84 Viral Riddles With Answers
These are the riddles that go round: the ones that arrive in a group chat with "90% of people get this wrong" attached, start an argument, and never quite get resolved because nobody posts the answer.
Here they are with the answers. Where a viral riddle is genuinely ambiguous - and several of the famous ones are - the explanation says so and gives both readings, which is usually what the argument was about in the first place.
I am a bird, I am a fruit and I am a person. What am I?
'Kiwi' refers to a flightless New Zealand bird, a fuzzy brown fruit, and informally, a native of New Zealand -- all three at once.
What has hands but can not clap?
A clock has "hands," its pointers, but, lacking real arms, obviously can't clap them together.
What can you hold in your left hand and not in your right?
Physically, you can grasp your right elbow with your left hand, but your right hand can't hold itself.
Which eight-letter word still remains a word after removing each letter from it?
Removing one letter at a time from "starting" yields a chain of real words: starting → staring → string → sting → sing → sin → in → I.
What is the last thing you take off before bed?
The final physical action before getting into bed is lifting your feet off the floor, a literal rather than clothing-related answer.
Turn me on my side and I am everything. Cut me in half and I am nothing. What am I?
Turned sideways, the digit 8 becomes the infinity symbol (representing everything), while cut horizontally in half, it becomes two zeros (nothing).
What does a rich man needs that a poor man has?
Read the riddle literally: there is no actual object a poor man has that a rich man needs.
What type of bow can never be tied?
A rainbow's arc is called a 'bow,' but unlike a shoelace or ribbon bow, it can never physically be tied.
I know a word of letters three, add two and fewer there will be?
The three-letter word 'few' becomes 'fewer' (five letters, two more) when you add 'er,' and 'fewer' means a smaller quantity -- matching the riddle's own wordplay.
A plane crashed on the border or US and Canada. Where do they bury the survivors?
Survivors, by definition, are still alive and therefore aren't buried at all.
What flies when it's born lies when it's alive and runs when it's dead?
A snowflake flies through the air as it falls, lies still once it lands, and "runs" (melts and flows) once it dies.
What lives when it eats and dies when it drinks?
Fire 'eats' fuel to keep burning but is put out ('dies') the moment it 'drinks' water. (Source key spelled this 'fre' too, the same dropped-ligature OCR artifact for 'fire.')
A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?
Lions that haven't eaten in three years would have starved to death long before now, so the 'lion-filled' third room actually poses no danger at all.
123=0, 4235=0, 656=2, 5390=2, 8890=6, 1001=2, 19235=1. What is 123456789?
Each digit's value equals its number of closed loops (as in 0, 6, 8, and 9); among the digits 1 through 9, only 6, 8, and 9 have one loop each and 0 (not present here) has one too, so 123456789 totals 4 closed loops overall.
I am the reason you run. I am the reason you scream. I am the cause of your pain. I am a cage from which you will never be free.
Your body drives you to run from danger, to scream in fear or pain, and to suffer physically - a 'cage' you can never truly escape while alive.
What is far behind us, and can be seen without looking at it?
The past is behind you chronologically, yet it can be vividly recalled in memory without needing to physically look at anything.
I can fall off a building and live, but in water I will die. What am I?
Paper can flutter harmlessly from a great height but becomes soggy and ruined the instant it touches water.
I am a vegetable that bugs stay away from. What am I?
Squash plants are said to naturally repel certain garden pests, and the vegetable's name is also the word for crushing a bug.
Green but not a lizard, white without being snow, and bearded without being a man.
A leek has green stalks, a white base, and root "beard" fibers, without being a lizard, snow, or a man.
Has a tongue, but never talks. Has no legs, but sometimes walks.
A shoe has a "tongue" (the flap over the laces) and "walks" wherever its wearer's legs take it.
Lives without a body, hears without ears, speaks without a mouth, to which the air alone gives birth. What is it?
An echo is just reflected sound with no physical form, yet it seems to repeat back whatever noise the air carries.
In 1990, a person is 15 years old. In 1995, that same person is 10 years old. How can this be?
The years given are B.C. dates, which count downward, so a birth in 2005 B.C. makes the person 15 in 1990 B.C. and 10 in 1995 B.C.
What has four legs, but can't walk?
A table typically has four legs, but as furniture it obviously can't walk on them.
What do pandas have that no other animal has?
Only pandas can give birth to baby pandas — every species uniquely produces its own offspring.
Who makes it, has no need of it. Who buys it, has no use for it. Who uses it can neither see nor feel it. What is it?
A coffin-maker doesn't need one, buyers purchase it for someone else, and the deceased who "uses" it can no longer see or feel anything.
You can drop me from the tallest building and I'll be fine, but if you drop me in water I die. What am I?
Paper is light enough to survive a fall from a tall building, but it quickly gets soaked and ruined if it lands in water.
What goes up when rain comes down?
People open and raise umbrellas over their heads whenever rain starts falling.
I'm the son of water but when I return to water I die. Who am I?
