Word and letter riddles

Here you will find interesting and fun letter riddles, sayings and puzzles of all kinds. To solve the puzzles, you have to let your imagination run wild and see beyond logic to find the correct answer!

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From a word of 5 letters, take 2 letters and have 1?

Category: Letter RiddlesTopics: Word

I am the biggest alphabet, as I contain the most water in the world. Who am I?

Category: Letter Riddles, Who Am ITopics: Water

I’m in you,
But not in him,
I go up,
But not down,
I’m in the colosseum,
But not a tower,
I’m in a puzzle,
But not a riddle.

Category: Letter Riddles, Poem RiddlesTopics: Building

The beginning of eternity
The end of time and space
The beginning of every end,
And the end of every place.

Category: Classical riddles, Letter RiddlesTopics: Eternity, Space, Time

Tommy Tucker took two strings and tied two turtles to two tall trees. How many T’s in that?

Category: Animal Riddles, Letter RiddlesTopics: Turtle

What 4 days of the week start with the letter ‘t’?

Category: Letter Riddles, Riddles for KidsTopics: Time

What 5 letter word can have its last 4 letters removed and still sound the same?

Category: Letter RiddlesTopics: Sound

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What always ends everything?

Category: Letter RiddlesTopics: End

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

Category: Hard Riddles, Letter RiddlesTopics: Time

What do you call a bear without an ear?

Category: Animal Riddles, Letter RiddlesTopics: Bear

What is at the end of a rainbow?

Category: Letter RiddlesTopics: End, Rainbow

What letter is a drink?

Category: Letter RiddlesTopics: Drink

What letters express the most agreeable people in the world?

Category: Letter RiddlesTopics: People

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What occurs once in every minute, twice in every moment and yet never in a thousand years?

Category: Letter Riddles, Riddles for KidsTopics: Time

What occurs once in every minute, twice in every moment, but never in a thousand years?

Category: Letter RiddlesTopics: Time

What occurs twice in a week, once in a year but never in a day?

Category: Letter Riddles, Riddles for KidsTopics: Time

What seven letter word becomes longer when the third letter is removed?

Category: Letter RiddlesTopics: Word

What starts with “T”, ends with “T”, and is full of “T”?

Category: Letter RiddlesTopics: Kitchen

What word in the English Language is always spelled incorrectly?

Category: Letter RiddlesTopics: Word

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What’s a golfer’s favorite letter?

Category: Letter Riddles, Sporting RiddlesTopics: Golf

What’s at the end of Christmas?

Category: Holiday Riddles, Letter RiddlesTopics: Christmas, End

When did Chicago begin with a “C” and end with an “E”?

Category: Letter RiddlesTopics: City

Which letter of the alphabet has the most water?

Category: Letter RiddlesTopics: Water

Why is the letter A the most like a flower?

Category: Letter RiddlesTopics: Flower

Why is the letter E like London?

Category: Letter RiddlesTopics: City, Country

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Alphabet Riddles

I am a letter that buzzes around. Who am I? Which is the most watery letter? Which letter of the alphabet is very long? Read interesting alphabet riddles and share with your friends.

• I am a letter that buzzes around. Who am I?
• Which is the most watery letter of the alphabet?
• Which letter of the alphabet is very long?
• I am a letter of the alphabet, and I can be hot. Who am I?
• Which letter of the alphabet is standing right in front of you?
• Which letter of the alphabet is the silent member of the parliament?
• Which letter of the alphabet is dead in ‘dead’?
• Which letter of the alphabet is a part of your head?
• I am an odd number. If you take away one letter from me, I become even. Who am I?
• I am silent when you ask your doubts. Who am I?
• I am a letter. I can turn your story into a building. Who am I?
• I am letter at the end of a country’s name. If you take me away, the word becomes a body part. Who am I?
• Which letter is like a ring around your finger?
• Which letter of the alphabet wants to know the reasons all the time?

Answers

• The letter ‘B’. (bee)
• The letter ‘C’ (sea)
• The letter Q (queue)
• The letter ‘T’. (tea)
• The letter ‘U’ (you)
• The letter ‘i’. ‘i’ is not pronounced when we say ‘parliament’.
• The letter ‘a’. We do not pronounce ‘a’ when we say ‘dead’.
• The letter ‘I’. (eye)
• Seven
• The letter ‘b’. We do not pronounce ‘b’ when we say doubts.
• The letter ‘e’. We get storey when we add ‘e’ to story.
• The letter ‘a’ in China. (If you take away ‘a’ it becomes chin.)
• The letter O.
• The letter Y. (why)

Looking for letter riddles representative of every character in the alphabet? Look no further, we have compiled a comprehensive list of riddles related to letters here for your entertainment.

