Eleven Plus — Word Skills

Word relationships and analogies

Solve classic 11+ analogy questions ('A is to B as C is to __') by identifying the exact relationship between the first pair, then applying it precisely to the second.

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💡Understand

An analogy question gives you a pair of words with a hidden RELATIONSHIP (opposite, part-to-whole, category, function, etc.), then asks you to complete a second pair with the SAME relationship. The key skill is naming the relationship precisely before looking at the answer options.

“PUPPY is to DOG as KITTEN is to __? Relationship: a puppy is a baby dog. Answer: CAT (a kitten is a baby cat).”

Naming the relationship first ('baby animal → adult animal') makes the answer almost automatic. Jumping straight to the options without naming the relationship is where most mistakes happen, since several options might seem loosely related to KITTEN.

🔍Spot it

What relationship links the first pair of words?

Question 1

HOT is to COLD as UP is to __?

💡 HOT and COLD are opposites, so the missing word must be the opposite of UP.

Question 2

PETAL is to FLOWER as PAGE is to __?

💡 A petal is PART of a flower; a page is part of a book — the relationship is part-to-whole.

Question 3

CHEF is to KITCHEN as PILOT is to __?

💡 The relationship is specifically 'person to the exact place they work', which points to COCKPIT rather than the more general PLANE or SKY.

🧠Think about it

Why is naming the relationship BEFORE looking at the answer options a stronger strategy than checking each option against the first pair one by one?

✍️Try it

Name the relationship, then find the answer.

AUTHOR is to BOOK as COMPOSER is to __?

Question 1

What completes the analogy?

💡 The relationship is 'a creator to the specific work they create' — an author creates a book; a composer creates a...?

📝Practise

Solve each analogy by first naming the relationship.

Question 1

FAST is to SLOW as LOUD is to __?

Question 2

FIN is to FISH as WING is to __?

Question 3

DOCTOR is to HOSPITAL as TEACHER is to __?

Question 4

In one word, what should you always identify FIRST, before checking the answer options?

💡 It's the central strategy taught in this lesson.

Question 5

LION is to PRIDE as WOLF is to __? (a group of wolves)

Question 6

Why might CLIMB be a tempting but wrong answer for "HOT is to COLD as UP is to __?"

🎯Apply

Read the passage, then answer the questions below.

Exam question: THIRSTY is to DRINK as TIRED is to __? Options: A) SLEEP B) YAWN C) BED D) NIGHT

Question 1

What is the relationship between THIRSTY and DRINK?

💡 Think about what drinking DOES in response to being thirsty.

Question 2

Applying that same relationship, what is the correct answer?

💡 Which option is the ACTION that satisfies being tired, matching 'drink' satisfying 'thirsty'?

Question 3

Why are B, C and D tempting but incorrect?

🏆Challenge

Write two of your own analogy questions (with four answer options each, one correct and three plausible traps), and explain the exact relationship each one tests.

🔄Review

A quick mastery check — 3 questions.

Question 1

BIG is to SMALL as TALL is to __?

Question 2

SLICE is to BREAD as DROP is to __?

Question 3

The best first step for any analogy question is to...