Trick Question Riddles With Answers
Updated · Best Riddles With Answers editorial team
Quick answer: A trick question sounds simple, then catches you out. This page has 42 trick question riddles with answers, from word catches and puns to number traps and puzzles where the obvious answer is wrong. Each answer explains the twist, so you can try them on friends, family or a classroom and watch the faces.
Easy Trick Question Riddles
How much dirt is in a hole that is two metres deep and three metres wide?
None. A hole has no dirt in it.
You drive a bus with 30 passengers. At the first stop 8 get off and 5 get on. What is the driver's name?
Your own name, because you are the driver.
Which hand do you use to stir your tea?
Neither. You stir it with a spoon.
How many bananas can you eat on an empty stomach?
One. After the first, your stomach is no longer empty.
What can you put in your right hand that you can never put in your left?
Your left hand.
Name three days of the week without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
Yesterday, today and tomorrow.
What can be found in the middle of nowhere?
The letter H.
A brick weighs 1 kilogram plus half a brick. How much does the brick weigh?
2 kilograms. If the brick is x, then x = 1 + x/2, so x/2 = 1 and x = 2.
Why can't a bicycle stand up on its own?
It is two-tired.
In which month do people sleep the least?
February, because it is the shortest.
Is there a fourth of July in England?
Yes. The date arrives there every year, though it is not a national holiday.
Trickier Trick Question Riddles
Eight workers build a wall in 10 hours. How long would four workers take at the same pace?
20 hours, because half the workers need twice as long.
A bus leaves the depot with 10 people. At the first stop 5 get off and 3 get on. At the second stop 2 get off and 4 get on. How many stops did the bus make?
Two. The question asks about the stops, not the passengers.
How many sides does a coin have?
Three: heads, tails and the edge.
Say the word silk five times, then answer fast: what do cows drink?
Water. Cows drink water, not milk, though silk sets you up to say milk.
What letter comes right after M in the word Mississippi?
I.
How many letters are there in 'the answer'?
Nine: three in 'the' and six in 'answer'.
What goes in dry, comes out wet, and gets stronger the longer it stays in?
A tea bag.
What comes once in a year, twice in a week, and never in a day?
The letter E.
What can you throw that never hits anything?
A party.
What gets bigger when you turn it upside down?
The number 6, which becomes a 9.
Which number has as many letters in its name as its own value?
Four.
What do you call a fish with no eye?
A fsh.
Hard Trick Question Riddles
A man has five sons, and each son has exactly one sister. How many children does he have?
Six. The five sons all share the same single sister.
A drawer holds 21 blue, 15 black and 17 red socks. In the dark, how many socks must you pull out to be certain of a matching pair?
Four. With three colours, the fourth sock must match one of the first three.
Which is larger, 40 percent of 50 or 50 percent of 40?
Neither. They are both 20.
A shop marks up a coat by 25 percent and then takes 20 percent off the new price. Compared with its cost, is the final price higher, lower or the same?
The same. 1.25 x 0.8 = 1.00.
A train 200 metres long passes a pole in 10 seconds. How long does it take to cross a 400 metre bridge completely?
30 seconds. The train goes 20 metres per second and must travel 600 metres to clear the bridge.
A man eats two thirds of a cake and then half of what is left. How much of the cake has he eaten?
Five sixths. One third is left, half of that is one sixth, and 2/3 + 1/6 = 5/6.
A car's odometer reads 15951, which reads the same backwards. After two hours at a steady speed it shows the next number that does. How fast was the car going?
55 miles per hour. The next such number is 16061, 110 miles on, and 110 divided by 2 is 55.
Which four weights let you balance any whole number of kilograms from 1 to 40 on a scale, with weights allowed on both sides?
1, 3, 9 and 27 kilograms. Each weight can go on the left, the right, or be left out.
You have an 8 litre jug full of water and empty jugs of 5 and 3 litres. How can you split the water into two 4 litre portions?
Pour 8 into 5, 5 into 3, 3 into 8, 5 into 3, 8 into 5, 5 into 3 (topping up), then 3 into 8. Both the 8 and the 5 jugs then hold 4.
A student scores 80 and 90 on two tests. What must the third score be to bring the average of all three to 90?
100. The three scores must total 270, and 270 - 170 = 100.
Quick-Fire Trick Question Riddles
Why did the picture go to jail?
It was framed.
Why did the scarecrow win an award?
He was outstanding in his field.
What happens if you throw a red stone into the blue sea?
It gets wet.
Why can't you trust atoms?
They make up everything.
Which hand is best for writing?
The one holding the pen.
What do you call a zebra without stripes?
A horse.
Which word becomes 'some' when you take away its 'whole'?
Wholesome.
How many different letters are in the word Mississippi?
Four: M, I, S and P.
How to Spot a Trick Question
Trick questions rely on the way you read, not what you know. Watch for questions that ask for something about you, such as the driver's name, for number puzzles that change what is being counted, and for words with a second meaning such as hand, side and stop. When an answer pops up instantly, pause and test it.
Try these on friends in a deliberate way. Ask the question calmly, wait for the first answer, and then explain the twist. Never tease anyone who falls for it, since nearly everybody does, and the best trick questions are the ones that make the person laugh at their own mistake.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a trick question?
A trick question is worded so that the obvious answer is wrong. The catch may be a pun, a number you were not asked about, or a detail the question quietly changed.
What is the difference between a trick question and a riddle?
A riddle describes something and asks what it is, while a trick question asks something plain with a hidden catch. The two often overlap, as in the question about the driver's name.
Are trick questions good for kids?
Yes, especially the easy set and the quick-fire jokes. They teach children to read carefully and to question assumptions, and children love to try them on parents.
How can I avoid falling for trick questions?
Slow down and ask what exactly is being asked. Check whether the question is about people, numbers or words, and test your first answer against every detail before you say it.