As you may already know, complex questions related to letters are exceptional tools for educators and parents teaching children about the alphabet. Not only do they help to explain the letters of the alphabet in many different ways, helping children to examine the concepts of a letter.

Letters have been of interest to humankind since our beginnings, according to some of the oldest recorded history. Many great examples of the older style of riddles about letters are in classical literature. One famous example of this is the «Exeter Riddles». This manuscript of medieval enigmas has baffled readers for ages and has a great deal of intriguing thoughts and questions about letters.

The letter ‘R’

Once in a YEAR

Twice in a month: FEBRUARY

Thrice in a week: SUNDAY, MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY

4-times in a day:

ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, TEN, ELEVEN, TWELVE {A.M.}

ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE, TEN, ELEVEN, TWELVE {P.M.}

Did you answer this riddle correctly?
YES  NO  

Can you come up with a cool, funny or clever Letter Riddles of your own? Post it below (without the answer) to see if you can stump our users.

1. Why did the letter A become a doctor? Because it wanted to be a vowel-n-ear.

2. What did the letter E say when it was given an award? «E-gads, I’m honored!»

3. How did the letter F become a superhero? It got bitten by a radioactive font and became «Boldman.»

4. Why did the letter G start a band? Because it wanted to be a major chord-inal.

5. What did the letter H say when it saw its reflection? «H-mirror-al.»

6. Why did the letter I become a teacher? So it could be dotted and crossed all day.

7. What did the letter J say to the letter K when they got into a argument? «Let’s just keep it lowercase.»

8. How did the letter L get in shape? It did letter-obics.

9. Why did the letter M break up with the letter N? Because it needed some space and didn’t want to be conso-n-ants.

10. What did the letter O say when it proposed to the letter P? «Let’s make a vowel pact.»

11. How did the letter Q become a detective? It had a keen eye for s-queezing out information.

12. Why did the letter R become an actor? Because it loved drama and roman-ce.

13. What did the letter S say when it saw the letter T in a suit? «You look very pro-fessio-n-al.»

14. Why did the letter U become a chef? So it could make its famous Unagi Roll call.

15. What did the letter V say to the letter W when it was feeling down? «You’re worth v-eight in gold to me».

16. How did the letter X become a ninja? It took a letter-opener course.

17. Why did the letter Y become a banker? So it could be a currency-a-nalyst.

18. What did the letter Z say when it was feeling adventurous? «I’m going to zig and zag my way through life!»

19. How did the letter A become a lawyer? It decided to go to the bar exam.

20. Why did the letter B become a spy? Because it was excellent at keeping secrets under its bel-t.

21. What did the letter C say when it saw its crush? «I’m in lo-c with you.»

22. Why did the letter D become a firefighter? It liked putting out the heat of difficult situations.

23. What did the letter E say when it discovered it had a secret admirer? «E-ma-zing!»

24. How did the letter F become a racecar driver? It was a fast f-learner.

25. Why did the letter G start a gardening business? Because it loved to see things growing g-reen.

26. What did the letter H say when it went on a shopping spree? «H-my gosh, I spent too much money!»

27. Why did the letter I become a magician? It wanted to be dotted out of sight.

28. What did the letter J say when it got a new haircut? «J-cut it myself!»

29. How did the letter K become a fashion icon? It became known for its k-outure.

30. Why did the letter L become a singer? It had a lovely lyrical vo-well.

31. What did the letter M say when it went skydiving? «M-my heart is racing.»

32. Why did the letter N become a daredevil? It loved to live on the edge of n-ormalcy.

33. What did the letter O say when it went to a circus? «O-my goodness, this is impressive!»

34. How did the letter P become a photographer? It had a p-icture-perfect eye.

35. Why did the letter Q start a fashion blog? It was always looking for a new way to q-outfit people.

36. What did the letter R say when it won an award? «R-thankful for this recognition!»

37. Why did the letter S become a painter? It wanted to brush up on its skills.

38. What did the letter T say when it visited Paris? «T-res magnifique!»

39. How did the letter U become a musical conductor? It was an expert at unifying sound.

40. Why did the letter V become an astronaut? It wanted to take a v-oyage to outer space.

41. What did the letter W say when it went bungee jumping? «W-hooo!»

42. Why did the letter X become a math teacher? It had x-pert knowledge in the field.

