Funny Things to Ask Alexa: Jokes, Games and Silly Questions

Start with “Alexa, tell me a joke”. It is the joke line on Amazon’s own Fun with Alexa page, and Amazon’s help pages suggest the same words for the newer Alexa+.

Everything below comes from something Amazon has published: the Fun with Alexa page on amazon.com, the lists on its About Amazon news sites in the US, the UK and India, and its help pages. The old version of this article had 100 questions gathered from around the web, many of which are on none of the Amazon pages we read. We kept only the ones Amazon’s own pages back, so the list is shorter.

One warning, given once. Alexa’s lines are rewritten often, and what you hear depends on your country, your language and your device, so your Echo may not answer the way Amazon describes. That is also why we leave out the punchlines.

Five to start with

Say	What it is	Where Amazon lists it
“Alexa, tell me a joke”	One from Alexa’s stock of jokes	Fun with Alexa page
“Alexa, quack the alphabet for me”	The alphabet, quacked	About Amazon, US
“Alexa, open Song Quiz”	A music quiz skill	Fun with Alexa page
“Alexa, we don’t talk about Bruno”	The title of the song from Disney’s Encanto	About Amazon, US
“Alexa, is a hotdog a sandwich?”	A debate to put to Alexa	Fun with Alexa page

Jokes

“Alexa, tell me a joke.”
“Alexa, what’s the joke of the day?”
“Alexa, tell me a dad joke.”
“Alexa, tell me a knock-knock joke.”
“Alexa, why did the chicken cross the road?”
“Alexa, tell me a limerick.”
“Alexa, tell me a tongue twister.”
“Alexa, insult me.”
“Alexa, compliment me.”
“Alexa, roast Tom Brady.”
“Alexa, tell me a football burn.”
“Alexa, teach me a prank.” Or simply “Alexa, prank me.”

The insults and roasts are milder than they sound. Amazon’s account of the team that writes Alexa’s jokes says the humour is meant to be cheeky and corny, never cruel or profane. The same piece says the writers add jokes on particular subjects because people kept asking for them, and Amazon’s Indian site gives “Alexa, tell me an engineer joke” as an example. Tom Brady and the football burn belong to American football, so they will mean more in the US.

Games

“Alexa, let’s play a game.” Amazon says Alexa answers with a list to choose from.
“Alexa, flip a coin.”
“Alexa, roll a dice.”
“Alexa, start a quiz.”
“Alexa, test my spelling.”
“Alexa, test my history knowledge.”
“Alexa, what’s the question of the day?”
“Alexa, play Jeopardy!”
“Alexa, open Song Quiz.”
“Alexa, open Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader.”
“Alexa, play Akinator.”
“Alexa, trick or treat.”

Jeopardy!, Song Quiz, Akinator and the 5th Grader quiz are skills, which are Alexa’s version of apps. Amazon’s page says you start one by saying “Alexa, open” and its name. To find more, open the Alexa app, tap More, then Skills & Games, then Categories, and look under Games & Trivia.

Film, TV and game references

“Alexa, play ‘The Imperial March’.” Darth Vader’s theme from Star Wars.
“Alexa, begin my Jedi lessons.” Amazon describes nine short lessons.
“Alexa, teach me a Jedi mind trick.”
“Alexa, do, or do not.” Alexa finishes the quote.
“Alexa, talk like Yoda.”
“Alexa, I am your father.”
“Alexa, we don’t talk about Bruno.”
“Alexa, up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start.” Amazon calls it a classic video game cheat code and suggests trying it.

The Star Wars lines come from a post Amazon wrote for Star Wars Day. That post also offered “Alexa, use the Force”, but only for the month of May. It gives the Yoda and father lines in Spanish as well: “Alexa, habla como Yoda” and “Alexa, yo soy tu padre”.

Music and sounds

“Alexa, sing me a song.”
“Alexa, sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to me.”
“Alexa, rap for me.”
“Alexa, beatbox for me.”
“Alexa, I’ve got 99 problems.”
“Alexa, drumroll, please.”
“Alexa, give me a round of applause.”
“Alexa, quack the alphabet for me.”
“Alexa, cry for me.”

According to Amazon, most of Alexa’s songs are played and sung by one member of its joke-writing team, a lifelong musician. Bear that in mind before you judge the singing.

