the scene looks ordinary—until you start counting. Viewers immediately notice that one pair of legs seems to have vanished. Online debates exploded as people struggled to understand how six girls could result in only five sets of legs. The answer, however, lies not in any digital trickery but in the clever way our brains process visual overlap and symmetry, especially when similar colors and shapes line up perfectly.

Reddit users took on the challenge of decoding the illusion, and many pointed to the second girl from the left as the key. Her legs are positioned directly behind the legs of the girl sitting on the far left, and because their jeans match in color and texture, the two sets appear to merge into one. Another user, ElMangosto, added even more detail: the first girl’s legs are crossed, while the second girl’s visible leg—identified by a torn knee and a white sock—camouflages seamlessly with the first girl’s stance. Meanwhile, girls #2 and #3 are leaning at slight angles, further contributing to the visual confusion.

Once the illusion is explained, most people can finally make sense of the “missing” legs—though the answer never feels quite as obvious as it should. It’s a perfect example of how easily our perception can be fooled, even in a simple snapshot. Share the picture with your friends and see how long it takes them to figure out where the missing pair of legs is hiding. The reactions alone are worth the puzzle.