Words are powerful little puzzles in themselves—capable of trickery, humor, and wonder. Below, you’ll find a collection of riddles that each point toward a single English word. Some are puns, some are tricky, but all invite you to think creatively about language. Ready to put your vocabulary to the test? Read each riddle carefully and see if you can uncover the one-word answer before you peek!
I start with “e” and end with “e,” yet I contain only one letter.
Answer: Envelope
I’m always spelled incorrectly in every dictionary.
Answer: Incorrectly
I have a face and two hands, but no arms or legs.
Answer: Clock
I have keys but open no locks—people use me to chat or to write.
Answer: Keyboard
I have a spine and pages, yet I’m not alive.
Answer: Book
I can be broken, written, or deciphered—though I’m just one word.
Answer: Code
I start the day for many, brewed dark or light, sipped in a mug.
Answer: Coffee
I can be cracked or told, and sometimes I make you laugh out loud.
Answer: Joke
I move without feet and roar without a mouth, sometimes in storms and sometimes in crowds.
Answer: Thunder
I soar without wings, but once I land, you might read me.
Answer: Paper (as in a paper airplane)
I’m the sum of letters and parcels that reach your home, though I rhyme with a hammer’s drive.
Answer: Mail
I can be a heartfelt letter or an opinion piece in the news—yet we share the same name.
Answer: Note
I’m a short break in writing, or a brief pause in speech.
Answer: Comma
I show you your reflection but cannot judge or complain.
Answer: Mirror
I can be searched or plowed, and I help you find what you seek.
Answer: Field
I move books between readers, keep quiet halls, and share knowledge for free.
Answer: Library
I can be sweet like candy or flowery like perfume, but I’m made of words.
Answer: Poem
I’m a time of day that’s neither dark nor bright, often purple or pink in the sky.
Answer: Dusk
I’m a word for the season when leaves fall, though some say I slip.
Answer: Autumn (or “Fall”)
I greet you with little letters on your phone, the first step to conversation.
Answer: Text
I can be cunning or sly, but also a small mammal with bushy tail.
Answer: Fox
I can be violent or comedic, depending on the story you tell, and yet I’m a single word.
Answer: Punch
I hold your place in a book or situation, saving you from losing your spot.
Answer: Mark
I move swiftly with many legs on the web, but I’m not a spider; I track traffic, but I’m not a guide.
Answer: Crawl
I’m a place where actors perform or a phase of development, all in one word.
Answer: Stage
I’m a chunk of ice that drifts at sea, though most of me is hidden from view.
Answer: Iceberg