RD.COM Humor Riddles
Jen McCaffery
Caroline FanningUpdated: Apr. 28, 2023
Looking for a low-key challenge? You're probably not going to have to scratch your head very much to solve these easy riddles.
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An island
What do the letter T and an island have in common?
Answer: You’ll find them both in the middle of water. After these easy riddles, check out these word puzzles that will leave you stumped.
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A question of time
I’m the rare case when today comes before yesterday. What am I?
Answer: A dictionary. Need more brain twisters? Check out these riddles for teens.
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Circular logic
What goes all the way around the world but stays in a corner?
Answer: A stamp. For more of a challenge after these easy riddles, try these detective riddles only the smartest can solve.
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Giveaway
You cannot keep me until you have given me. What am I?
Answer: Your word. Bookmark these long riddles and see how many you can solve.
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A question of size
What gets bigger the more you take away?
Answer: A hole. Next, give your brain more of a test with some of the hardest riddles ever.
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A handy question
What has four fingers and a thumb, but isn’t alive?
Answer: A glove. An instant classic: here are 11 of the most famous riddles in history.
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Sharing
If you have me, you will want to share me. If you share me, you will no longer have me. What am I?
Answer: A secret. A riddle and a lesson. Here are 60 of the best riddles for kids—can you solve them?
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All wet
What gets wet when drying?
Answer: A towel. How many of these Bible riddles can you solve?
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Word play
What two words, added together, contain the most letters?
Answer: Post office. Only 2 percent of people can solve Einstein’s riddle—can you?
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Tricky question
What has a head and a tail, but no body?
Answer: A coin. How many of these viral riddles can you solve? No cheating!
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A timely question
What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
Answer: The letter M. Try to solve these animal riddles—they’re serious mind benders!
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Spare change
Two coins add up to 30 cents. One isn’t a nickel. What are they?
Answer: A quarter and a nickel. The statement said only one of the coins wasn’t a nickel. Try to solve these math riddles to really give your brain a workout.
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Beard
I shave every day, but my beard stays the same. Who am I?
Answer: A barber. Ok, that one was easy. Some of these riddles for adults, though? Not so easy.
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The end-all be-all
What always ends everything?
Answer: The letter G. Combine your love of riddles with Christmas by solving these tricky Christmas riddles.
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Supply and demand
The man who invented it doesn’t need it. The man who bought it doesn’t want it. The man who needs it doesn’t know. What is it?
Answer: A coffin. Now that you solved this riddle, can you solve the one about Mr. Smith having four daughters?
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Holy water
What is full of holes but still holds water?
Answer: A sponge. Can you solve this viral riddle about Teresa’s daughter?
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Q&A
What question can you never answer yes to?
Answer: Are you asleep yet? Check out these 50 trivia questions only geniuses will get right.
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Dry zone
A man who was outside in the rain without an umbrella or hat didn’t get a single hair on his head wet. Why?
Answer: He was bald. Don’t forget to bookmark these Thanksgiving riddles the whole family will love.
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Nautical nonsense
You see a boat filled with people, yet there isn’t a single person on board. How is that possible?
Answer: Everyone is married. Speaking of marriage—try to solve as many of these love riddles as you can!
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Stalker
I follow you all the time and copy your every move, but you can’t touch or catch me. What am I?
Answer: Your shadow. Now, try to solve this riddle about someone’s mother having four sons.
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Hands-on questions
What can you hold in your left hand but not your right?
Answer: Your right elbow. Now, see how many of these Easter riddles you can solve.
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Saucy rejoinders
What can’t be put in a saucepan?
Answer: Its lid. Looking to keep your kids occupied? Have them solve as many of these brain games as the can.
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Face the music
What kind of band never plays music?
Answer: A rubber band. If you can solve this puzzle, you could qualify to be a British spy (and no, the answer is not “rubber band”).
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Silent but deadly
It stalks the countryside with ears that can’t hear. What is it?
Answer: Corn.
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Moisture mix-up
What kind of coat is best put on wet?
Answer: A coat of paint.
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From top to bottom
What has a bottom at the top?
Answer: Your legs.
