Courtesy to Reader's Digest

1. I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I? 

This riddle relies on tricking you into thinking about ears and a mouth. You get a tiny hint about wind to encourage you to think broadly and avoid the literal.

Answer: An echo.

2. You measure my life in hours and I serve you by expiring. I’m quick when I’m thin and slow when I’m fat. The wind is my enemy.

This one wants to trip you up by hitting you with details from every angle. The big hint comes at the end with the wind. What does wind threaten most? You have to stretch your brain to come up with something tiny and unexpected.

Answer: A candle.

3. I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?

This riddle aims to confuse you and get you to focus on the things that are missing: the houses, trees, and fish. You might guess you need to think about something inanimate.

Answer: A map.

5. You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk, but when you look again you don’t see a single person on the boat. Why?

Hard riddles like this are tricky because they seem to invite straightforward, logical thinking. You may come up with answers like “they all went below deck” or “jumped overboard.” But you need to focus on the word “single” and think about its other meanings.

Answer: All the people were married.