GNU variants are different "flavors" or versions of the GNU operating system, which is a type of software that runs on computers.
Think of it like ice cream. Vanilla ice cream is a flavor of ice cream, but there are many different brands or versions of vanilla ice cream. Each brand may have a slightly different taste or texture, even though they're all still vanilla ice cream.
Similarly, GNU variants may have different features or settings, even though they're all still GNU. Some popular GNU variants include Debian, Ubuntu, and Fedora.
So, while they all share the same basic foundation (GNU), the different variants may have different strengths and weaknesses depending on what you need them for. Just like how some people might prefer one brand of vanilla ice cream over another!