120+ Simple Riddles & Brainteasers That Anyone Can Enjoy

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Crossword puzzle expert A.J. Jacobs shares his favorite brainteasers to help you stump your friends and family

Co-authored by A.J. Jacobs and Dev Murphy, MA

Last Updated: February 4, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Short
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• For Kids
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• Funny
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• Math Riddles
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• Word Riddles
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• For Adults
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• Difficult
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• Why solve riddles?
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• Video

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What's green and white and read all over? A wikiHow article! Looking for more fun riddles to stump your friends with? (We promise we have better riddles than that one!) Keep reading for our list of more than 110 simple but brain-tickling riddles, including short and easy-to-memorize riddles, funny brainteasers, and more! Also, crossword puzzle expert A.J. Jacobs shares some of his favorite riddles and licensed clinical psychologist Jennifer Guttman, PsyD explains why riddles keep you mentally sharp.

Best Simple Riddles

Crossword puzzle expert A.J. Jacobs says that riddles are important because they can make you see the world in a different way. Here are some of his favorites:

• Wherever I go, it closely follows me. What is it? A shadow.
• Washing makes it more and more dirty. What is it? Water.
• I’m a house without a door. What am I? An egg.
• Tear one off and scratch my head, what once was red is black instead. A match.
• What speaks in all languages in his riding, and his mouth spits the poison of life or death? A pen.

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Section 1 of 8:

Short & Simple Riddles

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1. 
   These riddles may be brief, but they'll still leave you scratching your head! Though these brain-ticklers are only a few words long, they're sure to leave their mark. Plus, since they're so brief, they're super easy to memorize:

   • What silent guardian prevents attempted murder?
     • A scarecrow.
   • What travels the world but stays in the corner?
     • A stamp.
   • Wherever I go, it closely follows me. What is it?
     • A shadow.
   • I go on red, but stop for green. What am I doing?
     • Eating a watermelon.
   • What is bought by the yard, but worn by the foot?
     • A carpet.
   • What goes up but never comes down?
     • Your age.
   • I’m a house without a door. What am I?
     • An egg.
   • What has a title but few pages?
     • A knight.
   • What can you keep after giving to someone?
     • Your word.
   • How many months of the year have 28 days?
     • All of them.
   • What has to be broken before you can use it?
     • An egg.
   • People buy me to eat, but never eat me. What am I?
     • Cutlery.
   • What can you hold in your left hand but not your right?
     • Your right elbow.
   • I’m tall when I’m young, and I’m short when I’m old. What am I?
     • A candle.
   • What coat is best put on wet?
     • A coat of paint.
   • Washing makes it more and more dirty. What is it?
     • Water.
   • What gets bigger the more you take away?
     • A hole.
   • What 2 things can you never eat for breakfast?
     • Lunch and dinner.
   • What is so delicate that saying its name breaks it?
     • Silence.
   • There is a small vessel holding two different kinds of sauce. What is it?
     • An egg.

   Meet the wikiHow Experts

   A.J. Jacobs is an author, journalist, and crossword puzzle expert based in New York. He's an editor at Esquire and commentator on NPR. He’s also written for The New York Times and Entertainment Weekly.

   Jennifer Guttman, PsyD is a Cognitive Behavioral Therapist, Clinical Psychologist, and the Founder of the Sustainable Life Satisfaction®, a motivational and lifestyle platform. She has over 30 years of experience.
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Section 2 of 8:

Simple Riddles for Kids

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1. 
   Need a riddle that's fun for the whole fam? Try one of these. These riddles are simple and accessible for every age group. If you're looking for riddles to share with kids at school, or you're an adult looking for riddles to pose at family functions, these are for you:

