Challenge yourself with a handwritten word puzzle that has been sparking some great conversations online! It comes with a playful warning at the bottom: “Think before you answer.” It is a classic brain teaser that might just bring back a few memories, and it is a wonderful test of your creative thinking.
The image asks a very simple question: “What has ears but cannot hear?”
What makes this puzzle so clever is how it plays with our everyday vocabulary. Because the riddle specifically mentions having “ears” and the inability to “hear,” our brains naturally jump straight to thinking about biological creatures, stuffed animals, or statues. If you try to solve it by thinking about living or sculpted things, you will find yourself completely stuck!
To solve this one, you have to think about the different ways we use words in the English language. Instead of a hearing organ on a head, think about a common food item from the garden that features a leafy husk often called “ears”!
Answer: An ear of corn.
