Last reviewed 22 Sept 2026 · 6 min read
What the question is really asking
An analogy gives one pair whose members are related in a definite way, and asks for another pair related in exactly the same way. The safest method never looks at the options first:
- Say the relationship aloud in a full sentence, using both words: "A pen is the tool a writer works with."
- Put the first word of each option into that same sentence.
- Only one option will fit in the same direction and at the same level.
"Doctor : Patient" is not the same as "Patient : Doctor". If the first pair runs cause → effect, the answer must run cause → effect too, never the reverse.
The relationships that appear again and again
| Type | Example | The sentence to say |
|---|---|---|
| Synonym | Huge : Enormous | "Huge means the same as enormous" |
| Antonym | Ancient : Modern | "Ancient is the opposite of modern" |
| Worker and tool | Carpenter : Chisel | "A carpenter works with a chisel" |
| Worker and workplace | Teacher : School | "A teacher works in a school" |
| Part and whole | Petal : Flower | "A petal is a part of a flower" |
| Individual and class | Sparrow : Bird | "A sparrow is a kind of bird" |
| Raw material and product | Wheat : Bread | "Bread is made from wheat" |
| Cause and effect | Virus : Disease | "A virus causes disease" |
| Unit and measure | Metre : Length | "A metre measures length" |
| Instrument and measurement | Thermometer : Temperature | "A thermometer measures temperature" |
| Animal and young one | Cow : Calf | "A calf is the young of a cow" |
| Study and subject | Ornithology : Birds | "Ornithology is the study of birds" |
| Symbol and thing | Dove : Peace | "A dove is the symbol of peace" |
| Degree or intensity | Warm : Hot | "Warm is a milder form of hot" |
Number analogies
Look for one rule that turns the first number into the second: a constant difference, a ratio, a power, a cube or square with an adjustment, or a digit operation.
Common patterns: ; ; ; ; sum or product of the digits; the next prime; reverse of the number.
Letter analogies
Number the alphabet to and compare positions. Typical rules: a fixed forward or backward shift, opposite letters (the EJOTY trick: , , and in general the pair sums to 27), the same shift applied to each letter of a group, or reversing the letters.
- Opposite pairs add to 27: , , .
- EJOTY: E=5, J=10, O=15, T=20, Y=25 — lets you place any letter in two steps.