Riddles in English with answers
These riddles in English come with answers and are written for Indian kids, students, teachers and families who enjoy a good brain workout. You will find 50 riddles, from easy ones about pens and bicycles to nature riddles, tricky word riddles and a special set of Hindi paheliyan retold in English.
There is also a short section of paheliyan in Hindi written in English letters, perfect for anyone who speaks Hindi but reads Roman script more easily. Read each riddle aloud, give everyone a minute to think, and then tap Show answer.
Easy riddles in English with answers
Riddle 1
I wear a cap but have no head. Click my back and I write in blue or red. What am I?
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A penRiddle 2
I have keys but open no locks, and a space bar but no room. What am I?
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A keyboardRiddle 3
A little stick of coloured wax, I help children fill in pictures and I melt if left in the sun. What am I?
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A crayonRiddle 4
Guests press my button at the gate and I sing a little tune to tell you someone is here. What am I?
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A doorbellRiddle 5
My neck is a hook and my shoulders are wide. I hold your shirt in the cupboard so it stays neat. What am I?
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A coat hangerRiddle 6
I lie at the front door all day and let everyone wipe their feet on me. What am I?
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A doormatRiddle 7
Push my button and a beam of light jumps out to help you find the stairs in a power cut. What am I?
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A torch (flashlight)Riddle 8
Two wheels, a bell and a chain, and I only move when your legs do the work. What am I?
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A bicycleRiddle 9
Four legs and a flat back, I hold your plate at dinner but never get a bite. What am I?
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A tableRiddle 10
The more people I am shared with, the less of me there is. Friends whisper me behind their hands. What am I?
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A secret
Everyday object riddles in English
Riddle 11
I have no brain but I multiply faster than any student, and most maths exams keep me out. What am I?
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A calculatorRiddle 12
Rows of tiny teeth lock together when you pull me, closing your bag and your jacket. What am I?
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A zip (zipper)Riddle 13
Packed every morning, I ride to school in your bag and come home empty if you were hungry. What am I?
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A lunchbox (tiffin box)Riddle 14
Each time you write with me I get a little shorter, and a sharpener keeps me going. What am I?
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A pencilRiddle 15
My screen wakes you up, takes your photos and buzzes in your pocket. What am I?
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A mobile phoneRiddle 16
Every face that looks at me gets copied, yet I never say a word. What am I?
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A mirrorRiddle 17
Made of metal with a curved shackle, I keep gates and cycles safe and open only for my own key. What am I?
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A padlockRiddle 18
A handle, a spout and a whistle when the water is hot. What am I?
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A kettleRiddle 19
Inside me milk stays cold and butter stays hard, and a light comes on every time you open me. What am I?
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A fridgeRiddle 20
I have pages but I am not a book. You tear one of my pages off every day. What am I?
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A tear-off calendar
Nature and animal riddles in English
Riddle 21
I carry my baby in a pouch and hop across the land on two strong legs. What am I?
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A kangarooRiddle 22
I hang upside down from a branch all day and move so slowly that green algae grows in my fur. What am I?
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A slothRiddle 23
Orange with black stripes, I am the national animal of India. What am I?
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A tigerRiddle 24
When the monsoon clouds arrive I dance and spread my blue-green fan of feathers. What am I?
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A peacockRiddle 25
I drop from the sky as hard white balls that bounce and rattle on tin roofs. What am I?
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HailstonesRiddle 26
Seven colours in a curve, I appear only when sunshine and rain meet. What am I?
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A rainbowRiddle 27
I rise with no legs and set without sleeping, and roosters call for me every morning. What am I?
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The sunRiddle 28
Born in muddy ponds yet always clean, I am the national flower of India. What am I?
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The lotusRiddle 29
Four clear wings and big round eyes, I zip above the pond and catch mosquitoes in the air. What am I?
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A dragonflyRiddle 30
I have a trunk but carry no luggage, and I am not a tree. What am I?
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An elephant
Hindi paheliyan in English with answers
Riddle 31
Green outside, red inside, black seeds hiding in every summer slice. What am I?
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Watermelon (tarbooz)Riddle 32
A king with a crown of spiky leaves and a skin full of eyes, sweet and sour inside. What am I?
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Pineapple (ananas)Riddle 33
Pull my green hair and an orange body comes out of the soil. What am I?
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Carrot (gajar)Riddle 34
A white house with no door. Break the wall and a yellow sun comes out. What am I?
