ANALOGY

Simple Word Analogies
ANALOGY - These compare two different things by breaking them

into parts to see how they are related. A word analogy looks like
this:
kitten is to cat as puppy is to ____
Sometimes analogies use colons (:) to stand for words, so

that when you read it aloud, the analogy looks like:
Kitten : cat :: puppy : _____.
Usually, the last word in the analogy is blank. You need to

figure out what the relationship is.
Analogies can show many different types of word relationships. The
key is deciding what the relationship between the first set of words
is, and matching it in the second set.
Synonym Relationships
Synonym relationships are words that mean the same thing. If
the first two words in the analogy are synonyms, then the second
set of words have to be synonyms as well. Take a look at these
analogies with synonym relationships
delicious is to yummy as scary is to creepy
Delicious and yummy go together because they both mean the
same thing.
Antonym Relationships
Analogies that show antonyms are opposites. The first two words in
the analogy (for example, hot : cold) should have the
same opposite relationship as the second words in the analogy
(for example, happy : sad). Examples of analogies with antonym
relationships include:
 good is to bad as black is to white
 smile is to frown as pretty is to ugly
 near is to far as open is to closed
 strong is to weak as love is to hate
Part to Whole
The analogy relationships get trickier when you get past synonyms
and antonyms, where word order doesn't matter. Word order
matters in a part to whole relationship, in which the first word is a
part of something, and the second word is the whole thing. For
example:
 feather is to bird as fur is to dog
 wolf is to pack as fish is to school
Be careful about word order! The relationship could be whole to

part instead, which means that the whole word comes first and the
part word comes second.
 hand is to finger as foot is to toe
 class is to student as forest is to tree
An analogy is a comparison between two things that are
usually thought to be different from each other, but that
have something in common. Analogies help us understand
something by comparing it to something we already know.
Synonyms & Antonyms
One way analogies are set up is using synonyms (words that mean
the same thing) and antonyms (words that are opposites). An
analogy using SYNONYMS might look like this:
TWELVE : DOZEN : : THREE

: TRIO
Twelve means the same as a dozen, just like three means the same
as a trio. Some analogies use antonyms. An analogy
using ANTONYMS might look like this:
HOT : COLD : : DAY : NIGHT
Hot is the opposite of cold, just as day is the opposite of night.

Make sense? Then you're ready to try the analogies below.
Answers are at the bottom of the page. Try to answer all the
questions first, and then check your answers!
1. catch : capture : : docile : 5. empty : 9. first : last :
_____ full : : : most :
a. mean awkward : _____
b. wild _____ a. least
c. obedient a. graceful b. more
d. ugly b. clumsy c. biggest
c. helpful d. late
d. hollow
2. system : method : : faith :
_____ 10. polite :
a. trust 6. main : courteous : :
b. mistrust primary : : style : _____
labor : _____ a. nice
a. play b. pretty
b. first c. ugly
c. manner c. hard d. fashion
d. courtesy d. work
11. narrow :
3. sympathy : pity : : awkward : 7. delay : thin : :
_____ stall : : boulder :
a. mourn allow : _____ _____
b. die a. restrict a. big
c. clumsy b. strict b. hard
d. puppy c. late c. shoulder
d. permit d. rock
4. yell : whisper : :

tame : _____ 8. prey : 12. cheap :
a. docile quarry : : expensive : :
b. wild strike : _____ high : _____
c. animal a. animal a. tall
d. scream b. hunt b. building
c. hit c. costly
d. stripe d. low
ANSWERS
1. (c) obedient
5. (a) graceful 9. (a) least
2. (a) trust
6. (d) work 10. (d) fashion
3. (c) clumsy
7. (d) permit 11. (d) rock
4. (b) wild
8. (c) hit 12. (d) low
Parts & Wholes
Some analogies compare PART of something to its WHOLE (or
they might compare something WHOLE to its PART). Here's
an example of a PART to WHOLE analogy:
L E G : C H A I R : : S H A D E : L A
MP
You would read this analogy "leg is to chair as shade is to lamp".

In your mind, you should be thinking "a leg is a part of a chair, just
like a shade is part of a lamp." This same analogy could have been
set up as a WHOLE to PART analogy:
C H A I R : L E G : : L A M P : S H
ADE
If that's all making sense to you, then try your hand at the
analogies below. The answers are at the bottom. Try not to peek!
1. car : tire : : 5. book : chapter : : 9. foot : toe : : face
tree : _____ tractor : _____ : _____
a. rubber a. plowed a. finger
b. limb b. read b. toenail
c. wheel c. track c. nose
d. grow d. motor d. arm
2. roof : house : : 6. bicycle : pedal : : 10. petal :

wall : _____ fireplace : _____ flower : : eye :
a. room a. burn _____
b. straight b. mantel a. cry
c. square b. see
c. ride
d. cracked c. blink
d. warm
d. potato
3. day : hour : :

7. month : week : :
week : _____ 11. pride : lion : :
year : _____
a. minute band : _____
a. time
b. second a. musician
b. month
c. month b. music
c. decade
d. day c. rubber
d. century
d. brave
4. cactus :
8. hide : cow : :
spines : : pig : 12. egg : shell : :
wrapper : _____
_____ onion : _____
a. gum
a. piglet a. tears
b. unwrap
b. sow b. herb
c. fresh
c. bacon c. scallion
d. paper
d. bristles d. skin
ANSWERS
1. (b) limb
5. (d) motor 9. (c) nose
2. (a) room
6. (b) mantel 10. (d) potato
3. (d) day
7. (b) month 11. (a) musician
4. (d) bristles
8. (a) gum 12. (d) skin

ANALOGY

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Simple Word Analogies

ANALOGY - These compare two different things by breaking them

Sometimes analogies use colons (:) to stand for words, so

Usually, the last word in the analogy is blank. You need to

Be careful about word order! The relationship could be whole to

TWELVE : DOZEN : : THREE

HOT : COLD : : DAY : NIGHT

Hot is the opposite of cold, just as day is the opposite of night.

4. yell : whisper : :

You would read this analogy "leg is to chair as shade is to lamp".

2. roof : house : : 6. bicycle : pedal : : 10. petal :

3. day : hour : :

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