In the series W 3 K $ B 8 N T 5 ? R 2 * 9 G 6 # V (18 elements), the first nine elements form one half and the last nine the other. How many more letters does the first half hold than the second?

The first half is W 3 K $ B 8 N T 5, whose letters are W, K, B, N and T — five in all. The second half is ? R 2 * 9 G 6 # V, whose letters are R, G and V — three in all. Five less three is 2. Answering 1 or 3 comes of miscounting one half by a single letter, and 4 comes of counting only the letters of the first half and forgetting to subtract.