Riddle: What has many rings but no fingers?
Answer: A telephone
Riddle Explanation + Meaning
A telephone is a common device found in homes and offices.
When we say a telephone has many rings, we are not talking about actual rings you wear on your fingers.
Instead, "rings" here refer to the sound a phone makes when someone is calling.
The riddle plays with words by comparing the word "ring," which can mean both a circle of metal worn as jewelry and the sound a telephone makes.
Telephones do not have fingers, which is a clue that the "rings" in question are not the kind you wear.
By understanding the double meaning of "rings," the answer to the riddle becomes clear: a telephone has many "rings" (sounds) but obviously has no fingers to wear rings on.
This clever use of wordplay is what makes the riddle amusing and a little bit tricky.
Why the answer is a telephone
The whole riddle rests on one word with two meanings. A ring can be a band of metal you wear on a finger, or it can be the sound a phone or a bell makes. The second half of the riddle, "but no fingers", is placed there on purpose to push you toward the jewelry meaning. It makes you ask what could possibly wear rings without hands, when the real question is what makes ringing sounds.
It is hard partly because many modern phones buzz or play songs instead of ringing, so younger solvers may not think of a ring as a sound at all. Other answers also work. A bell has many rings and no fingers. A tree has many growth rings inside its trunk and no fingers either, which is a lovely answer for anyone who knows how to count a tree's age. Saturn, with its rings, is another fun one.
Where this riddle comes from
This is a modern classic of unknown origin, probably not much older than the telephone itself. It is a pun riddle, which means it depends on a word that has two meanings. Many children's riddle books include it because it is short and the "aha" moment is quick.
3 more riddles like this one
What has keys but cannot open a single lock?
Hint
Answer
What has a bark but never bites?
Hint
Answer
What kind of band never plays any music?
Hint
Answer
How to solve riddles like this
- Look for a noun that could also be a sound or an action. Ring, bark and band are good examples.
- Ask which half of the riddle is the distraction. Here, "no fingers" pushes you the wrong way.
- Try each meaning of the key word in turn and see which one makes the rest of the riddle easy.
- Think about sounds around the house: bells, alarms, doorbells and phones.