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It’s not a cat
I am always hungry and will die if not fed, but whatever I touch will soon turn red. What am I?
Answer: Fire. If you can answer these Mensa questions, you’re probably a genius.
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Brothers three
David’s father has three sons: Snap, Crackle, and ____?
Answer: David.
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Boo!
There is one room in the house ghosts will not haunt.
Answer: The living room. Try these 20 scary good Halloween riddles next!
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Direction dilemma
What are moving left to right, right now?
Answer: Your eyes.
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A close shave
The Barber of Seville shaves all men living in Seville. No man living in Seville is allowed to shave himself. The Barber of Seville lives in Seville. Who shaves the Barber of Seville?
Answer: The Barber of Seville is a woman.
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Game of hearts
What has 13 hearts, but no other organs?
Answer: A deck of cards. Those card hearts can be tricky!
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Barrel o’ laughs
It cannot be seen, it weighs nothing, but when put into a barrel, it makes it lighter. What is it?
Answer: A hole.
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Light it up
Different lights make me strange, for each one my size will change. What am I?
Answer: A pupil.
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Oop
The shorter I am, the bigger I am. What am I?
Answer: A temper. Speaking of short—how many of these short riddles can you solve?
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Throw it out
This is easy to lift but hard to throw. What is it?
Answer: A feather. Alright, this was solvable. But these 20 rebus puzzles? Definitely not.
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Gotcha
A bus driver goes the wrong way down a one-way street. He passes the cops, but they don’t stop him. Why?
Answer: He was walking.
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Flip flop
What word looks the same upside down and backward?
Answer: Swims.
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co*ck-a-doodle-who?
A rooster lays an egg at the top of a slanted roof. Which side is the egg going to roll off?
Answer: Roosters don’t lay eggs. Now, try to solve this tricky “if I had four eggs” riddle.
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Elephant in the room
What is as big as an elephant, but weighs nothing at all?
Answer: The shadow of an elephant. If you can solve the secret word in this logic puzzle, you might be a genius.
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The walking dead
Walk on the living, they don’t even mumble. Walk on the dead, they mutter and grumble. What are they?
Answer: Leaves.
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Cool it down
What’s the coolest letter in the alphabet?
The letter B. It’s surrounded by AC. Thought that one was good? See if you can solve this tricky “how many letters are in the alphabet” riddle.
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Shhh
I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body but come alive with wind. What am I?
Answer: An echo.
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Stonefaced
Halo of water, tongue of wood, walls of stone, long as I stood. What am I?
Answer: A castle. Travel even further back in time and solve these 1950s brain teasers—this one is more like the 1450s.
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A tall order
What has roots as nobody sees, is taller than trees. Up, up, up it goes, and yet never grows?
Answer: A mountain.
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Dr. Strange
Three doctors said Robert is their brother. Robert says he has no brothers. Who is lying?
Answer: The doctors are Robert’s sisters.
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Give and take
What when needed is thrown away, when not needed is carried back?
Answer: An anchor.
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Winner’s/loser’s circle
What is it that no one wants, but no one wants to lose?
Answer: A lawsuit. Objection!—these brain teasers are guaranteed to leave you stumped.
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Roundabout response
The answer I give is yes, but what I mean is no. What was the question?
Answer: Do you mind?
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Trick o’ the letters
I am a word of five letters and people eat me. If you remove the first letter, I become a form of energy. Remove the first two and I’m needed to live. Scramble the last three and you can drink me. What am I?
Answer: Wheat, heat, eat, tea
Originally Published: December 01, 2020
Jen McCaffery
Jen McCaffery covers money, tech, products, health and safety for Reader's Digest and other publications and websites. When she’s not writing or editing, she’s growing veggies or trying to figure out the way home from assorted trails.
Caroline Fanning
Caroline joinedReader’s Digestas an editorial intern in 2017 and has since risen through the ranks to editor. The RD List, "We Found a Fix" column and "Nicest Places in America" series are her dearest darlings. There is someone walking around Washington State with one of her stories tattooed on their bicep—her crowning achievement. She graduated from Stockton University in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in 2017 and currently lives and will likely expire in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Stylist: Kelsey McArdle
