Hard trivia questions

The letter missing from every US state, the planet on its side, and more. Get 7 out of 10 and you can call yourself a quizzer.

10 random questions from a bank of 20 · instant feedback · new mix every time.

Hard trivia is not about being obscure for the sake of it. The best hard questions have an answer you could reason towards: France has the most time zones because of its overseas territories scattered across the globe.

Expect wrong answers that look right. That is the point.

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All 20 hard questions and answers

  1. What is the only letter that does not appear in any US state name?

    Q. J appears in New Jersey, X in Texas and New Mexico, Z in Arizona.

  2. Which country has the most time zones, including overseas territories?

    France. France spans 12 time zones thanks to its overseas territories.

  3. What is the smallest country in the world by area?

    Vatican City. About 0.44 square kilometres.

  4. Which planet rotates on its side, with an axial tilt of about 98°?

    Uranus. A giant collision long ago is the usual explanation.

  5. What is the national animal of Scotland?

    Unicorn. The unicorn appears on the Scottish royal coat of arms.

  6. Which element has the highest melting point?

    Tungsten. Tungsten melts at about 3,422 °C.

  7. In which country would you find the ancient city of Petra?

    Jordan. Carved into rose-red sandstone by the Nabataeans.

  8. What is a group of crows called?

    A murder. A parliament is owls.

  9. Which composer wrote the Four Seasons?

    Antonio Vivaldi. Published in 1725.

  10. What is the longest river in Europe?

    Volga. The Volga runs about 3,530 km through Russia.

  11. What does the "S" in the chemical symbol "Sn" stand for, in Latin?

    Stannum (tin). Sodium is Na, from natrium.

  12. Which is the only continent with no native snakes?

    Antarctica. Ireland and New Zealand are also snake-free, but they are islands.

  13. How many hearts does a hagfish have?

    4. One main heart and three accessory hearts.

  14. What year did the first iPhone go on sale?

    2007. It launched in the US on 29 June 2007.

  15. What is the capital of Australia?

    Canberra. Canberra was purpose-built as a compromise between Sydney and Melbourne.

  16. What is the most spoken language in Brazil?

    Portuguese. Brazil was a Portuguese colony.

  17. Which chess piece can only move diagonally?

    Bishop. Each bishop stays on one colour all game.

  18. What is the fear of long words ironically called?

    Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. Glossophobia is the fear of public speaking.

  19. Which is the largest desert in the world, including polar deserts?

    Antarctic Desert. The Sahara is the largest hot desert.

  20. What is the square root of 1,369?

    37. 37 × 37 = 1,369.

Questions people ask

What is a really hard trivia question?

"Which country has the most time zones?" catches almost everyone: the answer is France, with 12 including overseas territories, not Russia.

What is a good score on hard trivia?

Anything above 6 out of 10 is strong. A perfect round is rare.

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