The phrase in this optical illusion from TikTok star will confuse you and you’ll read it wrong the first time

It seems internet users can’t get enough of optical illusions - and one of the latest to captivate attention just asks people to say what they see and read a common phrase in an image.

It comes from a TikTok user who has become well known for sharing optical illusions, and it sounds simple.

There’s nothing hidden - but there is something you are likely to miss the first time you take a look.

So, just what is the optical illusion, and what does it actually say?

Here’s what you need to know, and don’t worry we won’t reveal the answer until the very end of the article to give you an optimum amount of time to get it right yourself first.

Where has the image come from?

While the original source of the image is not clear, TikTok personality Hectic Nick shared the illusion online and it quickly went viral.

In fact, it racked up 25.6.K views and 818 comments - and that number is still growing.

Wearing his signature sunglasses, the mysterious content creator showed the image which shows a well-known phrase written in a red triangle against a white background.

He told his viewers: “Try reading this message.”

He then teased “you probably got it wrong”.

Before revealing the answer, he advised “try reading it a second time, it’s likely you got it wrong again”.

Hectic Nick is known on the social media platform Tik Tok for confusing his many viewers on a daily basis with a selection of illusions, brain teasers and fun facts.

He describes his channel as “videos that make you think”, but does not reveal any personal details relating to who he is or where he finds the material he posts.

His videos are extremely popular though and he has 3.9million followers.

What have Tik Tok users said about the illusion?

TikTok users took to the comments section of Hectic Nick’s video to share their views on the illusion.

One person simply said “I really fell for that.”

Another person, however, boasted that they had read the image correctly the first time. They said: “I read it perfectly on first try”.

Another added: “I noticed right away.”

A number of viewers also reported that they hadn’t read the phrase correctly the first time, but had the second time they looked at the image.

One person said they thought they had got the answer right but they hadn’t. They saw the phrase “the bird in a brush”, but there’s no spoilers yet as that isn’t what it says at all.

What does the illusion say?

The image actually says “a bird in the the bush”.

No, that’s not a typo or a mistake on our end, the phrase does include the word “the” twice.

If you haven’t realised, take a look at the image again now you know the answer and we guarantee you will see it.

Hectic Nick advised his viewers to send the image to a friend to see if they get it right or not, so give it a go and see if your loved ones can correctly read the image.