   • What time is it when an elephant sits on a fence?
     • Time to fix the fence!
   • Pearl white chest without key or lid. Inside of which, a golden treasure is hid. What am I?
     • An egg.
   • I have keys, but no locks. I have space, but no room. You can enter, but you can’t go outside. What am I?
     • A computer keyboard.
   • What has 13 hearts but no other organs?
     • A deck of cards.
   • What has teeth, but cannot chew?
     • A comb.
   • What has a bed but doesn’t sleep, and a mouth but doesn’t eat?
     • A river.
   • I can fly but have no wings. I can cry but I have no eyes. Wherever I go, darkness follows me. What am I?
     • Clouds.
   • What do you throw out when you want to use it, but take in when you don’t want to use it?
     • An anchor.
   • What has four fingers and a thumb but isn’t alive?
     • A glove.
   • If you have me, you will want to share me. If you share me, you will no longer have me. What am I?
     • A secret.
   • They have no flesh, nor feathers, nor scales, nor bone, but they do have fingers and thumbs of their own. What are they?
     • Gloves
   • I have a tail and a head, but no body. What am I?
     • A coin.
   • What can you catch but never throw?
     • A cold.
   • What sleeps through the day and comes out at night? The more it weeps, the more it creates light.
     • A candle.
   • Light as a feather, there’s nothing in it, but the strongest man can’t hold it much more than a minute.
     • Breath.
   • What’s green, but not a leaf, and mimics others, but is not a monkey?
     • A parrot.
   • I am always in front and never behind. What am I?
     • The future.
   • Four legs up, four legs down, soft in the middle, and hard all around. What am I?
     • A bed.
   • If you feed it, it lives; If you water it, it dies.
     • Fire.
   • What runs around the whole yard without moving?
     • A fence.

Section 3 of 8:

Funny Simple Riddles

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1. 
   These riddles will make you think and chuckle at the same time! Riddles can be a great way to challenge your brain, but there's no reason they can't give you a good laugh at the same time! Try one of these brainteasers if you're looking for something to make you smile:

   • What gets wetter as it dries?
     • A towel.
   • Where do cows go on Saturday night?
     • The MOOOOvies.
   • What has many teeth but can’t bite?
     • A comb.
   • What has lots of eyes, but can’t see?
     • A potato.
   • Why was the broom late?
     • It swept in.
   • What can be cracked, made, told, and played?
     • A joke.
   • Why can’t your nose be 12 inches long?
     • Because then it would be a foot.
   • Why did the student eat his homework?
     • Because the teacher said it was a piece of cake.
   • Why did the banana go to the doctor?
     • Because it wasn’t peeling well.
   • A clerk in a butcher shop stands 5’10” and wears size 13 shoes. What does he weigh?
     • Meat.
   • Why did the golfer bring two pairs of pants?
     • In case he got a hole in one.
   • Why did the scarecrow win an award?
     • Because he was outstanding in his field.
   • What has one head, one foot, and four legs?
     • A bed.
   • Why did the computer go to the doctor?
     • Because it had a virus.
   • Why did the melon jump into the lake?
     • It wanted to be a watermelon.
   • What did one ocean say to the other ocean?
     • Nothing, they just waved.
   • What do you call a fake noodle?
     • An impasta.
   • Why did the tomato turn red?
     • Because it saw the salad dressing.
   • Why did the bicycle fall over?
     • Because it was two-tired.
   • What do you call cheese that isn’t yours?
     • Nacho cheese.
   • David’s father has three sons: Snap, Crackle, and ________?
     • David.
   • What can you find in a cupboard that can never be put in a saucepan?
     • The saucepan's lid.
   • What is full of holes but can still hold water?
     • A sponge.
   • Check out "135+ Super Funny & Challenging Riddles for All Ages" for more funny riddles!
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Section 4 of 8:

Simple Math Riddles

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1. 
   Want to brush up on your mathematics? Try these math-related queries. These number-related riddles make learning math fun!

   • Two fathers and two sons went fishing one day. They were there the whole day and only caught three fish. One father said, “That is enough for all of us. We will have one each.” How can that be possible?
     • There were only three men. The grandfather was fishing with his son and grandson.
   • If there are three apples and you take away two, how many apples do you have?
     • You have two apples.
   • A girl has as many brothers as sisters, but each brother has only half as many brothers as sisters. How many brothers and sisters are there in the family?
     • Four sisters and three brothers
   • Mr. Smith has four daughters. Each of his daughters has a brother. How many children does Mr. Smith have?
     • Five.
   • A man dies of old age on his 25 birthday. How is this possible?
     • He was born on February 29th.
   • A little girl goes to the store and buys one dozen eggs. As she is going home, all but three break. How many eggs are left unbroken?
     • Three.
   • A man describes his daughters, saying, “They are all blonde, but two; all brunette but two; and all redheaded but two.” How many daughters does he have?
     • Three: A blonde, a brunette and a redhead.
   • I am an odd number. Take away a letter and I become even. What number am I?
     • Seven.
   • If two’s company, and three’s a crowd, what are four and five?
     • Nine.
   • What three numbers, none of which is zero, give the same result whether they’re added or multiplied?
     • One, two, and three.
   • Two fathers and two sons are in a car, yet there are only three people in the car. How?
     • They are a grandfather, father and son.
   • The day before yesterday I was 21, and next year I will be 24. When is my birthday?
     • December 31; today is January 1.
   • Mary has four daughters, and each of her daughters has a brother. How many children does Mary have?
     • Five—each daughter has the same brother.
   • Which is heavier: a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers?
     • Neither—they both weigh a ton.
   • I am an odd number. Take away one letter and I become even. What number am I?
     • Seven.
   • Three doctors said that Bill was their brother. Bill says he has no brothers. How many brothers does Bill actually have?
     • None. He has three sisters.
   • Check out "55+ Math Riddles for All Ages: Easy, Hard & Funny Problems" for more math-related problems!