Ice is 'born' when water freezes, but the moment it melts back into water, the ice itself ceases to exist.
I am your mother's brother's only brother in law. Who am I?
Your mother's brother is your uncle, and your uncle's only brother-in-law (through his sister's marriage) is your father -- a family-logic riddle.
I am full of holes but still holds water. What am I?
A sponge is riddled with tiny holes yet can still soak up and hold water within its structure. (A near-identical riddle, #977 in the source, repeats this exact question and answer and was merged into this entry as a duplicate.)
They come out at night without being called, and are lost in the day without being stolen. What are they?
Stars appear in the night sky on their own and seem to vanish ("are lost") in daylight, though they haven't actually been taken.
What is a witch's favorite school subject?
It's a pun -- witches cast 'spells,' so their favorite subject would be spelling.
Mom and dad have four daughters, and each daughter has one brother. How many people are in the family?
The four daughters share the same one brother, so the family is 2 parents + 4 daughters + 1 son = 7 people total.
Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it you die. What is it?
This is a classic paradox riddle: 'nothing' is what poor people have (no possessions), what rich people need (nothing more), and eating literally nothing would eventually kill you.
What has 88 keys but can't open a single door?
This musical instrument's 'keys' are for playing notes, not unlocking anything.
Everyone has it and no one can lose it. What is it?
Everyone casts a shadow whenever they're in light, and since it's tied to your body, you can never truly lose it.
What goes through towns and over hills but never moves?
A road stretches through towns and over hills, but the road itself is stationary -- it's the travelers who move along it.
A life or death skill for gunfighters.
In an Old West gunfight, drawing your weapon faster than your opponent -- a "quick draw" -- could mean the difference between life and death.
You can hold it without using your hands or your arms. What is it?
You can "hold your breath" without using your hands or arms at all -- it's done internally.
An apple is 40 cents, a banana is 60 cents and a grapefruit is 80 cents. How much is a pear?
Each fruit's price equals its number of vowels times 20 cents -- apple (2 vowels) = 40c, banana (3 vowels) = 60c, grapefruit (4 vowels) = 80c, and pear (2 vowels) = 40c.
When my father was 31 I was 8. Now he is twice as old as me. How old am I?
The father is 23 years older than his child (31 minus 8); if the father is now twice the child's age, then child+23 equals 2 times child, which solves to the child being 23.
There was a plane crash and every single person died. Who survived?
This riddle plays on the word 'single': every single (unmarried) person died in the crash, implying it was the people who were not single -- married couples -- who survived.
What is a Mummy's favorite type of music?
A mummy is wrapped in bandages, making 'wrap' -- a homophone of 'rap' -- its fitting favorite genre.
Everyone has me but nobody can lose me. What am I?
A shadow belongs to everyone who stands in the light, and unlike a wallet or keys, there is no way to physically lose it.
What has 4 eyes but can't see?
The word Mississippi contains four letter I's, which sound like 'eyes,' even though the state obviously can't see.
Forwards I am heavy, but backwards I am not. What am I?
Spelled forwards, TON is a heavy unit of weight; spelled backwards it becomes NOT, which has nothing to do with weight.
I'm where yesterday follows today and tomorrow is in the middle. What am I?
In a dictionary, entries are alphabetical rather than chronological, so 'today,' 'tomorrow,' and 'yesterday' sit in alphabetical order instead of the order the days actually happen.
I am a number with a couple of friends, quarter a dozen, and you'll find me again. What am I?
A quarter of a dozen (12 divided by 4) equals three, and three has a 'couple of friends' since it's a small, easily grouped number.
I am beautiful, up in the sky. I am magical, yet I cannot fly. To people I bring luck, to some people, riches. The boy at my end does whatever he wishes. What am I?
A rainbow arcs beautifully across the sky, is considered lucky and, in folklore, hides a pot of gold at its end -- said to be guarded by a leprechaun who grants wishes.
You saw me where I could not be. Yet, often you see me. What am I?
A reflection lets you see yourself somewhere you physically aren't, like in a mirror or still water, even though you view it constantly every day.
It's shorter than the rest, but when you're happy, you raise it up like it's the best. What is it?
The thumb is shorter than the other fingers, and raising it in a 'thumbs up' is the universal sign of approval.
I have two legs, but they only touch the ground while I'm at rest. What am I?
A wheelbarrow's two handles ('legs') stay raised while it's being pushed and only rest on the ground when it's set down.
I am rarely touched but often held, and if you are smart you'll use me well. What am I?
Your tongue is rarely poked or touched directly, yet you 'hold' it often in the sense of staying quiet, and choosing your words wisely takes real skill.
Add me to myself and multiply by 4. Divide me by 8 and you will have me once more. What number am I?
Doubling a number and multiplying by 4, then dividing by 8, always returns the original number, so it works for any number.
What is so delicate that saying its name breaks it?
The moment you speak the word aloud, you've made a sound and ended the quiet.
When filled I can point the way. But when empty unmoving I stay. What am I?
A glove filled with a moving hand can point in a direction, but an empty glove simply lies limp and still.
