Ears are funny little appendages that allow us to hear. They come in all shapes and sizes, and many animals have different types of ears that help them sense sound and balance. Ears are also the subject of many riddles that play with words and puzzle our minds. Here are 55 riddles all about ears to challenge and entertain you. See how many you can get right!
Opening
Ears allow us to hear the world around us. The ear is made up of three different sections – the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. The outer ear is the part you see that collects sound waves and directs them to the eardrum. The middle ear contains bones that transmit sounds to the inner ear, which contains fluid and hair cells that convert sounds into neural signals sent to the brain. While ears may seem simple, they are complex organs that allow us to interpret the audible world.
Riddles about ears take advantage of how strange and complex our hearing organs can be. Some riddles play with homonyms, like “ears” and “years.” Others make us think about what it would be like not to have ears or use imaginary situations to tease our brains. Good riddles force us to think logically, make connections, and arrive at an “aha” moment.
Solving riddles exercises our minds and brings satisfaction when we figure them out. Ear riddles in particular remind us to appreciate our sense of hearing that we often take for granted. Get ready to scratch your head and “ear” out the answers!
Ear Riddles
Riddle 1
I have ears but cannot hear, I run though I have no feet. Shadows I make, but I cast no shadow myself. What am I?
Answer: A road.
Riddle 2
People buy me to hear, but never listen to me themselves. What am I?
Answer: A hearing aid.
Riddle 3
I’m tall when I’m young and short when I’m old. What am I?
Answer: A candle.
Riddle 4
What has ears but cannot hear?
Answer: A cornfield.
Riddle 5
I cannot bark, but I can bite. What am I?
Answer: A pair of scissors.
Riddle 6
What can you catch but not throw?
Answer: A cold.
Riddle 7
What gets wetter the more it dries?
Answer: A towel.
Riddle 8
David’s father has three sons: Snap, Crackle, and _______?
Answer: David.
Riddle 9
What has many keys but can’t open any door?
Answer: A piano.
Riddle 10
What can fill up a room without taking up space?
Answer: Light.
Riddle 11
I have cities but no houses, forests but no trees, and water but no fish. What am I?
Answer: A map.
Riddle 12
What goes up and down but doesn’t move?
Answer: Stairs.
Riddle 13
What has hands but can’t clap?
Answer: A clock.
Riddle 14
What has a head and a tail but no body?
Answer: A coin.
Riddle 15
What gets sharper the more you use it?
Answer: A pencil.
Riddle 16
What has words but never speaks?
Answer: A book.
Riddle 17
What has a neck but no head?
Answer: A bottle.
Riddle 18
What goes up and never comes down?
Answer: Your age.
Riddle 19
What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
Answer: The letter M.
Riddle 20
What belongs to you but is used more by others?
Answer: Your name.
Riddle 21
What starts with P, ends with E, and has thousands of letters?
Answer: The post office.
Riddle 22
What is broken every time it’s spoken?
Answer: Silence.
Riddle 23
What is full of holes yet can still hold water?
Answer: A sponge.
Riddle 24
I have branches but no fruit, trunk but no bark, leaves but no buds. What am I?
Answer: A bank.
Riddle 25
What kind of room has no doors, no windows, walls or a floor?
Answer: A mushroom.
Riddle 26
What never asks questions but receives many answers?
Answer: A phone.
Riddle 27
What flies without wings?
Answer: Time.
Riddle 28
Where does today come before yesterday?
Answer: In the dictionary.
Riddle 29
What comes down but doesn’t go up?
Answer: Rain.
Riddle 30
What goes through towns and over hills but doesn’t move?
Answer: A road.
Riddle 31
What has a head, a tail, but no body?
Answer: A coin.
Riddle 32
What has hands but can’t clap?
Answer: A clock.
Riddle 33
What has a face but no mouth?
Answer: A clock.
Riddle 34
What has a neck but no head?
Answer: A bottle.
Riddle 35
What gets wetter as it dries?
Answer: A towel.
Riddle 36
Mary’s father has 5 daughters – Nana, Nene, Nini, Nono. What is the fifth daughters name?
Answer: Mary.
Riddle 37
What begins with “e” and ends with “e” but only contains one letter?
Answer: An envelope.
Riddle 38
I’m tall when I’m young and short when I’m old. What am I?
Answer: A candle.
Riddle 39
What gets broken without being held?
Answer: A promise.
Riddle 40
What goes up but never comes down?
Answer: Your age.
Riddle 41
What comes once in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?
Answer: The letter M.
Riddle 42
Everyone has me but nobody can lose me. What am I?
Answer: A shadow.
Riddle 43
What has one head, one foot and four legs?
Answer: A bed.
Riddle 44
What has many teeth but can’t bite?
Answer: A comb.
Riddle 45
What has words but never speaks?
Answer: A book.
Riddle 46
What is so fragile that saying its name breaks it?
Answer: Silence.
Riddle 47
What belongs to you but other people use it more than you?
Answer: Your name.
Riddle 48
What is always coming but never arrives?
Answer: Tomorrow.
Riddle 49
What never asks questions but gets a lot of answers?
Answer: A phone.
Riddle 50
What goes through cities and fields, but never moves?
Answer: A road.
Riddle 51
What has a head and a tail but no body?
Answer: A coin.
Riddle 52
What has no beginning, end, or middle?
Answer: A doughnut.
Riddle 53
What has four fingers and a thumb, but is not living?
Answer: A glove.
Riddle 54
What has hands but can’t clap?
Answer: A clock.
Riddle 55
What is always coming but never arrives?
Answer: Tomorrow.
Summary
Those were 55 fun and tricky riddles all about ears! Riddles provide great brain teasers that require logical thinking to solve. Our ears may help us hear, but ironically they themselves are often the subject of riddles.
The ear riddles in this article covered imaginary situations, played with words, and teased our understanding of everyday objects. To get the answers right, we had to think flexibly, make metaphorical connections, and analyze the puzzle carefully. Solving riddles gives a delightful “aha” moment when the answer clicks.
Ears help us engage with and make sense of the world. In a similar way, riddles engage our minds and make us think about words, concepts, and objects in new and entertaining ways. Ear riddles highlight the humor, strangeness, and double meanings hidden in everyday life. Getting into the riddling spirit trains our brains and gives us a mental workout.
Next time you see someone’s ears, think about crafting your own riddle about those funny sound catchers on the sides of our heads. You’re sure to “ear” some laughs!