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An egg (anda)Riddle 35
Little green round friends sit in a row inside a pod, waiting to be shelled. What are we?
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Peas (matar)Riddle 36
Small white cloves huddle together in one bundle, and my smell is strong enough to clear a room. What am I?
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Garlic (lahsun)Riddle 37
King of summer fruits, yellow and juicy, and every family argues over which of my varieties is best. What am I?
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Mango (aam)Riddle 38
Green, bumpy and bitter, children hide me under their roti. What am I?
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Bitter gourd (karela)Riddle 39
Long and green, I am named after a lady's fingers, yet I have no hand. What am I?
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Okra (bhindi)Riddle 40
Purple king of the sabzi cart with shiny skin and a green cap, roasted to make bharta. What am I?
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Brinjal (baingan)
Paheliyan in Hindi but written in English
Riddle 41
Laal laal gol gol, pet mein beej anmol, sabzi mein bhi, salad mein bhi, ketchup mein mera mol.
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Tamatar (tomato)Riddle 42
Din mein chhupe, raat ko aaye, kaan mein gaaye, khoon le jaaye.
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Machhar (mosquito)Riddle 43
Chaar taang par khadi rahoon, chal na paaun ek kadam, thak ke aao toh baith jao, door karoon sab gham.
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Kursi (chair)Riddle 44
Subah subah aati hoon, akhbaar ke saath, papa ke haath mein garam garam, cup mein meri baat.
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Chai (tea)Riddle 45
Chhota sa kaala daana, khaana uske bina pheeka, mummy daale tadke mein, phat phat kare woh teekha.
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Rai (mustard seeds)
Hard riddles in English
Riddle 46
People crack me at dinner, play me on friends in April and laugh when I land well. What am I?
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A jokeRiddle 47
Take away my first letter and I am still by myself. Take away the next one and I am a number. What word am I?
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Alone (lone, one)Alone minus A is lone, which still means by yourself. Lone minus L is one.
Riddle 48
Spell me forwards and I sit on the stove. Spell me backwards and I am the highest point. What word am I?
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PotPot is a cooking vessel, and pot spelled backwards is top.
Riddle 49
Multiply me by any number you like and the answer is always me. What number am I?
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ZeroAny number multiplied by 0 gives 0.
Riddle 50
Spell me backwards and I become a prize. Pull me open and you find your socks. What am I?
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A drawerDRAWER spelled backwards is REWARD, and a drawer is where socks are kept.
Riddles in English: images to share
Save any card and share it. The answer is printed upside down at the bottom of each card.
How to use these riddles
Use these English riddles as a warm-up at the start of an English class, a quick game at a birthday party, or a car journey challenge with kids. Teachers can pick one riddle a day and write it on the board, and students who solve it get to share the next one. The Hindi paheliyan in English are great for bilingual classrooms because children can match the English clue to the Hindi word in brackets.
To solve a riddle, read every line as a separate clue. Ask yourself what shape, colour or job is being described, and whether a word is being used in a second meaning, like the trunk of an elephant or the eye of a needle. If you are stuck, list a few everyday objects and test each one against all the clues.
Tips
- Read the whole riddle twice before guessing, because the last line usually holds the strongest clue.
- Watch for words with two meanings, such as cap, neck, eye and trunk.
- For younger children, say the Hindi answer word as a hint when they cannot get the English one.
More riddles and puzzles
Questions people ask
What are some easy riddles in English for kids?
Simple object riddles work best for kids, such as the pen with a cap but no head, or the doorbell that sings a tune at the gate. They describe things children use every day, so the answer feels fair once it is revealed.
What is paheli in English?
Paheli is the Hindi word for a riddle. A paheliyan page in English simply means Hindi style riddles written or translated into English, often with the Hindi answer word given in brackets.
Can I read Hindi paheliyan written in English letters?
Yes, the Hinglish section on this page has paheliyan in Hindi written in Roman script, like Laal laal gol gol for tomato. They keep the Hindi rhyme while being easy to read for anyone used to English letters.
How do I solve riddles in English faster?
Look for double meanings first, because many English riddles hide the answer in a word like trunk, key or neck. Then check that your answer fits every single clue, not just the first one.
Are these English riddles good for school?
Yes, every riddle here is clean and suitable for classes 1 to 8. Teachers often use them to build vocabulary, since each riddle introduces describing words and words with two meanings.
Every riddle on this page is written and checked by the Paheli World team. How we make our riddles.