Section 5 of 8:

Simple Word Riddles

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1. 
   Some of the cleverest riddles make use of linguistics and wordplay. For instance, "What wicked thing battles the darkness?" "A: A candle." Get it? You can read "wicked" as wick-ed (as in "evil") or wic't (as in "having a wick"). Check out these riddles for more fun wordplay and puns:

   • What wicked thing battles the darkness?
     • A candle.
   • What 4-letter word can be written forward, backward, or upside down, and can still be read from left to right?
     • NOON.
   • What always ends everything?
     • The letter G.
   • I am a word that begins with the letter I. If you add the letter A to me, I become a new word with a different meaning, but that sounds exactly the same. What word am I?
     • Isle (add A to make “aisle”).
   • I’m the rare case when today comes before yesterday. What am I?
     • A dictionary.
   • What would you find in the middle of Toronto?
     • The letter O.
   • What word is pronounced the same if you take away four of its five letters?
     • Queue.
   • Forward I am heavy, but backward I am not. What am I?
     • The word “not.”
   • What five-letter word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?
     • Short.
   • I am a word of letters three; add two and fewer there will be. What word am I?
     • Few.
   • What word of five letters has one left when two are removed?
     • Stone.
   • What begins and ends with an "E" but only contains one letter?
     • Envelope.
   • What is 3/7 chicken, 2/3 cat, and 2/4 goat?
     • Chicago.
   • Two in a corner, one in a room, zero in a house, but one in a shelter. What is it?
     • The letter R.
   • What word in the English language does the following: The first two letters signify a male, the first three letters signify a female, the first four letters signify a great, while the entire world signifies a great woman. What is the word?
     • Heroine.
   • What’s the capital in France?
     • The letter F is the only capital in France.
   • Six letters it contains; remove one letter, and twelve remain. What is it?
     • Dozens.
   • What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
     • The letter M.
   • What word is spelled incorrectly in every dictionary?
     • Incorrectly.
   • You see me once in June, twice in November, and not at all in May. What am I?
     • The letter E.
   • What starts with a P, ends with an E, and has thousands of letters?
     • The Post Office.
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Section 6 of 8:

Simple Riddles for Adults

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1. 
   These riddles may be simple, but they're also perfect for adults. Share these slightly more mature and tricky riddles with your coworkers or group of friends, and watch everyone's brows collectively furrow as they try to figure out the answers!

   • The more you take, the more you leave behind. What are they?
     • Footsteps.
   • After a train crashed, every single person died. Who survived?
     • All of the couples.
   • A man calls his dog from the opposite side of the river. The dog crosses the river without getting wet, and without using a bridge or boat. How?
     • The river was frozen.
   • Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it you die. What is it?
     • Nothing.
   • People make me, save me, change me, raise me. What am I?
     • Money
   • Four cars come to a four-way stop, each coming from a different direction. They can’t decide who got there first, so they all go forward at the same time. All four cars go, but none crash into each other. How is this possible?
     • They all made right-hand turns.
   • I turn once, what is out will not get in. I turn again, what is in will not get out. What am I?
     • A key.
   • Ask this question all day long, but always get completely different answers, and yet all the answers will be correct. What is the question?
     • "What time is it?"
   • What kind of ship has two mates but no captain?
     • A relationship.
   • The person who makes it has no need of it; the person who buys it has no use for it. The person who uses it can neither see nor feel it. What is it?
     • A coffin.
   • A bus driver was heading to town. He went right past a stop sign without stopping. Then, he turned left where there was a no left turn sign. Finally, he traveled down a one-way street opposing traffic, passed a policeman, and waved hello. He didn’t get a ticket. Why not?
     • He was walking, not driving.
   • Check out "The Hardest & Most Difficult Riddles for Adults" for more riddles for grown-ups!