What is always coming but never arrives?
Tomorrow is always one day away; by the time it arrives, it has become "today," so tomorrow itself never truly gets here.
There is a three digit number. The second digit is four times as big as the third digit, while the first digit is three less than the second digit. What is the number?
The second digit must be 4 times the third digit and the first digit must be 3 less than the second -- with digits 1, 4, and 1, that gives 141 (4 = 4x1, and 1 = 4-3).
The day before two days after the day before tomorrow is Saturday. What day is it today?
Working through the wording step by step shows "today" must be one day before Saturday, which is Friday.
How many 9's are there between 1 and 100?
Counting the digit 9 in every number from 1 to 100 -- ten times in the units place (9, 19, 29...99) and ten times in the tens place (90-99) -- totals 20.
What is half of two plus two?
Taken as (half of two) plus two, that's 1 + 2, which equals three -- the riddle's order-of-operations trick.
The man who invented it doesn't want it. The man who bought it doesn't need it. The man who needs it doesn't know it. What is it?
No one wants to need a coffin, families often buy one in advance, and the person who will eventually need it is, by definition, no longer around to know it.
I have a face but no eyes, hands but no arms. What am I?
A clock's face has no real eyes, and its 'hands' are simply pointers with no actual arms attached.
What did zero say to eight?
The numeral 8 looks like a 0 wearing a belt around its middle, which is the visual joke behind the punchline.
I have keys but no locks. I have space but no room. You can enter but can't go outside. What am I?
A computer keyboard is packed with keys and has no locks, yet a 'space' bar and confined layout still let you 'enter' text without ever leaving it.
Which word in the dictionary is spelled incorrectly?
This is a classic trick: literally, the word 'incorrectly' means 'in a wrong way,' so it jokingly counts as the one word that is 'spelled incorrectly.'
I am black when you buy me, red when you use me. When I turn white, you know it's time to throw me away. What am I?
Charcoal starts black in the bag, glows red-hot while grilling, and turns white with ash once it's burned out and ready to be tossed.
I am a kind of coat that can only be put on when wet. What am I?
Paint is applied as a liquid ("wet") to form a "coat" on a surface; once it dries you can't apply that same coat anymore.
I come in different colors and shapes. Some parts of me are curvy, some are straight. You can put me anywhere you like, but there is only one right place for me. What am I?
Jigsaw puzzle pieces come in varied colors and shapes with curved and straight edges, and although they can physically fit various spots, only one location completes the picture correctly.
I make billions of dollars selling Windows. Who am I?
Microsoft is the company famous for making its Windows operating system, which generates billions of dollars in revenue.
Always wooden and covered in paint. It can make you laugh or hide, because something dark is inside. What is it?
A pencil's wooden body is coated in painted lacquer, and its dark graphite 'lead' inside lets you draw jokes or erase and hide mistakes.
Whoever makes it, tells it not. Whoever takes it, knows it not. Whoever knows it, wants it not. What am I?
This is a twist on the classic 'counterfeit' riddle: poison is made quietly, taken unknowingly by its victim, and once someone realizes they've been poisoned, they certainly don't want it.
The more you take of me, the more you leave behind. What am I?
Each footstep you take is itself left behind as a mark on the ground, so taking more of them leaves more behind.
I eat, I live. I breathe, I live. I drink, I die. What am I?
Fire needs fuel and oxygen ('eats' and 'breathes') to keep burning, but dousing it with water ('drinking') puts it out — kills it.
I'm a ring of sliced onion dipped in batter and then deep fried.
The clue directly describes the classic snack: battered, deep-fried rings of sliced onion.
What turns everything around but does not move?
A mirror reflects everything as a reversed (left-right flipped) image, all while the mirror itself remains stationary.
What cannot talk but will always reply when spoken to?
An echo has no voice of its own, yet it reflects back whatever sound or words are spoken toward it.
It's been around for millions of years, but is never more than a month old. What is it?
The Moon has existed for billions of years, but its phase cycle resets roughly every month (a 'lunar month'), so it's never more than about 29 days into its current cycle.
You throw me out when you want to use me and you take me in when you don't want to use me. Who am I?
A ship's anchor is thrown overboard when you want to stop and hold position, and hauled back in when you're ready to sail again.
If I have it, I don't share it. If I share it, I don't have it. What is it?
The very act of sharing a secret means you no longer possess it exclusively -- keeping it and telling it are mutually exclusive.
People buy me to eat, but never eat me. What am I?
People buy plates specifically to serve and eat food on, not to eat the plates themselves.
Hands she has but does not hold, teeth she has but does not bite, feet she has but they are cold, eyes she has but without sight. Who is she?
A doll has all the parts of a person -- hands, teeth, feet, eyes -- but none of them actually function, since she isn't alive.
What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries?
A towel absorbs more and more water as it dries other things off, becoming wetter the more drying it does.
What stinks when living and smells good when dead?
A live pig has a notoriously strong odor, but once processed into bacon and cooked, it smells delicious.
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