Start to count?

ONE

Think of the first number you'd say when beginning a simple countdown or reciting numbers in order.

The clue "Start to count?" plays on the double meaning of "start." It can mean the beginning of counting (like "one, two, three...") or the word "start" itself—where the first letter is "S," but that’s a red herring. Instead, it’s hinting at the first number you’d say when counting, which is "one." The question mark signals there’s wordplay involved.