Eleven Plus — Word Skills

Odd one out

Find the word that doesn't share a group's hidden property, and explain precisely WHY it doesn't belong — including spotting when more than one grouping is possible.

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💡Understand

In an odd-one-out question, most words share a hidden PROPERTY (category, spelling pattern, grammatical feature) and one doesn't. The key skill is identifying the property that links the majority, then checking each word against it individually.

“Which is the odd one out: APPLE, BANANA, CARROT, GRAPE, MANGO? Answer: CARROT — the others are all fruits, but a carrot is a vegetable.”

Four of the five words share the property 'fruit'; CARROT breaks that pattern by being a vegetable. Notice the words are also all food, all start with a different letter, etc. — the SPECIFIC property that separates four from one is what matters, not just any shared trait.

🔍Spot it

What property separates the odd one out from the rest?

Question 1

Odd one out: WHISPER, SHOUT, MURMUR, MUTTER, SPEAK

💡 WHISPER, MURMUR, and MUTTER all describe quiet speech; SHOUT is the opposite volume, breaking the pattern.

Question 2

Odd one out: SWIM, RUN, JUMP, WALK, FISH

💡 SWIM, RUN, JUMP and WALK are all movement verbs; FISH breaks the pattern by primarily being a noun.

Question 3

Odd one out: TRIANGLE, SQUARE, PENTAGON, CIRCLE, HEXAGON

💡 TRIANGLE, SQUARE, PENTAGON and HEXAGON are all straight-sided shapes with corners; CIRCLE has neither.

🧠Think about it

Why might a question sometimes have more than one PLAUSIBLE grouping, and how do you choose the best one?

✍️Try it

Find the odd one out and its reason.

OAK, MAPLE, ROSE, BIRCH, WILLOW

Question 1

Which is the odd one out, and why?

💡 Think about the specific CATEGORY each plant belongs to, not just that they're all plants.

📝Practise

Find the odd one out and explain the property that separates it.

Question 1

Odd one out: HAPPY, JOYFUL, CHEERFUL, ANGRY, DELIGHTED

Question 2

Odd one out: KITTEN, PUPPY, CALF, LAMB, HORSE

Question 3

Odd one out: QUICKLY, SLOWLY, CAREFULLY, HAPPY, LOUDLY

Question 4

In one word, what should you always identify to solve an odd-one-out question — the thing most words share?

💡 It's the key term used throughout this lesson.

Question 5

Odd one out: RIVER, LAKE, OCEAN, POND, MOUNTAIN

Question 6

Why is it important to check EVERY word against your chosen property, not just stop at the first one that seems different?

🎯Apply

Read the passage, then answer the questions below.

Exam question: Which is the odd one out? BRIGHT, VIVID, DULL, RADIANT, GLOWING

Question 1

What property do BRIGHT, VIVID, RADIANT and GLOWING share?

💡 Think about what these four words have in common in meaning.

Question 2

Which word is the odd one out, and why?

Question 3

In one phrase, what specific meaning-based property links BRIGHT, VIVID, RADIANT and GLOWING?

💡 Think about what these words all suggest about how something looks.

🏆Challenge

Write your own odd-one-out question (five words) where at least two words might seem 'odd' at first glance, but only one is correct once you find the specific intended property. Explain your reasoning.

🔄Review

A quick mastery check — 3 questions.

Question 1

Odd one out: RED, BLUE, GREEN, HAPPY, YELLOW

Question 2

The best strategy for odd-one-out questions is to...

Question 3

Odd one out: SPRINT, DASH, RACE, STROLL, BOLT