Five Brilliant Brain Teasers For The Week

If you're in the mood for a mental workout, you're in the right place. Below are five all-new brain teasers—two easy ones to get warmed up, two medium puzzles to make you think, and one hard teaser to truly challenge you. Answers are included at the end, but no peeking!

🧠 1. The Name Game (Easy)

A boy was born in 2020. Yet, on his 15th birthday, he celebrated it in the year 2023.

How is this possible?

🧠 2. The Calendar Conundrum (Easy)

A man was born in 1955 and died in 1950.

He was not buried in the future, and there’s no time travel involved.

How is this possible?

🧩 3. The Strange Sentence (Medium)

What common English word contains three consecutive double letters?

(Hint: It’s one word, no hyphens.)

🧩 4. The Locked Room (Medium)

A man is found hanging from the ceiling in a completely empty, locked room.

There is nothing in the room he could have climbed on—no furniture, boxes, or tools.

The floor is completely dry.

How did he hang himself?

🧠💥 5. The Hourglass Puzzle (Hard)

You have two hourglasses:

One measures 7 minutes

One measures 11 minutes

How can you time exactly 15 minutes using only these two hourglasses?

You can flip them any number of times, but they must be running naturally—no pausing midway!

✅ Answers Below (No Cheating!)

1. The Name Game

The boy was born in Room 2020 of a hospital and turned 15 years old in Room 2023.

These are room numbers, not years!

2. The Calendar Conundrum

He was born in Room 1955 and died in Room 1950 — again, not years but hospital room numbers.

3. Three Double Letters Word

The word is bookkeeper (or bookkeeping).

It contains oo, kk, and ee — three consecutive double letters.

4. The Locked Room

He stood on a block of ice to hang himself.

The ice melted, leaving no trace behind and a dry floor if it evaporated.

5. The Hourglass Puzzle

Start both hourglasses.

When the 7-minute one runs out, flip it (7 min elapsed).

When the 11-minute one runs out, flip it (11 min elapsed).

When the 7-minute runs out again (at 14 min), flip it a final time.

Let it run 1 more minute.

⏱️ Total time = 15 minutes.