A popular brain teaser shows a handwritten note that says:

“There’s a woman in a boat on a lake wearing a coat. If you want to know her name, it’s in the riddle I just wrote. What is the woman’s name?”

At first, many people start searching for clues about the boat, the lake, or the coat—but the trick is simpler: the name is literally hidden inside the sentence.

The Key Trick: “It’s in the riddle I just wrote”

Look closely at the very beginning:

“There’s a…”

If you combine those words the way they sound, you get:

There’s a → Theresa

The Correct Answer

The woman’s name is THERESA.

This puzzle works because it uses sound and spacing to hide the name, making your brain focus on the story instead of the exact wording.