Word Riddles for Kids
- 15 riddles
- Ages 7-12
- Answers included
These are about how words are spelled rather than what they mean, which makes them harder to solve out loud than on paper.
Give a child a pencil for this set. Several of them become obvious the moment the word is written down.
What word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?
ShortAdding 'er' makes 'shorter'.
What word of five letters has one left when two are removed?
StoneTake away the s, t and e and 'one' remains.
What begins with T, ends with T, and has T inside it?
A teapotIt starts and ends with the letter T and has tea inside.
Which word in the dictionary is always spelled incorrectly?
IncorrectlyThe word itself is spelled 'incorrectly'.
I am a word of five letters. Remove the first and I am still the same. Remove the last and I am still the same. What am I?
EmptyRemove the letters and what remains is still empty.
What word contains all twenty-six letters of the alphabet?
AlphabetThe word itself contains them, in the sense that it names them all.
Which nine-letter English word has only one vowel in it?
StrengthsIt has nine letters and the only vowel is the e.
What word looks the same forwards and backwards?
A palindrome, such as 'level' or 'madam'Palindromes read identically in both directions.
Which letter is a question all by itself?
YIt sounds like 'why'.
Which letter is a drink?
TIt sounds like 'tea'.
Which letter is a body of water?
CIt sounds like 'sea'.
Which letter is an insect?
BIt sounds like 'bee'.
What comes once in a year, twice in a week, but never in a day?
The letter ELook at the spelling of each word.
Add one letter to the front of 'old' to make something you feel, and a different letter to make something you spend.
Cold, and goldC makes cold, G makes gold.
What eight-letter word has one letter in it?
EnvelopeAn envelope has a letter inside it.
Questions about Word Riddles for Kids
Why are word riddles harder to solve aloud?
Because they depend on how a word is written rather than how it sounds. Writing the word down often gives the answer immediately.
What age are these suitable for?
Ages seven to twelve, and they need a child who can already spell reasonably well.
How can I help a child who is stuck?
Give them a pencil. Several of these become obvious the moment the word is written out.
Are these good for children learning English?
Yes, at an intermediate level. They reward paying attention to spelling patterns rather than to meaning.