Why "2 + 3 × 4" Isn't 20
2 + 3 × 4 equals 14, because multiplication is evaluated before addition regardless of the order the terms are written in — the calculation is 3 × 4 = 12 first, then 2 + 12 = 14; treating it as (2 + 3) × 4 = 20 incorrectly evaluates the addition first, which is only correct if parentheses explicitly force that order.
This exact expression is one of the most viral, most argued-about math problems online, and the disagreement almost always traces back to order of operations, not to any real ambiguity in the math itself.
Working through it step by step
Under standard order of operations, multiplication and division are evaluated before addition and subtraction, no matter which comes first when reading left to right. So in 2 + 3 × 4, the 3 × 4 portion is evaluated first (giving 12), and only then is the 2 added, giving a final result of 14.
Why some people still get 20
Getting 20 means evaluating strictly left to right — treating it as (2 + 3) then × 4 — which is a natural reading habit, but not how mathematical convention interprets an expression without parentheses. As covered in the order-of-operations guide, adding explicit parentheses is the correct way to force that alternative order if it's genuinely intended.