Easy Answers to the Turn 1 Line Into a 3 Riddle

Learn how to solve this viral TikTok riddle

Co-authored by Hunter Rising Reviewed by Candace Gasper

Last Updated: December 11, 2025 Fact Checked

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If you’ve seen someone on TikTok challenged to turn the number 1 or a vertical line into the number 3, you’re probably wondering what the actual answer is to the puzzle. Even though there are multiple possible answers to the riddle, there’s one answer that most people are looking for. Keep reading, and we’ll give you the solution as well as other tricky riddles to solve!

How do you turn 1 line into a 3?

When you want to turn 1 line into a 3, turn it sideways so it looks like a horizontal line. Then, use the line as the top of the number 3. Draw a diagonal line coming down from the right side of the line, and then put a backward C on the end to make a Ʒ.

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

How to Turn 1 Line Into a 3

1. 
   Turn the 1 sideways and use it as the top line to make a Ʒ. A lot of people forget that the number 3 can have a flat top instead of a rounded one, so it may not be your first thought. Turn the 1 sideways so it looks like a horizontal line. Draw a diagonal line coming down from the right end of line. Then, make a backward C-shape at the end of the diagonal to fully turn the 1 into a 3.

   • Alternatively, use the 1 as the diagonal line. Turn the paper at a slight angle, and draw a straight horizontal line coming off the top of the 1. Then, make the backward C-shape at the bottom of the 1 to finish making the Ʒ.
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Section 2 of 4:

Other Possible Answers to Turn 1 Into a 3

1. 
   1
   Use 3 horizontal lines to make a blocky 3. Instead of making the 3 look rounded, think of how a 3 looks when you type it into a calculator. Add a horizontal line coming off the left side of the line at the top, bottom, and middle to change it into a 3.
2. 
   2
   Draw 2 vertical lines to make the Roman numeral III. All you have to do is draw 2 vertical lines right next to the 1 on the paper. The Roman numeral for 3 is III, so it’s a simple solve.

   • Some people may say this is the wrong answer because you have to make the number 3, not a different symbol.
3. 
   3
   Write out the word “THREE” using 1 as a letter. If you want to be really clever with your answer, use the 1 and the vertical line in any of the letters. If they didn’t specify that you had to write down the numeral, then this is a valid answer.
4. 
   4
   Write out a math equation that equals 3. For a more complicated answer, leave the 1 alone and write an equation around it. You could do something like 1+1+1=3, 1+2=3, or even 4-1=3. As long as 3 is the answer to the problem, you’ve solved the puzzle.
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Section 3 of 4:

How did the “Turn 1 Line into a 3” challenge get popular?

1. 
   The riddle became popular on TikTok as a challenge to win money. While it’s not clear who first posted the riddles, some of the earlier videos were posted in 2022 by TikTok user @sharukhpithawallaa. In the videos, he would approach people with a whiteboard and offer them $10,000 if they could change a 1 into the number 3.

   • The video has also become a meme where people draw something completely different on the whiteboard. User @ItaiVale on YouTube posted a short video where someone drew a football and didn’t explain why.
   • In another TikTok video by @sharukhpithawallaa, he misspeaks and says “tree” instead of 3, so the person drew a tree using the 1 as the trunk.

Section 4 of 4:

Other Tricky Riddles to Solve

1. Test your smarts with even more challenging brain teasers. After you’ve figured out how to turn a line into a 3, there are so many more popular riddles going around TikTok and other social media. Check out our collection of riddles to see if you can solve them or if they leave you stumped!

   • Add One Line to Make 200
   • 12 Men on an Island
   • There's 30 Cows and 28 Chickens
   • You Enter a Room...
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