What is a verbal analogies test?

It presents word pairs as "A is to B as C is to …" and asks for the word that completes the second pair with the same relationship as the first. It measures how well you spot and transfer relationships between concepts, a skill closely tied to general reasoning.

By What's Your IQ · Published 3 Oct 2026 · Updated 3 Oct 2026

Format:A : B :: C : ?Options:4–5 per itemTypical length:20–30 items in 15–20 minTests:Vocabulary + relational reasoningThis test:15 items, 15 min, free

Four steps

Whisper : shout :: drizzle : ?

1Ignore the optionsLook only at the first pair so the distractors can't steer you.Whisper : shout

2Say the bridgeTurn the relationship into a short, specific sentence.“A shout is a much louder whisper.”

3Apply it to CPut the third word into the same sentence and leave a gap.“A ___ is a much heavier drizzle.”

4Fill the gap, then checkChoose the option that fits. If two fit, make the sentence more specific.Downpour: not cloud (cause) or umbrella (tool)

The eight relationships

Tap one for its bridge sentence

SYNONYM · A means the same as B.Check the strength too: 'happy' and 'ecstatic' are close but not equal.

Begin : startQuick : fast

Take the test

15 analogies · 15 minutes · gets harder as you go

Say the bridge sentence to yourself before looking at the options; most wrong answers are words related to C in a different way.

Analogy 1 of 15

00:00

Puppy:dog::kitten:?

0/15Keep practising the bridge method.Your weakest relationship was degree (0/3). Revisit it in the relationship library above. · 29854926:43

Degree0/3Antonym0/2Function0/3Part → whole0/2Type → category0/1Cause → effect0/2Worker ↔ tool / place0/2

Puppy : dog :: kitten : catYou: — · DegreeA puppy is a young dog; a kitten is a young cat (young → adult, a form of degree).

Hot : cold :: tall : shortYou: — · AntonymHot is the opposite of cold; tall is the opposite of short.

Pen : write :: knife : cutYou: — · FunctionA pen is used to write; a knife is used to cut.

Petal : flower :: page : bookYou: — · Part → wholeA petal is part of a flower; a page is part of a book.

Oak : tree :: salmon : fishYou: — · Type → categoryAn oak is a kind of tree; a salmon is a kind of fish.

Rain : flood :: spark : fireYou: — · Cause → effectRain can cause a flood; a spark can cause a fire.

Warm : hot :: cool : coldYou: — · DegreeHot is a stronger form of warm; cold is a stronger form of cool.

Chef : kitchen :: surgeon : theatreYou: — · Worker ↔ tool / placeA chef works in a kitchen; a surgeon works in an operating theatre.

Brush : painter :: chisel : sculptorYou: — · Worker ↔ tool / placeA brush is the tool of a painter; a chisel is the tool of a sculptor. (Carpenters use chisels too, but painter → artist points to sculptor.)

Generous : stingy :: brave : cowardlyYou: — · AntonymGenerous is the opposite of stingy; brave is the opposite of cowardly. 'Shy' is related but not the opposite.

Glove : hand :: sock : footYou: — · FunctionA glove is worn on and covers a hand; a sock covers a foot.

Drought : thirst :: famine : hungerYou: — · Cause → effectA drought causes thirst; a famine causes hunger.

Whisper : shout :: drizzle : downpourYou: — · DegreeA shout is far louder than a whisper; a downpour is far heavier than a drizzle.

Library : books :: wardrobe : clothesYou: — · FunctionA library is used to hold books; a wardrobe is used to hold clothes.

Novel : chapter :: symphony : movementYou: — · Part → wholeA novel is divided into chapters; a symphony is divided into movements.

Where analogies happen in the brain

Left middle temporal gyrusTemporal lobeRetrieves the meanings of the four words from semantic memory.Binder et al., 2009 [4]

Left inferior frontal gyrusFrontal lobeSelects the relevant meaning and searches for how the first two words are linked.Bunge et al., 2005 [2]

Rostrolateral prefrontal cortexFrontal poleCompares the two relationships with each other: the step that makes it an analogy rather than word association.Bunge et al., 2005; Green et al., 2010 [2][3]

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortexFrontal lobeHolds the bridge sentence in mind and rejects distractors that are related in the wrong way.Bunge et al., 2005 [2]

4Terms in every analogyA : B :: C : D. Structure-mapping theory says we align relations, not surface features, across the two pairs.

^[1]Gentner, 1983

2005Year analogies left the SATThe redesigned SAT dropped analogy items from its verbal section, though they remain common in aptitude and graduate tests.

^[5]College Board

↑ distanceHarder analogies, more frontopolar activityActivity rose as the semantic distance between the two pairs increased.

^[3]Green et al., 2010

3Component processes in solving an analogyEncode the terms, infer the A–B relation, then map and apply it to C.

^[6]Sternberg, 1977

Frontal poleRegion most linked to comparing relationsRostrolateral PFC activates when two relationships must be integrated.

^[2]Bunge et al., 2005

Why the wrong answers look right

Every option is linked to C. Only one is linked the same way.

Brush:painter::chisel:?Bridge: a brush is the tool a painter works with

sculptor

Same linkA chisel is the tool a sculptor works with. Fits the bridge exactly.

stone

MaterialWhat a chisel works on, not who uses it. Swaps tool→worker for tool→material.

carve

ActionWhat a chisel does. Tempting because it's the strongest association with 'chisel'.

carpenter

Nearby jobAlso uses a chisel, but painter → artist points to the art form: sculpture.

Verbal reasoning12 minThe passage-based partner to word-level analogies.

Verbal syllogisms25 minFormal logic in words, the next step up in rigour.

Abstract reasoning30 minShows whether your relational skill holds without language.

References

Gentner, D. (1983). Structure-mapping: A theoretical framework for analogy. Cognitive Science, 7(2), 155–170.
Bunge, S. A., Wendelken, C., Badre, D., & Wagner, A. D. (2005). Analogical reasoning and prefrontal cortex: Evidence for separable retrieval and integration mechanisms. Cerebral Cortex, 15(3), 239–249.
Green, A. E., Kraemer, D. J. M., Fugelsang, J. A., Gray, J. R., & Dunbar, K. N. (2010). Connecting long distance: Semantic distance in analogical reasoning modulates frontopolar cortex activity. Cerebral Cortex, 20(1), 70–76.
Binder, J. R., Desai, R. H., Graves, W. W., & Conant, L. L. (2009). Where is the semantic system? Cerebral Cortex, 19(12), 2767–2796.
College Board (2005). The new SAT: verbal section renamed Critical Reading; analogy items removed.
Sternberg, R. J. (1977). Component processes in analogical reasoning. Psychological Review, 84(4), 353–378.