43. What did the letter Y say when it succeeded at something challenging? «Y-eah, I did it!»

44. Why did the letter Z become a comedian? It had a z-any sense of humor.

45. What did the letter A say when it went on a roller coaster? «A-mazing!»

46. How did the letter B become a DJ? It was good at spinning b-eats.

47. Why did the letter C become a boat captain? It liked navigating the c-sea.

48. What did the letter D say when it went on a roller skating rink? «D-lightful!»

49. Why did the letter E become a jungle explorer? It wanted to go into the e-xotic.

50. What did the letter F say when it got a new phone? «F-abulous!»

Answer

N and D. These are initials of the months in a year.

Answer

A comb. Rhonda likes words with silent letters, like her name.

Answer

The numbers are those of the months whose first letters spell out ‘Mason’.

Answer

He write: The time will pass soon. If you read this line in happy times, you will be sad because you would want the happy time to last forever. If you read it in sad times, you will feel happy, as you will feel optimistic about the future.

Answer

Chathuringmes (It is a technical word for worms)

Answer

A. They are guitar chords.

Answer

S. One Two Three Four Five Six (Seven is next).

Answer

Envelope. Eye is a potential alternative. When spoken out loud it sounds like a single letter (I).

Answer

What has 4 letters. Sometimes has 9 letters. Never has 5 letters.

Answer

The letter ‘T’ (T)emporary and Permanen(t)

Answer

The «State Without An A» is a tricky riddle. At the first place, many of you will start saying Ohio, New Jersey, New York, and more state names that does not have a letter «A» in it. But if you read the understand the riddle correctly, it says: State Without An A, this means that we have to remove the letter A from the word State. So after removing the letter A, we get Stte.

Answer

The correct answer is T-H-A-T.

Answer

The appropriate response is 1 on the grounds that there is just 1 letter S in the word Sentence. We won’t include all the letter S in the entire sentence.

Answer

E ( in word end d is in the end and e in the beginning)

With the possible choices being «G», «H», «I», and «J».

Answer

Though «G» happens to be the seventh letter in alphabetic order, the answer is NOT «G», The actual answer to this question is «H», which is the 7th letter within the words «the alphabet».

Hint

Read the question carefully and understand it.

Answer

I am the letter I The first Image is Gift and the Second image is confetti. Given: I am second in the first one, and at the end of the second one, shown in the visuals. The letter ‘I’ is second in the word Gift and the letter ‘I’ is at the end of the word Confetti. Hence, The letter ‘I’ is the required answer.

Answer

Because E is the capital of England

Answer

Chicago always began with “C” and END always began with “E”.

Answer

QUEUE, remove UEUE, say Q. Q and queue are pronounced the same.

Word riddles aren’t just fun to solve—they help us to exercise creative thinking. The magic of word riddles lies in how well you can describe everyday objects. These riddles are a great way to stimulate minds, both for adults and kids. When it comes to children, word riddles can help expand their perspectives. When presented with a unique way to describe things, they will learn to broaden their horizons.

We’ve put together a collection of 30 word riddles that you can enjoy with your friends and family. Use them as an activity for your students in school, or try them out at home. We’re sure you’ll have everyone laughing and learning in no time!

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Treat Yourself to Game Night

Word riddles are fantastic learning tools, but did you know that game nights are also fun and educational? It’s true! They help kids to develop social skills. Let’s be real, though, game nights are super fun and that’s the main reason we love them. Let’s Roam provided all of the tools you need for a virtual game night with family and friends all over the world. Our easy-to-use video interface allows up to 16 connections and you can choose from over 15 game options, from trivia to guessing games. For just one low monthly fee, you and yours can enjoy unlimited game nights every month. Try it today!

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1. Riddle: What has 18 legs and catches flies?
Answer: A baseball team.

2. Riddle: The poor have me; the rich need me. Eat me and you will die. What am I?
Answer: Nothing.

3. Riddle: What has 13 hearts but no other organs?
Answer: A deck of cards.

4. Riddle: Four jolly men sat down to play and played all night, ’til the break of day. They played for cash and not for fun, with a separate score for everyone. When it came time to square accounts, they’d all had made quite fair amounts. Not one had lost and all had gained, so tell me how. Can you explain?
Answer: The men were in a band.