Silly questions

“Alexa, is a hotdog a sandwich?”
“Alexa, are there more doors or wheels in the world?”
“Alexa, which came first: the chicken or the egg?”
“Alexa, what’s your favourite ice cream?”
“Alexa, what is your favourite word?”
“Alexa, who is your celebrity crush?”
“Alexa, are you married?”
“Alexa, do you have any pets?”
“Alexa, what is the best thing about Mondays?”
“Alexa, are you blue?”
“Alexa, how old are you?”
“Alexa, self-destruct.”
“Alexa, surprise me.”
“Alexa, entertain me.”
“Alexa, tell me a fun fact.”

British and Indian lines

Amazon’s UK site has its own list for British Echos:

“Alexa, fancy a cuppa?”
“Alexa, speak in Cockney rhyming slang.”
“Alexa, give me a Shakespearean insult.”
“Alexa, how many beans make five?”
“Alexa, tell me a poem about beans.”
“Alexa, should I wear shorts today?”
“Alexa, sing your Eurovision song.”
“Alexa, sing a duet with Ed Sheeran.”
“Alexa, do an impression of Nigella Lawson.”

Amazon’s Indian site lists these, some from the time Alexa learnt Hindi:

“Alexa, kya bolti tu.”
“Alexa, it’s the time to disco.”
“Alexa, tell me a Rajnikant joke.”
“Alexa, open Hindi Jokes.”
“Alexa, who is the God of cricket?”
“Alexa, apne baare mei batao.” That is Hindi for “tell me about yourself”.

Two more for December: “Alexa, where’s Santa?” from Amazon’s US site, and “Alexa, am I on the nice list?” from the UK one.

What Alexa+ changes

Alexa+ is Amazon’s newer assistant, built on generative AI. We have kept to what Amazon itself says about it.

The personality is new. Amazon’s help page says it reworked Alexa’s personality for Alexa+, with new voices and more natural conversation. The examples it gives are open requests: “Give me the weather like a pirate” and “Tell me about yourself but as a movie trailer”. It also lists “Tell me a joke” and “How old are you?”, so those two carry over.

You no longer need set phrases. Amazon says you can talk to Alexa+ conversationally without memorising a list of commands. Its own suggestion from a list of things to try is to ask Alexa to announce that the pizza is done in a funny way.

You can pick a style. Alexa+ has four personality styles: Brief, Chill, Sweet and Sassy. Amazon describes Sassy as sharp wit, playful sarcasm and the occasional censored swear word. It is not available when Amazon Kids is switched on, and it needs an extra security check in the Alexa app. To change style, say “Alexa, change your personality style”. Styles are set for each device separately. Amazon says a style changes Alexa’s tone, not what she can do.

What Amazon does not say. It has not published a list of which older lines still get their scripted answer on Alexa+. Its Alexa+ page says the new assistant gives customised answers in the personality you choose, which is as close as it comes to saying the answers will differ.

Who has it. Amazon lists the US, the UK, Canada, Mexico, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Brazil, France and Australia, with India in an Early Access programme. In the US it comes with Prime or as a paid plan, and there is no free version on Echo devices. Some older Echos never get it. Amazon names the first-generation Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Plus and Echo Spot, the first two Echo Show models and the Amazon Tap, and says they stay on the original Alexa. Amazon also says the original Alexa remains available on Echo devices for anyone who prefers it.

If a line Amazon lists gets no reaction, check that the device software is current. Our guide to updating an Echo has the steps.

Quick answers

What are funny things to ask Alexa for kids?

Amazon’s Alexa for Kids page suggests “Alexa, tell me a joke” and “Alexa, let’s play a game”. From its funny list, “quack the alphabet for me” and “tell me a knock-knock joke” are the child-sized ones. With Alexa+ and an Amazon Kids+ subscription, Amazon’s examples include “How many bananas can fit inside the moon?”

Does Alexa have a sassy mode?

Alexa+ does: Sassy is one of its four personality styles. The original Alexa has no such setting, and an Amazon post about it says there is no official sassy mode.

Are there rude things to ask Alexa?

Not really. Amazon says the original Alexa’s humour is never profane. The nearest are “Alexa, insult me”, the UK’s “Alexa, give me a Shakespearean insult”, and the Sassy style on Alexa+.

What is the Alexa cheat code?

Amazon says there is no real trick code, then suggests saying “Alexa, up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start”.

Can you ask Alexa funny things in other languages?

Yes, where Alexa supports the language. Amazon’s Indian site lists Hindi lines such as “Alexa, sher ki aawaaz sunao”, which asks for a lion’s roar, and its Star Wars post gives lines in Spanish.