The Difference Between Riddle, Puzzle, and Brain Teaser

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Comparison between Riddle, Puzzle and Brain teaser.
Definition (Oxford):
Riddle : A question or statement intentionally phrased so as to require ingenuity in ascertaining its answer or meaning.
A puzzle : A game, toy, or problem designed to test ingenuity or knowledge.
Brain teaser : A problem or puzzle, typically one designed to be solved for amusement.

Purpose:
Riddle : To test logical reasoning and for amusement.
Puzzle : To test ingenuity or knowledge.
Brain teaser: For amusement

Type:
Riddle : Spoken sentence or question.
Puzzle : A toy or game, i.e. physical object.
Brain teaser : Usually a spoken sentence or question, but can be in the form of a toy or a game.

Example:
Riddle : “What animal walks on all fours in the morning, two in the afternoon and three in the evening?”
Puzzle : A crossword puzzle, a jigsaw puzzle, a maze
Brain teaser : “What animal walks on all fours in the morning, two in the afternoon and three in the evening?”

There are a lot of differences between a '' puzzle '' and a '' riddle ''. The puzzle plays major role to brain in solving some details. A logic puzzle is often a word problem, in which you use a special organized table to chart out the answer. But, the riddle is something difference from puzzle A riddle is a statement or question or phrase having a double or veiled meaning, put forth as a puzzle to be solved. Riddles are of two types: enigmas, which are problems generally expressed in metaphorical or allegorical language that require ingenuity and careful thinking for their solution, and conundrums, which are questions relying for their effects on punning in either the question or the answer.The Riddle Game is a formalized guessing game, a contest of wit and skill in which players take turns asking riddles. The player that cannot answer loses. Riddle games occur frequently in mythology and folklore, particularly Scandinavian, as well as in popular literature. But, puzzle is something on reality and not on guessing.

The main problem with distinguishing between the three is that a brain teaser is often considered to be a type of puzzle. Furthermore, a riddle is often defined as a specific type of brain teaser. Hence, at the end of the day, the actual semantics of the definition do not matter. In everyday colloquialism, the three words are usually interchangeable. The only difference is that a tangible object, such as toy or a game, will usually not be referred to as a riddle. It can however at times be called a brain teaser. A riddle or a brain teaser can be used interchangeably, and can be called a puzzle as well. Still, all three help a person to develop and improve cognitive function, while still having fun.

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