5. Riddle: I have branches but no fruit, trunk, or leaves. What am I?
Answer: A bank.

6. Riddle: What word contains all of the twenty-six letters?
Answer: Alphabet.

7. Riddle: What do you get when you mix lemons with gun powder?
Answer: Lemonades.

8. Riddle: What is the longest word in the English language?
Answer: Smiles – Because there’s a ‘mile’ between the two S’s

9. Riddle: What five-letter word can be read the same upside down or right side up?
Answer: Swims.

10. Riddle: Which word in the dictionary is spelled incorrectly?
Answer: Incorrectly.

Want more? Our ultimate list of riddles will up your guessing game!

11. Riddle: You are walking down a road and come to a fork. One path leads to certain death; the other leads to eternal happiness. You don’t know which is which. In the middle of the fork, you come across two brothers who know which road is which. One brother always tells the truth and the other always lies. You can only ask them one question. How would you determine which road to take?
Answer: Ask each brother, “if you were your brother, which road would you say leads to eternal happiness?” Both brothers should give you the same answer. You would take the opposite path.

12. Riddle: What has a head and a tail, but no body or legs?
Answer: A coin.

13. Riddle: What color can you eat?
Answer: Orange.

14. Riddle: What do you call a three-humped camel?
Answer: Pregnant.

15. Riddle: Which word is the odd one out—stun, ton, evil, letter, mood, bad, snap, straw?
Answer: Letter. If you read each word backward, letter is the only one that does not make another valid word.

16. Riddle: I am a solitary word, 5 letters long. Behead me once, I am the same. Behead me again, I am still the same.
Answer: Alone

17. Riddle: What is one thing that all wise men, regardless of their politics or religion, have to agree is between heaven and earth?
Answer: The word “and.”

18. Riddle: Which is correct to say: “the yolk of the egg are white” or “the yolk of the egg is white?”
Answer: Neither! Yolks are yellow.

19. Riddle: What has many words but never speaks?
Answer: A book.

20. Riddle: You’ll often find us on a line. When we’re together, it’s a crime. What are we?
Answer: Crows. A group of crows is called a “murder.”

So many word riddles! We’ve also got math riddles for the number lovers.

21. Riddle: If I am holding a bee, what do I have in my eye?
Answer: Beauty. Beauty is in the eye of the bee-holder.

22. Riddle: They come at night without being called and are lost in the day without being stolen. What are they?
Answer: Stars.

23. Riddle: What word, describing a job title, has three consecutive double letters?
Answer: Bookkeeper

24. Riddle: I touch the earth and I touch the sky, but if I touch you, you’ll likely die. What am I?
Answer: Lightning.

25. Riddle: If there are five apples and you take away three, how many apples do you have?
Answer: Three.

26. Riddle: What four-letter word can be written forward, backward or upside down, and can still be read from left to right?
Answer: NOON.

27. Riddle: I am lighter than air, but a hundred people cannot lift me—I’m too fragile. What am I?
Answer: A bubble.

28. Riddle: You throw away the outside and cook the inside. Then you eat the outside and throw away the inside. What did you eat?
Answer: An ear of corn.

29. Riddle: Pronounced as one letter and written with three, two letters there are and two only in me. I’m double. I’m single. I’m black, blue, and gray. I’m read from both ends, but the same either way. What am I?
Answer: Eye.

30. Riddle: If you throw me out the window, you’ll leave a grieving wife, but drop me in the middle of a door, and you might just save a life. What am I?
Answer: The letter N.

If you’re looking for more suggestions, try our ultimate list of 150 riddles.

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Which of our word riddles got you thinking? Do you have any favorite riddles? Shout them out in the comments section!

We have lots of fun ideas for children, including family-friendly scratch-off adventures, indoor activities for kids to enjoy on a rainy day, hilariously bad dad jokes, and crafts for kids inspired by nature.

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Frequently Asked Questions

На лугу пасутся ко…cows. Нет, не cows! Помните такую загадку из детства? Конечно, мы немного изменили ее, но наверняка вы узнали этот старый стишок про «Пейте дети молоко». Много ли загадок всплывет в вашей памяти сейчас? А на английском языке знаете какие-нибудь? Если нет — не беда. Ведь сейчас мы поговорим именно о них.   

