The hardest emoji faces to copy

Why some emoji are hard

Emoji are drawings, so they show expressions more strongly and more neatly than a real face does. The hardest ones ask for something faces rarely do: one side different from the other (winks, a single raised eyebrow), several features at once, or a mix of signals like happy eyes with a sad mouth. A scoring system that reads face landmarks notices when one part is missing.

🤨 Face with raised eyebrow

Why it is hard: It needs one eyebrow up and the other level. Most people can only lift both together.

How to copy it: Lift one eyebrow on its own and narrow the other eye a little. Keep your mouth flat. If one eyebrow won't move alone, hold the other down with a fingertip while you practise.

😉 Winking face

Why it is hard: A wink tends to drag the cheek and mouth with it, and the open eye often half-closes in sympathy.

How to copy it: Close one eye firmly, keep the other wide open, and add a small one-sided smile.

😜 Winking face with tongue

Why it is hard: Three things at once: a wink, an open mouth and the tongue out.

How to copy it: Do the wink first, then open your mouth and push your tongue out and slightly to one side.

😱 Face screaming in fear

Why it is hard: The mouth has to be a tall oval, not a wide grin, and the eyes have to be fully open.

How to copy it: Drop your jaw as far as it goes, pull your lips into an O, and open your eyes as wide as you can. Hands on cheeks are optional.

😐 Neutral face

Why it is hard: It sounds easy, but people smile or tense up when they know they are being scored.

How to copy it: Relax your whole face, close your lips without pressing them, and look straight at the camera.

🙄 Face with rolling eyes

Why it is hard: When you look up, your eyes are partly hidden from the camera.

How to copy it: Tilt your chin slightly down while you look up, so the camera can still see your eyes. Keep your mouth flat or slightly pursed.

😬 Grimacing face

Why it is hard: It is a wide, tense mouth with teeth showing, which is easy to confuse with a smile.

How to copy it: Clench your teeth, stretch your lips sideways, and keep your eyes neutral instead of happy.

🥺 Pleading face

Why it is hard: Big eyes and a small frown pull in opposite directions.

How to copy it: Raise the inner corners of your eyebrows, open your eyes wide, and press your lips into a small pout.

General tips

• Light your face from the front and keep it fully in frame.
• Exaggerate. A cartoon face needs a cartoon-sized expression.
• Hold the face for a second instead of moving through it.
• Practise the hard ones in Solo Emoji Scan before a live duel.

New to the game? Start with how the emoji face challenge works.