Brain Teaser: Solve 20 Riddles In One Minute

Solving tricky riddles is always fun. Riddles are language brain teasers that jolt the mind to get the answer.

They range from easy to tough brain-busters, some can make you scratch your head. Following are 20 such riddles that can help you to do your brain exercise for today. The answers are given at the end.

1. I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody, but I come alive with the wind. What am I?

Hint: This riddle plays on the idea of ears and a mouth, with a subtle clue related to wind.

2. 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.

Hint: This one tricks with details from every angle, but the hint is at the end wind. What does wind threaten the most?

3. I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?

Hint: This one is confusing by forcing the player to focus on the missing things while the focus should be on something inanimate.

4. What is seen in the middle of March and April that can't be seen at the beginning or end of either month?

Hint: This is diverting the attention to weather and holidays, something related to the calendar. While it's just about the alphabet.

5. What English word has three consecutive double letters?

Hint: This one may make you think about all the fancy words but the word is used daily. First, think of words with double vowels and wrack your brain.

6. You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk, but when you look again you don't see a single person on the boat. Why?

Hint: In this, logical thinking is not needed. Rather focus on the word "single" and relate it with other meanings.

7. 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?

Hint: Think about one such word that holds all the mentioned characteristics.

8. A woman shoots her husband and then holds him underwater for five minutes. Next, she hangs him. Right after, they enjoy a lovely dinner. Explain.

Hint: Pay attention to the verb, "shoot" and think what else you can shoot besides a gun.

9. I come from a mine and get surrounded by wood always. Everyone uses me. What am I?

Hint: Before you jump on to answer diamond or anything like that. Pay attention to the word wood. That's the biggest hint in this puzzle.

10. 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?

Hint: Keep it simple. Count the sisters and brothers in total and in terms of their own number of siblings.

11. How can the number four be half of five?

Hint: This is a perfect example of good wordplay. Before you take out a notepad to solve it, just Think literally and the answer may appear right before your eyes.

12. I have keys, but no locks and space, and no rooms. You can enter, but you can't go outside. What am I?

Hint: This one may distract the player by focusing on space, rooms, enter and leave. But there is only one word, "keys" that can help to crack it.

13. How many letters are in "the alphabet"?

Hint: Take it slow before answering the by-heart learned answer. Re-read it.

14. This belongs to you, but everyone else uses it.

Hint: Use critical thinking to solve this one.

15. A is the brother of B. B is the brother of C. C is the father of D. So how is A related to D?

Hint: This puzzles on blood relations require the solver to follow the orders. Make a family tree in your mind and you will be able to solve it within seconds.

16. First, think of the colour of the clouds. Next, think of the colour of the snow. Now, think of the colour of a bright full moon. Now answer quickly what do cows drink?

Hint: Do not connect the dots with colour. The big hint is in the last line. What does a cow drink?

17. How is seven different from the rest of the numbers between one and ten?

Hint: Avoid thinking about math altogether and think about the literal quality of the words that signify the numbers.

18. First you eat me, then you get eaten. What am I?

Hint: Again, clear your head and keep it simple. Ask yourself who or what the "you" is.

19. What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?

Hint: It doesn't involve mathematics. Re-read it and the answer will be before your eyes.

20. Which word in the dictionary is always spelled incorrectly?

Hint: No need to make it complex. In this case, too, the answer is in the question.

Answers:
1. Wind
2. Candle
3. Map
4. The letter "R."
5. Bookkeeper
6. All the people were married.
7. Heroine
8. She took a picture of him and developed it in her darkroom.
9. Pencil
10. Four sisters and three brothers.
11. IV, the Roman numeral for four, which is "half" (two letters) of the word five.
12. Keyboard
13. There are 11 letters in the words "the alphabet."
14. Your name.
15. A is D's uncle.
16. Water
17. Seven has two syllables and the other numbers only have one syllable.
18. Fishbook
19. The letter "M."
20. Incorrectly.

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