Загадки на английском полезны как детям, так и начинающим изучать язык взрослым. Они помогут выучить не только новые слова, но и много синонимов и простых описаний предметов и явлений. Ведь для того, чтобы разгадать загадку, нужно перво-наперво понять ее смысл и суть.

В этой статье вы найдете интересные загадки для детей на английском языке, а также стихотворные загадки и головоломки для взрослых. Все английские загадки, конечно же, с ответами и переводом на русский.

Русскую «загадку» на английский можно перевести по-разному в зависимости от контекста. Классический вариант перевода слова «загадка» на английский — это riddle или puzzle. Riddle — самое близкое по значению к русскому понятию «загадки». Именно riddles называются загадки для детей в стихах, каверзные вопросы и задачки на логику. Еще слово riddle употребляется, когда хотят сказать, что кто-то «говорит загадками» (speaks in riddles).

Второе слово — это Puzzle. Оно вам уж точно должно быть знакомо, ведь именно так называется наш ресурс Puzzle English, где мы обучаем английскому языку в нескучной форме. Так вот, puzzle в широком понимании — это по-английски загадка или головоломка в классическом ее понимании. Также это слово должно быть хорошо нам знакомо по настольной игре, где нужно собрать цельную картину из кусочков. Если же речь идет о какой-то старой тайне или чем-то загадочном — то лучше использовать слово secret (секрет).

Иногда для аналога русской загадки в английском языке можно встретить слово brainteaser, самый близкий перевод которого будет «дразнилка для мозгов».

Есть еще несколько слов, которые в зависимости от места употребления можно перевести как «загадка» — это crux и enigma. Crux — это скорее трудная неразрешимая задача, которую необходимо «взломать». Поэтичное слово enigma, произошедшее от древнегреческого «загадка», употребляется довольно редко, но получило широкое распространение благодаря шифровальной машине «Энигма», созданной в начале XX века и одноименной музыкальной группе.

Английские загадки

Все загадки можно разделить на несколько основных категорий:

• Animal riddles (загадки про животных)
• Classic riddles (классические загадки)
• Kids riddles (детские загадки)
• Letter riddles (загадки о буквах)
• Word riddles (загадки про слова)
• Work riddles (загадки о работе)
• Ridiculous riddles (нелепые загадки)
• Paradox riddles (нелогичные загадки)

И если с детскими загадками или загадками о животных все более-менее понятно, то как выглядят другие типы загадок? Рассказываем подробнее:

Letter riddles (загадки про буквы) основаны на созвучии некоторых слов и букв алфавита. Например: Which letter is a hot drink? (Какая буква алфавита является горячим напитком?). Ответом будет буква T, потому что звучит как слово tea (чай).

Word riddles (загадки про слова). Эта загадка на английском языке основана на игре слов. Например: What kind of clothes do lawyers wear? (Какую одежду носят адвокаты?) Ответ: Lawsuits (law переводится как «закон», suit как «костюм», а вот lawsuit – уже как «судебное дело»).

Ridiculous riddles (нелепые загадки) прекрасны в своем безумии. Зачастую их сложно понять тем, кто не является носителем языка, ведь они основаны именно на созвучии слов. Например: What kind of can never needs a can opener? (Какой жестяной банке не нужна открывашка?) Как ни странно, но ответом будет «пеликан» — pelican. Смысл в том, что can — это жестяная банка, и это слово «спрятано» в названии птицы.

Paradox riddles (нелогичные загадки). Их объяснить не носителю языка еще сложнее, чем ridiculous riddles. Для тех, кто интересуется загадками, это уже «прокачанный» уровень. Например: How is seasickness like an auction? (Чем схожи морская болезнь и аукцион?) Ответ довольно длинный: one is the effects of a sail and the other is a sale of effects (Одно — влияние плавания, другое — продажа имущества). Загадка строится на созвучии слов sail и sale, а также различных значениях слова effects.

А теперь давайте перейдем к самому интересному, а именно, к самим загадкам на английском языке с переводом! Постарайтесь разгадать их самостоятельно, прежде чем смотреть перевод и ответ.

Детские загадки про животных

Чтобы ребенку было проще выучить слова, лучше, чтобы ответ рифмовался с текстом самой загадки. Больше всего таких стишков именно о животном мире. Попробуйте загадать следующие загадки на английском для детей:

A lot of spots.
A long, long neck
A funny scarf
It’s…a giraffe.

