What's the difference between clever, smart, and wise?

Clever, smart, and wise are all ways to describe someone who learns or solves things, but they do it in different kinds of ways.

Clever is like when you find a shortcut during a game. Imagine you're playing hide-and-seek, and instead of hiding behind the couch like everyone else, you climb into a big box under the table. You used a clever idea to win, not because you knew all the rules, but because you thought quickly.

Smart is more like knowing lots of things ahead of time. If you study your multiplication tables before a math test and can solve problems fast, that's being smart. It’s like having a big toolbelt full of tricks ready to use.

Wise is when you’ve learned from many experiences, like when you know not to rush into a game because you've seen what happens when people do that too often. A wise person might say, “Let’s take turns hiding first,” so everyone gets a fair chance.

So clever is thinking fast, smart is knowing lots of things, and wise is making good choices from experience, all different kinds of learning!