Home > Riddles > SEND + MORE = MONEY
It is probably the most famous alphametic in mathematical recreation: a verbal sum that looks like a toy and ends up functioning as a chain deduction.
A young mathematician, the are of a mathematician, writes to his father to ask for money, but decides to do it his own way. Instead of typing the amount directly, it sends you this sum: SEND
+ MORE --- MONEY Each letter represents a different number, and no word can start with 0.
The father understands the message and sends him exactly that amount. How much money do you send him?
Since the sum of two four-digit numbers produces a five-digit number, necessarily M = 1. In the thousands column, when adding S + M plus the possible carry, the result ends in O and generates precisely that new initial figure.
That forces O = 0 and leaves S as the highest possible figure: S = 9. From there, the central columns chain the led ones in a very restrictive way.
Following that chain, the only supported assignment is:
S = 9, E = 5, N = 6, D = 7, M = 1, O = 0, R = 8, Y = 2 Therefore:
9567 + 1085 = 10652 So the father sends him exactly 10652.
If you enjoyed this one, try more pure-logic riddles, explore this theme, browse the full archive, or read the riddle-solving guide.