Много пятнышек,
Длинная-предлинная шея.
Забавный шарф.
Это … жираф.

Green and long
With many teeth.
Beautiful smile —
It’s…a crocodile.  

Зеленый и длинный,
Много зубов,
Красивая улыбка –
Это…крокодил.

As red as fire,
With a fuzzy tale.
He likes long walks.
It is … a fox.

Рыжая, как огонь,
С пушистым хвостом,
Любит долгие прогулки.
Это…лиса.

Lives in seas and rivers.
His hands are like two pincers.
As round as a cab.
Who is it? — It’s…a crab.  

Живет он в реках и морях.
Вместо рук — клешни.
Круглый, как кабина.
Кто это? — Это…краб.

So colorful and bright,
Is fond of talking much.
Likes eating carrot
It is…a parrot.

Очень яркий и цветной,
Очень много говорит.
Любит есть морковку
Это…попугай.

A very long nose.
It grows and grows.
Не is huge and likes fun.
It is…an elephant.

Очень длинный, длинный нос,
Все растет и растет.
Сам огромный и любит веселье
Это…слон.

Также, популярны загадки не только в стихотворной форме, но и «угадай, кто я», когда перечисляются основные признаки животного:

I’m a pet that has four legs
And a tail at the end  
You might hear me barking  
And I’m known as man’s best friend  

Я домашнее животное с четырьмя ногами  
И хвостом на конце
Вы можете услышать, как я лаю,
И я известен как лучший друг человека

Ответ: dog (собака)

I am a pet.  
I like mice.  
I have nine lives.  
I purr and meow.  

Я домашнее животное.  
Я люблю мышей.  
У меня девять жизней.  
Я мурлычу и мяукаю.

Ответ: cat (кот)

I live in the house.  
I eat everything.  
I am small and grey.  
Cats eat me.  

Я живу в доме.  
Я ем все.  
Я маленькая и серая.  
Кошки едят меня.

Ответ: mouse (мышь)

Загадки о природе и явлениях

Следующие загадки тоже в стихах, но уже посложнее:

I am purple, yellow, red, and green

The King cannot reach me and neither can the Queen

I show my colours after the rain

And only when the sun comes out again

Я фиолетовая, желтая, красная и зеленая

Меня не могут достать ни король, ни королева.

Я открываю свои цвета после дождя

И только тогда, когда выйдет солнце.

Ответ: rainbow (радуга)

I fly, yet I have no wings
I cry, yet I have no eyes
Darkness follows me
Lower light I never see

Я летаю, хотя у меня нет крыльев
Я плачу, хотя у меня нет глаз
Темнота следует за мной
Свет внизу я никогда не вижу

Ответ: cloud (туча, облако)

I am always hungry,
I must always be fed,
The finger I touch,
Will soon turn red

Я всегда голоден
Я всегда должен быть накормлен
Палец, до которого я дотронусь
Вскоре покраснеет

Ответ: fire (огонь)

Always runs but never walks,
Often murmurs, never talks
Has a bed but never sleeps,
Has a mouth but never eats?

Всегда бежит, но никогда не ходит
Часто бормочет, никогда не говорит
Имеет ложе, но никогда не спит
Имеет уста, но никогда не ест

Ответ: river (река)

All about, but cannot be seen,

Can be captured, cannot be held,

No throat, but can be heard.

Повсюду, но невидим

Можно поймать, но не удержать

Без горла, но может быть услышан

Ответ: wind (ветер)

Lighter than what I am made of,
More of me is hidden
Than is seen.

Легче чем то, из чего я сделан.
Большая часть меня скрыта,
а меньшая видна.

Ответ: iceberg (айсберг)

Простые загадки о предметах и еде

I am round like an apple
Flat as a chip
I have eyes
But I can’t see one bit

Я круглая как яблоко
Плоская как фишка
У меня есть глаза,
Но я не могу видеть

Ответ: button (пуговица)

I am a short stick
I am soft
I can be white or coloured
You can write with me on the blackboard

Я короткая палка
Я мягкий
Я могу быть белым или цветным
Вы можете писать мной на доске.

Ответ: chalk (мел)

Look at my face and you see somebody
Look at my back and you see nobody

Посмотри на мое лицо и увидишь кого-то
Посмотри на спину и не увидишь никого

Ответ: mirror (зеркало)

What flares up quickly and does some good
But a moment later, it’s just a small piece of wood?