Section 7 of 8:

Simple Difficult Riddles

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1. 
   Check out these tricky riddles that are deceptively simple. These riddles may seem straightforward, but we guarantee they'll give you a run for your money! Check them out for more of a challenge:

   • A man in a car saw a golden door, a silver door, and a bronze door. Which door did he open first?
     • The car door.
   • I am not alive, but I can grow; I don’t have eyes, but I can cry. What am I?
     • A cloud.
   • Tear one off and scratch my head, what once was red is black instead. What am I?
     • A match.
   • What speaks in all languages in his riding, and his mouth spits the poison of life or death?
     • A pen.
   • If you drop me I’m sure to crack, but give me a smile and I’ll always smile back.
     • A mirror.
   • A man shaves several times a day but still has a beard. How?
     • He’s a barber.
   • I can bring back the dead and make you cry. I form in your head, but I’m not a lie. What am I?
     • A memory.
   • What goes through cities and fields, but never moves?
     • A road.
   • What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it?
     • Silence.
   • It devours all things: birds, beasts, trees, flowers; gnaws iron, bites steel; grinds hard stones to meal; slays king, ruins town, and beats high mountain down. What is it?
     • Time.
   • You measure my life in hours and I serve you by expiring. I’m quick when I’m thin and slow when I’m fat. The wind is my enemy. What am I?
     • A candle.
   • What is seen in the middle of March and April that can’t be seen at the beginning or end of either month?
     • The letter R.
   • The more of this there is, the less you see. What is it?
     • Darkness.
   • I have branches, but no fruit, trunk, or leaves. What am I?
     • A bank.
   • I am not alive, but I grow; I don’t have lungs, but I need air; I don’t have a mouth, but water kills me. What am I?
     • Fire.
   • A man who was outside in the rain without an umbrella or hat didn’t get a single hair on his head wet. Why?
     • He was bald.
   • What breaks yet never falls, and what falls yet never breaks?
     • Day and night.
   • What can’t talk but will reply when spoken to?
     • An echo.
   • I can be deep or shallow, but I always reflect. What am I?
     • A pond.
   • Check out "120 Challenging & Tricky Riddles for Kids & Adults" for more difficult riddles!
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Section 8 of 8:

Why solve riddles?

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1. 1
   Solving riddles aids in brain development. Riddles are a great way to challenge young, growing brains. It fosters critical and creative thinking and encourages kids to be curious and to think outside of the box. Riddles invite kids (and adults!) to look at the world in new and unexpected ways in order to figure out the answer—plus, riddles can be educational, making them fun tools to help kids learn more about their world.

   • Jacobs says, “I love riddles because they make you see the world in a different way. You have to be cognitively flexible. A good riddle makes the familiar strange and the strange familiar. It inspires awe.”
2. 2
   Riddles can keep our brains sharp as we age. "Engage in daily activities that challenge you mentally to keep your mind fresh: crossword puzzles, sudoku, other word games," recommends Dr. Guttman. Whether you're 5 or 95, puzzles and riddles are a good way to exercise your brain and keep you alert, and some studies indicate they can even help slow cognitive decline!
3. 3
   Brainteasers invite us to question our biases. Solving riddles requires thinking outside of the box, and that might even include challenging our own assumptions to find the answer. In this way, riddles are the perfect teacher to help us overcome any biases we might be holding onto—and they do this in a fun and low-pressure way.

   • For instance, a classic riddle goes, "A father and his son are taken to the ER after a car accident. The doctor looks at the boy and says, 'I can't operate on him—he's my son!' How is this possible?"
   • The answer to this riddle is that the doctor is the boy's mother, and its difficulty relies on listeners' assumptions about who can and should be a doctor. (That's the official answer, anyway: of course, another possible answer to this riddle is, "The boy has two fathers," which may require listeners to investigate different biases!)
4. 4
   Solving riddles with friends can help us bond. Solving riddles on your own is a fun way to exercise your brain and pass the time, but sharing them with friends is a great way to get closer together. Overcoming challenges brings people together by inviting them to work together on a solution and helping them feel united as a team.

   • This is especially true if the riddle is funny—laughing together is one of the best ways to develop intimacy!
   • According to Jacobs, "Riddles are notable for being so universal. It’s hard to find a society in history that didn’t have riddles.”
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