Что вспыхивает быстро, хорошо горя,
Но становится куском деревяшки моментом спустя?

Ответ: match (спичка)

Немало загадок и о фруктах и овощах:

I am a yellow fruit  
That you might eat at lunch  
When there’s a group of me  
We are known as a bunch  

Я желтый фрукт,  
Который можно съесть на обед
Когда меня несколько,  
Нас называют связкой.

Ответ: banana (банан)

Rabbits like to eat me  
When I grow in a field  
This orange vegetable  
Tastes best when it is peeled

Кролики любят есть меня,  
Когда я расту в поле
Это оранжевый овощ,
Который вкуснее, если его почистить  

Ответ: carrot (морковь)

I’m red and have seeds  
And I am also round  
Sliced up in salads  
Is where I can be found  

Я красный и с семенами,
Также, я круглый,  
Меня нарезают в салаты,  
Там меня и можно найти

Ответ: tomato (помидор)

Clean, but not water,
White, but not snow,
Sweet, but not ice-cream,
What is it?

Чист, но не вода
Белый, но не снег
Сладкий, но не мороженое
Что это?

Ответ: sugar (сахар)

I’m something that is sticky  
I’m something that is sweet
I’m made by more than one bee  
I’m something that you eat  

Я что-то липкое,  
Я что-то сладкое,  
Я сделан не одной пчелой
Я что-то, что вы едите

Ответ: honey (мед)

Загадки на логику и вопросы с подвохом

А вот эти загадки-вопросы на логику будут уже посложнее и подойдут, скорее, взрослым. В них вам не просто нужно угадать предмет или явление, о котором идет речь, как в детских стишках, а вслушаться в саму суть загадки и найти оригинальный ответ.

Такие загадки «с подвохом» можно часто услышать в компании друзей, а иногда их задают соискателям на собеседовании, чтобы проверить на логику. Возьмите несколько на вооружение и загадайте их иностранцу при удобном случае.

What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?

Что может путешествовать по свету, оставаясь в углу?

Ответ: stamp (почтовая марка)

Who succeeded the first President?

Кто сменил первого президента?

Ответ: second President (второй президент)

What comes down but never goes up?

Что идет вниз, но никогда не идет наверх?

Ответ: rain (дождь)

What has a neck but no head?

У чего есть шея, но нет головы?

Ответ: bottle (бутылка)

Who walks on 4 legs in the morning, 2 legs in the afternoon, and 3 legs in the evening?

Кто ходит на 4 ногах утром, 2 ногах днем и 3 вечером?

Ответ: man (человек: в детстве ползает, в молодости ходит, в старости — ходит с тростью)

What has to be broken before you can use it?

Что нужно разбить, перед тем, как использовать?

Ответ: egg (яйцо)

A farmer has 17 sheep and all but nine die. How many are left?

У фермера было 17 овец, но все, кроме девяти, умирают. Сколько овец осталось?

Ответ: nine (девять)

What flies when it’s born, lies when it’s alive, and runs when it’s dead?

Что летает, когда родится, лежит, когда живет и бежит, когда умрет?

Ответ: snowflake (снежинка)

What invention lets you look right through a wall?

Какое изобретение позволяет смотреть сквозь стены?

Ответ: window (окно)

What is at the end of a rainbow?

Что находится в конце радуги?

Ответ: w (буква w)

What always ends everything?

Чем все всегда заканчивается?

Ответ: g (буква g)

What teaches without talking?

Что учит без разговоров?

Ответ: book (книга)

What do you throw out when you want to use it, but take in when you don’t want to use it?

Что вы выбрасываете, когда хотите использовать и возвращаете, когда не хотите этим пользоваться?

Ответ: anchor (якорь)

The more you have of it, the less you see. What is it?

Чем больше этого есть, тем меньше ты видишь. Что это?

Ответ: darkness (темнота)

What two things you can never eat for breakfast?

Какие две вещи ты никогда не съешь на завтрак?

Ответ: lunch and dinner (обед и ужин)

What belongs to you but others use it more than you do?

Что принадлежит тебе, но другие пользуются этим чаще тебя?

Ответ: name (имя)

По большей части, английские riddles — это проявление британского юмора и скорее анекдоты, чем привычные нам загадки. Так что, загадав одну из таких шуточных загадок в компании, можно легко расположить к себе носителей языка.